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The new 2007 data released by the American Community Survey showed that Asian American households continue to have the highest median income of any ethnic group.
- On average, the Asian American household makes nearly $12,000 more than the second highest income group (Caucasian)
One-third of Asian American households make more than $100,000, while almost two-thirds of them make at least $50,000
Source: American Community Survey 2007
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Global Dignitaries in Brave New World of Coolaborative Design
First West Coast Appearances by Premier Selector Hiroshi Fujiwara and MUJI Art Director Kenya Hara
August 7, 2008 (Los Angeles, California) – Downtown Los Angeles becomes the intersection of urban Asian chic and American lifestyle cult this October 1st, when Imprint Culture Lab lays down its third annual conference of the same name. Organized in response to the groundswell of recognition and criticism surrounding cult-like enthusiasm for pop cultural artifacts, Imprint Culture Lab is an all-day multi-faceted conference featuring the latest and greatest dignitaries of global design, innovation, and marketing. Read
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Verizon Launches Bollywood-Themed Dance Contest to Highlight Company’s FiOS TV South Asian Video Content
In promoting its FiOS TV Bollywood content, Verizon has launched an online dance competition contest. Called “Bollypop”, this contest requires participants to submit a video of their dance moves to any one of 11 Bollywood songs, downloadable on Verizon’s website. The winner, chosen by the most votes online, will get a free trip to India and an appearance in a Bollywood film. Read
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‘Ping Pong Playa’ Scores With Scruffy Charm
Directed by documentary filmmaker Jessica Yu, “Ping Pong Playa” is the latest Asian American film to hit the big screen. The story follows slacker and NBA aspiring Christopher Wang, who ends up having to defend his family ping pong legacy in an intense competition. Although he had avoided doing anything stereotypically Asian (including playing ping pong), he is now faced with this challenge to honor his family.
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'Ping Pong Playa' Scores With Scruffy Charm
Comedy Playfully Mocks Sports-Movie Clichés and Racial Stereotypes
MSNBC.com
By Alonso Duralde
Film Critic
Sept. 02, 2008
By this point, we’ve seen so many movies about the underdog, the Big Game and the rescue of the family honor, that it’s almost impossible to tell that kind of story with a straight face. Which is what makes “Ping Pong Playa” such a surprising treat — this low-budget comedy keeps its tongue in cheek while simultaneously making us actually care about who wins the tournament.
With the sport being table tennis, of course, the tournament isn’t exactly the last five minutes of “Rocky.” But when the characters are this charming and the dialogue is this smart, you won’t mind watching a little white ball clonk its way from paddle to tabletop and back again.
Christopher Wang (Jimmy Tsai), or “C-Dub” to his friends, is a loudmouth slacker who speaks almost entirely in a b-ball patois and laments the genetic failings that have kept him from being an NBA star. His laziness alone would make him a disappointment in his parents’ Asian-American community — their friends all brag about their kids being doctors and lawyers — but C-Dub has also turned his back on his family’s legacy of ping pong domination.
C-dub’s older brother Michael (Roger Fan) has won the annual ping pong tournament for years, which has in turn benefited the table-tennis-supplies store that the Wangs manage. But when Mrs. Wang (Elizabeth Sung) and Michael get into a car accident, C-dub must take over his mother’s ping pong class at the community center and, ultimately, play for the family in the tournament.
This year, winning the National Golden Cock Tournament means more than a date with Miss Chinatown — C-dub has to defend the sport from Gerald (Peter Paige), a snotty interloper who wants to open up his own Anglo-centric table tennis academy.
You may be able to guess the ultimate destination of “Ping Pong Playa,” but the film chooses an interestingly circuitous route in getting there. From C-dub’s embrace of his athletic destiny to his relationship with the kids in his mom’s class — not to mention his flirtation with Jennifer (Smith Cho), the older sister of one of his students — the film finds a way to tell its story and embellish its characters while poking gentle fun at Asian overachievers and white people’s obliviousness about Asian culture.
