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JULY 2004 NEWS

In this election year, we encourage you to explore and thoroughly research the various issues that are importnat to you. Consider carefully the positions that each presidential candidate presents, their history, their voting record, etc. as they applied to the various parts of your life.

In light of the vast spectrum of topics, issues and events that are related to our communities, we've divided the vast amount of news into various categories that are listed below:  

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Please note that upon "CLICKING" on each link listed within this section, one will have the ability to obtain additional in-depth information on each even.

Recognizing that understanding how the Asian Pacific American communities interact with events within Asia and/or the United States is important, please feel free to review the information listed below:

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FRANCIS WAI

Captain Francis Wai (of the 34th Regiment of the 24th Infantry division under General Douglas MacArthur) was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor,: but not until 2000, after Congress had ordered a review of the war records of Asian American soldiers during WWII.

At the time of Wai's service, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was still being enforced as the first major law restricting the immigration of a specific group of people that made it rare for any minority to rise to the rank of captain.

Citation:
Captain Francis B. Wai distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action, on 20 October 1944, in Leyte, Philippine Islands. Captain Wai landed at Red Beach, Leyte, in the face of accurate, concentrated enemy fire from gun positions advantageously located in a palm grove bounded by submerged rice paddies.

Finding the first four waves of American soldiers leaderless, disorganized, and pinned down on the open beach, he immediately assumed command. Issuing clear and concise orders, and disregarding heavy enemy machine gun and rifle fire, he began to move inland through the rice paddies without cover.

The men, inspired by his cool demeanor and heroic example, rose from their positions and followed him. During the advance, Captain Wai repeatedly determined the locations of enemy strong points by deliberately exposing himself to draw their fire.

In leading an assault upon the last remaining Japanese pillbox in the area, he was killed by its occupants. Captain Wai's courageous, aggressive leadership inspired the men, even after his death, to advance and destroy the enemy. His intrepid and determined efforts were largely responsible for the rapidity with which the initial beachhead was secured.

Captain Wai's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

Captain Francis B. Wai / U.S. Army / Congressional Medal of Honor (Posthumous) *

Wai, a standout four-sport athlete at UCLA from 1937 and 1938, mirrored the achievements of Jackie Robinson's achievements on and off the field. He graduated from UCLA in 1939 with a B.S. in Banking and Finance.

The son of a Chinese father and Hawaiian mother, Francis grew up in Honolulu and honed his athletic skills by surfing on Waikiki beach with the likes of Olympic swimmers Duke Kahanomoku, "the father of modern surfing," and Buster Crabbe, who later went on to become a Hollywood star.

In 1935, Wai graduated from Punahou School and lettered in baseball, track and football. Wai went on to Sacramento Junior College, where he continued to excel in athletics, before transferring to UCLA in 1937.

As a member of the Hawaiian National Guard, Wai was called into active duty in 1940. He eventually became Captain Francis Wai and was assigned to the General George MacArthur-led 34th infantry regiment of the 24th infantry division, which was extremely active in combat in the Pacific.

But even after showcasing his courage and patriotism, the U.S. government did not recognize Wai with the Congressional Medal of Honor until the 1999 act of Congress that mandated a review of war records of Asian American soldiers in World War II. Along with 21 other Asian Americans, Wai finally received his overdue honor in May of 2000 from former President Bill Clinton.

12 GIRLS BAND

The 12 Girls Band (Nu Zi Shi Er Yue Fang in Mandarin) is setting to take the world by storm with its brand of fusion music played on traditional Chinese instruments.

The group follows the path previously taken by pop violinist Vanessa Mae, fiddler quartet Bond and new age piano player Maksim.

Now, China has its very own stunning line-up of a dozen beautiful girls who could be arguably the ultimate crossover success story with their blend of Western and Chinese music played on traditional Chinese instruments.

