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.

4th Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival

This is for the bay area film lovers.

The annual Queer Women of Color Film Fest returns this weekend with 35 films over 3 days, starting TONIGHT at 7:30 at the Brava Theater in San Francisco!

Hyphen proudly sponsors this film festival, which promotes the visibility of queer women of color in our society. There is a special panel discussion and screening on Saturday which requires a ticket, but otherwise all other screenings, including a featured screening of queer API
women's films Saturday evening, are all FREE!
Please visit their website for festival schedule and other information. You might just win a Hyphen gift bag if you go!

Earthquake Fundraiser Brings in $32,000

Over the weekend, Hyphen sponsored a charity fundraiser at Circolo Restaurant and Ultralounge to help the victims of the earthquake that happened in China on May 12, 2008. Let me just say, the event was the bomb!

As the title stated already, the event brought in $32,000. Wow! It was definitely one of those "feel good" and "I want to give more" events. The parking was easy (unfortunately this issue always makes a huge difference to the success of an event), the DJ was fantastic, and the space was crowded but not overcrowded. All in all, the Hyphen crew had a good time there and we appreciated everyone that made it out. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you to the organizers for pulling together this event and letting us be a part making the difference.

Great Reviews for "Kung Fu Panda"

I remember when I first saw the poster, or rather, the 3D panda from "Kung Fu Panda," I whisked around to my friends and said, "what the heck is this?!" And of course, being obnoxious, I continued to do this every time I saw the standing cardboard on various occasions. Please: a panda that does kung fu, played by Jack Black?

However, I was pretty surprised to see that it had received a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and that the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) is doing a private screening for its members on June 4th.
This made me doubt my initial gut feelings.
Has anyone seen this film yet? Was I just being obnoxious because I am a hater at heart? Someone tell me otherwise.

Asian Heritage Street Celebration Tomorrow in Japantown, SF

There's going to be SO MUCH going on tomorrow, that if you don't come to this celebration, you'll seriously miss out. I'm hearing things about J-cars, kickboxing, karaoke contest, apl.de.ap from The Black Eyed Peas and an after party at Suede Nightclub.

I know it'll be steaming tomorrow, but be a good sport, and celebrate with us.

Asian Baby in United Color of Benetton Ad

I came across this on Facebook the other day (yes yes, I have a Facebook account and so does Hyphen) and am I just crazy? Is this old and I just didn't notice it before?

And if I did notice it before, is this image more relevant today?
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United Colors of Benetton has been known for its edgy ads, and of course, the diverse models. I admit. I don't own anything that's a UCB item but I do like their image. But what do you see when you look at this image? Unfortunate for me, I see a young Madonna trying to adopt, well, a baby. Ok no seriously. Tell me what you see, because I am not exactly sure what United Colors of Benetton was trying to do here. Help me grasp the meaning of this!

The 24th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Ah, May is just around the corner and if you don't know already, it's Asian Pacific Heritage month. We here at Hyphen are sponsoring a great deal of awesome events for you.

To kick things off, what's better than the 24th Annual Los Angeles Pacific Film Festival (formerly known as the VC FilmFest) for all you hip Los Angelenos?

Philip Lim for GAP

I was on my way to East West Players' 42 Visionary Awards last night (post to follow) when I crossed a major intersection in Hollywood and saw this:


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Please excuse the sepia tone. I wasn't trying to be artistic. My kid sister changed it while she was playing with my camera and I was not bad ass enough to change it back, take the picture, and continue driving like a good citizen without running any tourists over.

Anyway, do you see what I see?

Giving Away a Pair of Tickets for "Refugee Nation"

This is for my Bay Area folks. One lucky winner will get to check out "Refugee Nation" at La Pena on Shattuck in Berkeley this Saturday night.

Email me at hyphen[at]hyphenmagazine.com with the two names of the writers and performers of this project and the pair of tickets are yours. First come first served!
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What is this performance about? Great question.

Based on the stories of Laotian Refugees and their descendents

A mother lives in the darkness of a South Los Angeles apartment. An Army General struggles to forget a lost war. A son battles in the streets of urban America. "Refugee Nation" is about a young generation struggling to understand their history and the silence of an elder generation still healing from the traumas of the US waged Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War era.

The Refugee Nation continues to grow. With the certainty of new refugee arrivals coming from the Middle East, what can we learn from the wounds of a war 30 years ago that are still yet to be healed?

A little teaser: 

America's Next Top Model: Bay Area Search

Remember Tina Nguyen from San Jose who won The Bay Area Search for America's Next Top Model? 19 years old, full time student, picked from 500 different portfolios.

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She kind of reminds me of a young Joan Chen. Not that Joan Chen could look any younger (putting the rest of us to shame).

Well, looks like CW is at it again with a second round.

Watch the Democratic Debate with Chinese for Affirmative Action

Who wants to be informed? Me! And hopefully you too.

Here's one for the bay area know-it-alls. Join the CAA staff for a drink after work today as they gather to watch the next democratic candidate debate. The prime-time televised debate in Philadelphia is in advance of the April 22 Pennsylvania primary and moderated by ABC News Anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.