Documentary filmmaker Jessica Yu (“In the Realms of the Unreal,” “Breathing Lessons”) makes an assured narrative debut here, even though it’s clear she’s working from a limited budget. (Full disclosure: I’ve known Yu for years from when her films screened at the USA Film Festival in Dallas, where I was once artistic director.) “Ping Pong Playa” has a sweet shagginess to it that matches C-dub’s lackadaisical nature. The idea of using basketball sound effects to cover up profanities is an awkward choice — it would work better for the film’s eventual ABC Family debut than for a theatrical movie — but beyond that, the script (by Tsai and Yu) keep the laughs consistently in play.
“Ping Pong Playa” doesn’t have the angry edge of other groundbreaking comedies about race, but perhaps its amiability makes it even more subversive. Whether or not Asian-Americans embrace its unique sense of humor, table tennis fans will no doubt be elated to be able to cleanse “Balls of Fury” from their collective palates.
© 2008 MSNBC Interactive
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interTrend’s Acculturation Study Reveals Insights into an Emerging Market
interTrend Communications has just completed phase one of its pioneering Knowledge Center Asian Acculturation Study, with pan-Asian groups and multi-generational families. The study aims to understand the differences in lifestyle, media consumption, self-identification and attitude between, among other things, Asian Americans of varying acculturation levels. Some highlights from the qualitative portion of the study:
- Food is the number one factor that ties more acculturated Asian Americans back to their Asian roots
- The majority of respondents self-identified as ‘more Asian than American’ or ‘half Asian and half American’
- Retro-acculturation (the process of becoming reacquainted with one’s cultural background) mostly occurs during high school and college, and is prominent among Asian Americans of various locations and backgrounds
- Advertisements that poke fun at or break through Asian/Asian American stereotypes and portray Asian Americans in diverse situations are well-received by acculturated Asian Americans
- For younger respondents, watching in-language programming is typically a multi-generational family activity and something they would be less likely to do on their own
Phase two, or the quantitative portion of the Knowledge Center Asian Acculturation Study will be completed before the end of 2008 and a report will be available for purchase early next year.
Class of ’08 Fails to Lift SAT Scores
The average SAT scores for high school students saw no change since 2007, with critical-reading scores at 502 points, math scores at 515 points and writing scores at 494 points. The combined score remains the lowest in the current decade. But Asian-American test takers continued to post strong results in all subjects. On the math section in particular, Asian Americans scored 66 points better than the national average. Read
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I Luv Sushi
Do you love sushi? I do! From the type revolving in boats, all the way to Thai sushi and that's where I am today. The same folks who owned Sushi Studio in Long Beach, now have taken the next leap into I Luv Sushi in Lakewood, conveniently next to a Red Mango yogurt shop. Consistent with their last venture, which is now closed, I Luv Sushi doesn't disguise or hide their Thai influence. The Thai king's portrait stares back at you, when you walk in.
Southern California is the food hybrid capital of the world and I Luv Sushi blends Japanese influences, Americanized sushi, and something Thai that takes this place to another level. There's rolls here that only they could dream up.
One of the first dishes to try is the Spicy Tuna on top of grilled rice. I've tried others who give you a rice cake like cracker, but this is more akin to "onigiri" - a rice ball. It's great when a sushi place nails the spicy tuna perfect. Not too creamy, not too hot, it's so easy to over do it. The rice patty works well under spicy tuna, giving you a "spicy tuna bowl", but with grilled rice. It's fun to eat and tastes original.
Beef, seared and flavored. I'll be the first to admit, that it doesn't look good in the photo, but it tasted great. Plenty juicy, and seared lightly, this is almost like eating sashimi. It's perfect to share with a large group. Just a piece or two works perfect.
There's plenty of rolls, Japanese food, salads, and more to choose from. But not on the menu, but a carry over from my memory of Sushi Studio is this final roll aptly called MONKEY ROLL. What can this be? It appears to be a straight up shrimp tempura roll, which is standard today, but there's another ingredient that scares almost everyone away. It's BANANA! Shrimp tempura and banana together in a sushi roll? It sounds more strange than it tastes, but it works perfectly for that last dessert like order. I started off aghast, and now, it's the first thing I order.
-Eric Nakamura-
I Luv Sushi
3215 Carson Street,
Lakewod, CA 90712
Phone: 562-421-8917
Website
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