In 2001, this group was brought together as the result was a massive talent quest by Wang Xiao Jing (Chinese music producer and general manager of the recording company Star Disc Co.) in search of 13 women who not only had to be outstanding in their musical abilities, but who had to be good looking as well to form a dozen-member band. (Why 13 girls then? This was so that it would be easier for any one girl to go on leave when the occasion arises.)

The musicians meld the classic erhu (a Chinese violin), the pipa (a mandolin-like instrument) and guzheng (a Chinese zither).

Wang’s idea to form an all-girl instrumental band stem from a need to infuse some young blood into the usually staid traditional Chinese instrumental music. He wanted to bring traditional Chinese instruments to an international level and that is why 12 Girls' brand of music is fusion.

"We fuse Chinese folk music with Western pop. There are also hints of classical music and jazz to cater to a more international audience."

The group's debut concert in Beijing at the 21st Century Hall in 2001 was met with approving nods from both music critics and audience alike. After its successful debut, the band began showing up on China's domestic television programs such as Starry Talent Show and China Central and Music Arena.

Their popularity spread overseas as their Japanese audience lapped up their debut album Beautiful Energy, making it the fastest-selling Chinese album in Japan with nearly two million copies sold in four months. What followed was a live album called Miracle, which was released due to popular demand from the group's Japanese and other Asian fans.

Both the albums were released in Malaysia and distributed by Universal Music early this year. Miracle has sold 10,000 copies in Malaysia to date. The group has recently signed up with EMI, which will be releasing Shining Energy.

DRAGON'S ROAR

15 eclectic and diverse APA artists from throughout the United States will be gathering to perform on three separate stages in the heart of Hollywood on Friday: September 17, 2004.

Participants include Airlia, Anzu, Daniel Nainan, Dengue Fever, Dig Jelly, Finless Brown, Kate Rigg, LAKIFF, Longevity, Mion, Nemo, Prettier Than Pink, The Speaks and Young Csteroc.

Visit the event's website by clicking HERE.

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APA & MEDIA NEWS

99 MARKET IN FOSTER CITY
The West Coast's largest Asian-American supermarket chain, 99 Ranch Market, opened here this week to throngs of loyal and happy customers in Foster City..
Read More>>>>>
 