Whether you are pro-Clinton or pro-Obama (or a cheerleader for both), hey, you can be republican too - it never hurts to learn more. Let's battle the apathetic stereotype and get more Asian American votes out this year.

The debate starts at 8:00 pm, but go early and cool down with a drink.

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India Craze

Flying somewhere is a great excuse to do impulse buying. Impulse trashy magazine buying that is (although there was once I spent $2 something buying a tiny piece of dark chocolate). Usually when i am waiting at the airport for my 1 hour and 15 minutes flight down to Los Angeles, I'll grab a copy of Allure. I admit, it's not the best selection out there. A whole magazine dedicated to makeup and hairstyle is not intellectually stimulating, but it does make that flight, and often times delayed, go by that much faster.

Oh, and in my personal opinion, I think it's better than Cosmopolitan. I'd rather learn about a new bronzer than recycled sex tips please.

However, I have never felt compelled enough to subscribe to it, even when they offered the $1 a issue deal. I'm not sure why, but something about the magazine was just, blah.

As I was flipping through my March copy of Allure today, I discovered why.

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More from the Restaurant "Chinese Laundry"

It looks like there has been some exciting updates from our favorite Chow Fun Food Group. Remember the post by Alvin about the new Chinese Laundry restaurant and the oh-so-original, not-racist ad that was put out back in March?

After much consideration (I'm sure), that ad was pulled and this ad appeared as its replacement.

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Hyphen Celebrates the Unveiling of Hyphen 2.0

Wow. So here it is.

This baby has had us running around like headless chickens for the past couple of months. For the designers and coders behind this, I won't even go into how this site had them twirled around its little fingers. But yes, finally, the birth of our new web presence. Why does Outkast's, "so fresh and so clean clean" seem so appropriate at this moment?

So, what do you all think?!

"The Fortune Cookie Chronicles" Launch Party

Ever wondered about the history of chop suey, General Tso's chicken, fortune cookies? Let me give you a clue, the answer does not include China. This is for all you curious foodies out there, including people like me, someone who's way into food but cannot cook to save her life.

New York Times reporter and author Jennifer 8. Lee will be in San Francisco tonight to celebrate the launch of her first book, "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food." I heard that Jennifer will be giving a multimedia presentation and sharing some stories from her travels to 42 states and countless countries to uncover the mysteries of Chinese food.

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1882's Spring 2008 Collection

One awesome thing about working (or technically, volunteering) for Hyphen is the amount of support I get from my friends. Aside from subscribing to the magazine when I demand they do (my rationale -- hey it's for their own good), I know that they're thinking of me and Hyphen when I get random messages pointing me towards cool and interesting things in the world of Asian America.

Thanks Paul for sending me this link about 1882 featured on hypebeast.

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Collaboratory V: Leaps of Faith

This is for our Southern California friends and families -- boy you're in for a treat this weekend! Presented by Great Leap, the organization that our Mr. Hyphen 2007 represented, Collaboratory is a series of mentorship initiatives that aims to pass down the knowledge of doing art in and for the community. Obviously this program has been very successful because two years into it and they're on Collaboratory V already.

Luke is working hard behind the scenes to make this happen so be sure to head out and support him!

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Legally Asian

Tired of having yo mama telling you that you should be a pharmacist? Thinking about becoming the first Asian American Supreme Court Judge? That's right. Think big. Asian American Bar Association might provide an answer for you. Once you get that law degree, you come and work for us!

All students are invited to attend the Asian American Bar Association's first annual "LegallyAsian!" This event is dedicated to sharing advice with college and high school students about the legal profession, such as:

* What Real Lawyers Do vs. What You See on TV
* Why You Should Be a Lawyer
* How to Apply to Law School

Speaking of Hybrid

Hyphen is proudly sponsoring a panel discussion on mixed-race identity put together by Asia Society here in San Francisco. A coincidence that it's happening while our Hybrid Issue is out on the stands?

This program brings together a range of artists of mixed Asian descent -- a musician, a visual artist, a filmmaker and a writer -- in a panel discussion moderated by noted mixed-race scholar Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis.

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Mr. Hyphen 2006 Speaking on a Panel

A bit of a short notice I know, but I wanted to let the bay peeps know that Mr. Hyphen 2006, Robin Sukhadia, is coming to a location near you! Ok, I know that he lives in the bay area, but you know, just trying to hype up his appearance. You can't blame me. It's Mr. Hyphen!

Robin will be speaking on a panel at the 2008 Annual Membership Meeting for an organization called Chinese for Affirmative Actions. Along with him, there will be Asian American activists from API Equality, Helen Zia Fellowship for Social Change, Friends of Educational Opportunities in Chinatown, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, and other organizations.

"Trial by Water" Opens in Chicago

Speaking of Asian American theatre, Hyphen is proudly sponsoring (along with TimeOutChicago) the presentation of “Trial by Water" by Qui Nguyen in Chicago. This is for you, Chicago! dueEast Theatre Company in conjunction with A-Squared Theater Workshop is presenting the Midwest debut of this play, and we're all very excited about it here at Hyphen.

