Asian Pacific-Islander Heritage Celebration

Recipe Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Pork

rangsiwan — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:00:51 +0000

This isn’t the Panda Express Sweet and Sour Pork you’re used to seeing. This recipe comes from Pat Tanumihardja of The Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook. Her blog is an effort to compile family and homecooking recipes across all Asian cuisines. You’ll only find the real deal here. Enjoy this recipe and have fun browsing her blog for other great family recipes.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Recipe Wednesday: Meet Manjula, your private Indian cooking tutor

rangsiwan — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:00:12 +0000

Do you love Indian food? Do you wish you could whip up some of your favorite dishes at home but are too intimidated by it? Put those fears aside because Manjula Jain will not only give you the recipes to some of your favorite dishes, but she’ll also show you how! Her website, Manjula’s Kitchen, is constantly updated with Indian vegetarian recipes, each accompanied by an instructional video. She even teaches you how to make your own paneer (it’s very easy — I’ve tried it myself)!

Here are a few recipes to get you started..

Rain and Roshan dance battle!

susanapi — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:44:20 +0000

Rain, a popular Korean actor known for his hip hop dance is being compared to the famous Indian actor/dance Hrithik Roshan.

Check out it out!

Civil rights institute named for Korematsu

susanapi — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:33:18 +0000

“Fred Korematsu was an American citizen and the son of Japanese immigrants who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt ordered Japanese Americans from the West Coast to be put in internment camps. Korematsu refused to evacuate but was arrested, convicted, and sent to the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Ernest Besig, Korematsu unsuccessfully sued the U.S. government for violating his constitutional rights. Years later, law professor Peter Irons discovered new evidence and Korematsu re-opened the case. Thirty-nine years after Korematsu’s first arrest, a federal judge reversed Korematsu’s conviction. In 1998, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Korematsu’s civil liberties case bears renewed relevance today.” — www.trackedinamerica.org

On April 28, this year, the Asian Law Caucus launched the Fred Korematsu Institute. Inspired by Korematsu’s legacy, the purpose of the Institute is to advance the cause of Asian American civil rights and human rights through pan-Asian American alliances and programs that focus on education, activism and leadership.

To learn more about the Insitute and Fred Korematsu, go to: http://fredkorematsu.org/

Kal Penn: From “House” to the White House

rangsiwan — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:00:11 +0000

Kal Penn moves from Hollywood to Washington, D.C. to become an associate director of the White House Office of the Public Liason to “focus on outreach to young people, arts professionals and the Asian American community.”

Kal Penn tackes a new role: White House Liason

Recipe Wednesday: Spicy Mung Bean Cake

ylchag — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:00:32 +0000

Traditional Tibetan food is simple and hearty with pretty basic flavors (staples include barley flour, roasted meat, noodle soups), but contemporary Tibetan food is influenced by a variety of cuisines such as Indian and Chinese. This Tibetan food blog was started by the former owner of a successful Tibetan restaurant in New York City. It’s hard to find reliable recipes for Tibetan food online, and although this site has only a few recipes, they are detailed and include pictures.

Lephing – Spicy Mung Bean Cake

India’s General Elections

ylchag — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:00:39 +0000

India is currently holding their general election, which will end on May 13th. Around 714 million are eligible to vote – twice the size of the U.S. population! This link has some interesting basic facts and figures on the elections of the largest democracy in the world: http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-39065820090415?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Check out columnist Namita Bhandare’s take on what will be remembered about this year’s elections: http://www.livemint.com/2009/04/27214853/How-will-we-remember-this-gene.html?h=B

Race to Space: Asian Americans, stereotypes in Star Trek’s Final Frontier

susanapi — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:02:54 +0000

John Cho (better known for his role in Harold and Kumar) plays Sulu in the new Star Trek movie (released May 8).

The following article featured in Hyphen Magazine discusses racial stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans in film: http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/content/view/114/1/

31 artists reflect on and reinterpret contemporary Chinese culture

susanapi — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:45:10 +0000

“Presented by the Chinese Culture Center in collaboration with Kearny Street Workshop, this biennial exhibition showcases vibrant and diverse perspectives on contemporary Chinese culture. Featuring artists from the Bay Area and beyond, the show includes a wide array of media at the Center’s main gallery and in storefronts throughout Chinatown.”

Admission is FREE. Exhibit will be up until August 2009.

To find out more about the exhibit go to: http://presenttense.us/

EXHIBIT LOCATION:

Chinese Culture Center
750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108

Satellite Installation throughout Chinatown:
55 Columbus Street
664, 665 and 667 Clay Street
17 Walter U. Lum Place
704, 708, 701 and 716 Kearny Street

What’s in a Name?

rangsiwan — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:00:29 +0000

How would you react if someone asked you to change your name to make it easier for others? Texas lawmaker, Betty Brown, did just that when she implied that Asians should adopt a more accessible name to make it easier for poll workers to assist them. Issues about names such as this doesn’t just affect those of Asian decent but those of all other cultural backgrounds as well. If America is truly supposed to be a melting pot of cultures, shouldn’t our names also be as diverse as our people?

Betty Brown’s Bad Lesson for Marketers