PARK CHAN-WOOK & ASIAN CINEMA
South Korean director Park Chan-wook, whose ultra violent film "Old Boy" won the Grand Prix at the Cannes film festival, believes Asian cinema is moving away from the fringe and increasingly influencing the mainstream.
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ANHEUSER-BUSCH PURCHASE HARBIN BREWERY
Anheuser-Busch emerged as the winner in the takeover battle with SABMiller to buy China's Harbin Brewery.
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SCOTT SASSA & FRIENDSTER
Scott Sassa, the former television wunderkind, has thrown in his lot with Internet phenom Friendster, agreeing to serve as the rising "social networking" Web site's chief executive officer.
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NIELSEN'S PEOPLE METER & MINORITIES
Don't Count Us Out, the coalition of African-American and Hispanic organizations that has been waging an aggressive campaign against Nielsen Media Research's local people meter ratings service, took additional steps to try to shut down the new service.
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THAI FILM INDUSTRY
The rebirth of the film industry in Bangkok is even more dramatic. After flourishing until well into the 1970s on a steady diet of sub- Bollywood musicals (three-hour epic soaps shot in 16 millimeter and shown mostly in drive-ins),
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SAVED!
Film critics have joked for years that if Martin Scorsese had made it through boyhood without being whacked over and over by a nun with a ruler he might never have made "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver."
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HENRY YUEN & GEMSTAR
Two former top executives of the company that publishes TV Guide may collect $37.6 million in severance payments that had been blocked by regulators, a federal appeals court ruled.
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QUIKSILVER PURCHASES DC SHOES
"DC shoes is a tremendous fit with our organization from a cultural, strategic and operational standpoint", Says Robert B. McKnight, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Quiksilver. He added "We both share respect for the authenticity that makes our brands powerful, and we both benefit from product design that reflects technical excellence and great style."
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WORLD'S WORST LIVING DICTATORS
Most dictators marshal various arguments to justify their repressive actions to their people and the world, 1. Kim Jong Il, North Korea. Age 63. In power since 1994. 2. Than Shwe, Burma. Age 71. In power since 1992. 3. Hu Jintao, China. Age 61. In power since 2002.
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SADDAM - POL POT BY ANY OTHER NAME
In an atmosphere of chaos within Cambodia - Pol Pot came to power, and in less than four years the Paris-educated leader and his followers pursued a Maoist utopia that pushed this country into a nightmare of terror, hunger and death. "Saddam Hussein is like Pol Pot." The U.S., he said, was right to attack.
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ROGER YASUKAWA & NASCAR'S DIVERSITY
Only three Americans are in the first five rows — 15 drivers — for next week's Indianapolis 500. Two are prominent: Buddy Rice, the pole sitter from Phoenix, and Sam Hornish Jr., the two-time Indy Racing League champion from Defiance, Ohio. The third: Roger Yasukawa, born in Los Angeles and now a West Hollywood resident.
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MIDORI JOINS USC STAFF
Master violinist Midori Goto will take an appointment as Jascha Heifetz Chair in Music at the Thornton School of Music.
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CHINA'S BOOM GOING TOWARDS A BUST?
China's Boom May Be Building Toward a Bust —Some economists say the runaway housing market reflects a bigger problem: an economy starting to spin out of control.
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CHINA'S FATAL LOVE OF CARS
China's New Love of Cars Can Be a Fatal Attraction Amid a middle class boom, auto sales are growing at a staggering rate, and drivers with little or no training are hitting the roads.
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ASIAN FILMS AT CANNES
Frémaux was pushing Cannes out of its familiar Eurocentric classicism to include more Asian titles, many of which were also genre films — Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" (a swordsman epic from China), Johnnie To's "Breaking News" (a Hong Kong policier) and Park Chan-wook's "Old Boy" (a South Korean revenge flick).
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ZHUANGZHUANG'S "SPRINGTIME"
The last time Tian Zhuangzhuang made a feature film, it got him blacklisted by the Chinese government. In 1992, he directed "The Blue Kite," the tale of a spunky child and his family who are torn asunder by Mao Tse-tung's Great Leap Forward experiment in collectivization.
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PROFILE: JUN JI HYUN
Jun Ji Hyun has earned the adoration of Asian audiences by acting tough. In 2001's blockbuster romantic comedy My Sassy Girl, she outdrank and verbally abused her meek onscreen boyfriend, all (more or less) in the name of love.
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FOX'S JOHN TERENZIO & CCTV
Terenzio's job (paid by News Corp) is as a part-time adviser to CCTV International's 24-hour English-language news channel - the independent producer is the first foreigner charged with putting an internationally friendly face on the mainland's propaganda machine.