The play is about an event that took place on May 22, 1988. 110 Vietnamese crowded onto a small boat to escape their country. The first day at sea, they met a vicious storm. When the storm passed, the engine could not be restarted. They began to drift. Instead of floating back to Vietnam as everyone had hoped, the waves carried them further out to sea. The expected weeklong voyage stretched into 38 days. Ten days into the trip people began dying of thirst and hunger. Murder and cannibalism took over. When Filipino fishermen came to the rescue, there were 52 survivors.

A 10 year old boy who was on the boat is Mr. Nguyen's cousin. The playwright reports that after his cousin reached the United States, he told Mr. Nguyen, "I think my soul is dead." The survivor was 10; Mr. Nguyen was 12. Based on these events, Qui Nguyen's play "Trial by Water" chronicles the voyage of two young brothers, Huy and Hung, from Vietnam to the Philippines in order to start new lives. As the engine on their boat breaks, their voyage becomes an Odyssey forcing each brother to examine their morality as they face peril of nightmarish proportions.

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Bloody, shall we say?

Try Something New

We've been busy over at Hyphen, but, definitely not too busy to overlook the World Premier of India Jazz Progressions, featuring Pandit Chitresh Das and Jason Samuels Smith.

Indian classical + jazz? You really don't want to miss this.

Any discounts for the Hyphen lovers? Surprised that you had to ask.

To receive a 10% discount on tickets for India Jazz Progressions, please call the box office at 415-345-7575 and mention us - Hyphen magazine - because we are a proud Community Partner of this event!

Mr. Hyphen 2007 Contestant Anthem Salgado, Doing His Thang

Remember our many desirable men from Mr. Hyphen? Here's a chance to get some more out of them. Well, one of them to be exact.

Our Mr. Hyphen 2007 Anthem Salgado contestant is presenting BROWN AND BLACK AND BLUE at the Zeum Theatre. Spoken word theater exploring themes of survival? Yes please! Tell me how to survive!

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(Aspiring) Filmmakers, Directors, and Producers Look Here!

Our friends at the Red Eight Film Circle is doing something exciting this Thursday! Filmmakers, directors and producers seeking investment, marketing, and distribution support for your films, be sure to check out their events.

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Red Eight Film Circle is a forum for filmmakers, directors, producers, entertainment industry executives, investors, and anyone interested in supporting independent filmmakers.

TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: The Williams Club located at 24 East 39th Street, in Manhattan, NY.
COST: Registration is $20 online and $30 at the door

Event will include catered food, refreshments, raffle prizes, and gift
bags. We expect this event to be sold out so we recommend online registration to guarantee admission.

Filmmakers presenting include:

- Risa Morimoto (Producer of Wings of Defeat)
- Pooja Kumar (Producer of 1001 Auditions)
- Francisco Aliwalas (Founder of FranFilms)
- Kimi Takesue (Director of Crawling at Night)

Clips and trailers of their works will be shown, followed by Q&A, and an informal networking session.

For more information, check out their homepage here.

Community partners include AAFilmLab & the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA). Sponsors include Verizon, The Williams Club, Mixr Media, and Mei Image Consulting.

(H)API Hour at the Chinese Historical Society of America

Alright all you bay people, here's one for you:

Celebrate APA Heritage Month by joining (H)API Hour for an event with the Coalition of Asian American Government Employees (CAAGE) at The Chinese Historical Society of America!

There, you can check out the new exhibit & museum theatre piece, Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

*The special guest will be San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, the city’s highest ranking elected APA.*

Theatre Rice Showcase this Weekend

As we continue to ponder the tragedy of Virginic Tech and realize the innocent lives lost, please know that this post is not meant to stop the questions and the discussions pertaining to the previous posts! Please continue to share your thoughts and voice your support during this time of need in the previous post.

I like rice, but I like Theatre Rice even more!

Theatre Rice, a popular modern Asian American theatre group on the U.C. Berkeley campus is having its showcase this weekend! If you go, who knows, maybe you'll hit a JACKPOT?

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Night Market at Stanford

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This is another great event for our friends in the Bay Area, especially if you live close to Stanford!

The Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) has invited all Hyphen supporters to its Night Market and Culture Night, both a part of its 2007 West Coast Conference titled Rekindling the Flame.

Of course, the Hyphen team will be there to meet and greet our supporters from the community and spread the Hyphen love. So, if you're looking for a night of excitement or if you're just really really really hungry (read my list of food below), we will see you there!

Free Conference in Berkeley this Weekend

Bay Area folks (or those of you down for some driving), check out this free event over the weekend. Our friends over at UC Berkeley's Asian Pacific American Student Development (APASD) and Asian American Studies program are presenting their 17th Annual Asian Pacific Islander Issues Conference titled FROM THE GROUND UP: Breaking Barriers, Building Coalitions. And it costs absolutely nothing (on your end, that is).

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