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JOHN WOO MEETS TOM CLANCY
Paramount has tapped helmer John Woo to direct its adaptation of Tom Clancy's "Rainbow Six," centered on Clancy's shadowy John Clark CIA (news - web sites) agent character.
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BOEING WINS ETHNIC BIAS CASE
A federal jury yesterday said Boeing did not discriminate against Asian-American and other minority employees in pay or job promotions.
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WHEN WILL APA'S STAND-UP (ANGELA OH)
For some reason, Asian Americans in particular are absent from any organized effort to examine the implications of the changes that are taking place right now. What is the reason for this complacency?
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HMONG WRONG FOR AMERICA
In the Hmong culture, men are considered superior to women. Accordingly, the class divided itself into two groups: the women sat in the first three rows followed by two empty rows. The men sat in the back.
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REVIEW: QUEST USA
About two weeks ago the International Channel premiered a brand new show called Quest USA: Da Tiao Zhan. Hosted by hunky David Wu of Channel V: Taiwan fame as well as few movies and dramas here and there, the show takes us from Boston to Florida with 4 teams representing: Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, and the United States. Mostly it looks like the contestants are Taiwanese/Chinese Americans who are trying to speak their best Mandarin Chinese, with a few cute guys to help attract interest.
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REVIEW: STIR TV
I'm just going to come right out and say this, it's about time an Asian American show made it to our airwaves. Unfortunately it has to be seen on cable and the International Channel. I started watching the show at Episode 3 and have been hooked since then.
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APL DE AP OF BLACKEYE PEAS
"[Apl.de.Ap] (Alan Pineda) is like the Michael Jackson of the Philippines. The dude is big." — Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am
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MICHELLE KWAN RECEIVE 2004 CTSA AWARD
Michelle Kwan will be honored by the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) that pays tribute to special individuals with the highest ethical standards in sport, whose lives and careers have reflected an enduring commitment to citizenship, sportsmanship and community service.
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CANADIAN INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS
More than 3 per cent of all existing Canadian marriages or common- law unions were mixed, mostly between a Caucasian and a member of a visible minority. And Japanese Canadians, although a small ethnic group, are the country's best mixers. According to 2001 census data, of the approximately 25,100 married or common-law couples with at least one Japanese partner, 70 per cent were mixed unions.
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CHARLIE CHAN FILM FESTIVAL
But while the sometimes controversial Chan character is no longer ubiquitous on television, he's still beloved by movie buffs. That's why the 33rd Memphis Film Festival is playing host to a sort of mini-Chan convention that has attracted Charlie Chan actors, experts and fans from several states.
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YIN MAGAZINE
YIN is for the young, intelligent Asian woman with a strong sense of personal style. It will showcase fashion, beauty, celebrity, health, lifestyle, entertainment, career, romance, travel, culture, world affairs, and everything else under the sphere of Asian women's interest – all in a manner that is fresh, smart, and relevant.
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MARGARET CHO'S "REVOLUTION"
Margaret's new film, Revolution is the centerpiece of the Sundance Channel's Out Loud festival, a month- long celebration of gay and lesbian-themed films. (Note: She was just on Tavis Smiley Program.)
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SANDRA TSING-LOH & FATHER'S DAY
It's Father's Day, a time to set cynicism aside and give thanks to our patriarchs, an assignment I've always struggled with, I admit. Part of the problem is cultural: Having come of age in the 1970s — a member of the Not Exactly the Greatest Generation — irreverence and ingratitude seem literally wired into my being. At the same age that our forefathers fought from World War II bunkers, we slackers were lolling on therapists' couches. Our style is to blame parents, not praise them.
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KENT NAGANO & UNSUK CHIN
The unusual was the premiere of Unsuk Chin's "snagS & Snarls." The 43-year-old South Korean composer, who is based in Berlin, is the sudden object of much attention. Nagano is her most important champion.
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DELL OPEN 20 RETAIL KIOSKS IN CALIFORNIA
Expanding its reach into the California market, computer maker Dell Inc. said that it would open 20 retail kiosks in shopping malls around the state. The 10-foot-square kiosks will be set up in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and other cities starting next month to augment Dell's model of direct selling over the Internet and by telephone.
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ONLINE GAMING
After years of snubbing video games as a phenomenon not worth researching, scholars are now frantically attempting to catch up with an interactive media industry that is increasingly prevalent, seemingly permanent and still so new that the people developing it are the ones who are using it.
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WON CHARLIE YI SOUGHT BY THE U.S.
Federal investigators say the elaborate show of success was just a cover for a fraud ring. Yi fleeced investors of at least $36 million, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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SONY STORES GOES "HIGH STYLE"
Electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. has joined the ranks of top-tier brands opening signature boutiques at malls in an effort to boost sales and awareness, especially among women. Instead of haute couture, SonyStyle stores sell gadgets as varied as $20 clock radios and $20,000 plasma-screen televisions.
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GOOGLE INVEST IN CHINESE SEARCH SITE
Google is leading a consortium that is investing at least $10 million in one of its chief rivals in China, domestic Chinese search company Baidu. The investment could give Google a foothold in China as it moves to expand overseas and turn its popularity in online search into advertising revenue.
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AMAZON AND IMDB
Col Needham on why he created the Internet Movie Database, which was sold to Amazon.Com in 1998 - "I began to see so many movies that I was losing trck of which ones I'd seen and which ones I hadn't seen."
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OVERCOMING THE QUESTION OF COLOR
"That a big movie like 'Catwoman' has two ethnic leads proves that, at a certain point, even people of color become green," Benjamin Bratt says. "That's what it's all about. That nobody said a thing about it was a relief to someone like myself who's been up against walls of discrimination."
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SELLING THE TASTE OF CHINATOWN
Chinatown (Los Angeles), once the center of Chinese culture in Los Angeles, has been overshadowed for more than two decades by the San Gabriel Valley's wealthy immigrants and the perceived authenticity of their cuisine.
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BELLFLOWER - DIVERSITY OF 39 LANGUAGES
A set of interactive maps, the combined product of census data and academic curiosity, shows that a roughly 13-square-mile area of southern Los Angeles County from North Long Beach to Bellflower to Artesia is among the most linguistically varied swaths of territory in the nation.
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B.D. WONG IN "PACIFIC OVERTURE"
Tony Award winner B.D. Wong (M. Butterfly) will star in the upcoming Roundabout Theatre Company-Gorgeous Entertainment Inc. presentation of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures at Broadway's Studio 54.
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WU VS. AMERI - AN ALL AMERICAN RACE
One of the most competitive contests in the U.S. House of Representatives this year is also one of the most ethnically diverse. Voters in Oregon's first congressional district are predominately white, but this November, citizens in the Portland suburbs will send an immigrant to Capitol Hill. Republican Goli Ameri is challenging Democratic incumbent David Wu. Ameri's family fled Iran during the Islamic revolution. Wu, the only Chinese-American member of Congress, was born in Taiwan.
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A MAN MORE CHINESE THAN THE CHINESE?
"Dashan" is the stage name of Mark Rowswell. Almost unknown by his English name, Dashan is arguably the most famous foreigner in China. He has become a regular fixture on Chinese television and a cultural icon across the nation. Ask anyone in mainland China -- 8 out of 10 will be able to tell you who Dashan is.
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CABLE'S MULTICULTURAL STUDY
Citing the growing diversity of television audiences everywhere, the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau has published its first-ever resource on advertising in a multicultural marketplace, entitled Upfront '04/05: A Multicultural Marketing Guide.
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BOMBAY DREAMS - INDIA IN NEW YORK
When "Bombay Dreams," the musical about making it in the Indian film capital known as Bollywood, was imported from London to Broadway this spring, it introduced some listeners to the madcap eclecticism of filmi, the song-and-dance numbers that punctuate Bollywood's sprawling musicals.
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LIU YE IN MERYL STREEP FILM
Meryl Streep and Chinese actor Liu Ye will star in the drama Dark Matter. Chinese opera director Chen Shi-zheng will make his feature directorial debut with the film.
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FILIPINOS TOP AID PATIENTS AMONG ASIANS
Filipinos in the U.S. account for the largest number of reported Aids cases among Asians and Pacific Islanders (API) in San Francisco and in the whole state of California, based on a study by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH).
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SAMANTHA CHANG SUES BILLBOARD
In the complaint, former Billboard staffers Keith Girard and Samantha Chang are seeking $30 million in damages under New York law for gender- and race-based discrimination and defamation, among other charges, from a group of defendants that include Billboard parent VNU and the publication's publisher, John Kilcullen, and executive editor, Ken Schlager. They are being represented by Kyle Bisceglie, a litigator with Barton Barton & Plotkin LLP.
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