by Summer Chiang of New America Media
SAN FRANCISCO – Like most immigrant parents, Kevin Guan and his wife, Laurie, foresaw a future for their two sons that involved a first-class college and a decent job, the American Dream to a tee. That’s why they were incredulous when their eldest son expressed a desire to enroll in West Point, the nation’s most high profile military academy.
“Being a soldier is dangerous,” says Guan, who said that he initially opposed his son’s decision to apply for West Point. The recent suicides of two Chinese American servicemen, and allegations that racism played a part in their deaths have only heightened their concerns.
“My son told me that Asians make up less than 10 percent of the student body at West Point,” says Guan, who along with his wife has spent the past 20 years operating a small dry cleaner in San Francisco’s heavily Chinese Outer Sunset neighborhood. Their second son is now enrolled in one of the city’s premier public high schools.
According to several popular online college databases, Asians make up just 5 percent of West Point’s total student body of over 4,400. Blacks account for 6 percent and Hispanics 9 percent. Whites make up the overwhelming majority at close to 80 percent of students, or cadets, as they are called.
Still, despite being in the minority, Guan says his son, Phelan, now in his third year at West Point, assures them that racial tensions are at a minimum in the school. “Although there aren’t many Asians, my son tells me that cadets get along well across boundaries.”
Beyond concerns of racism, however, Guan and his wife say they are more troubled by what they see as the military’s “culture of bullying,” and the potential impact that could have on their son. Continue Reading »
A Baltimore woman admitted in court yesterday that she arranged to have her employer killed in order to cover up her theft of more than $17,000, according to news reports.
Shontay Joyner Hickman, 36, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Dr. Albert Woonho Ro, who was from a family well-known in the local Korean American community. Hickman was sentenced to life in prison. Continue Reading »
Age, military ties mark Kim Jong Un’s inner circle
Associated Press via Google News
Wherever North Korea’s young new leader goes, they’re there: a group of graying military and political officials who shadow Kim Jong Un as he visits army bases, attends concerts and tours schools.
As Kim Jong Un steps into the role of “supreme commander” less than two months after his father’s death, these officials can be seen in the background. They listen attentively as their leader speaks during “guidance visits” and stand at his side during group photos, smiling and clapping.
Since Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack in December, Kim Jong Un has assumed the mantle of leadership with apparent confidence. But this aging circle of advisers is never far behind, lending the young man gravitas and experience while making clear that he has the backing of the powerful military.
South Dallas protest fails to articulate the real problem [OPINION]
Dallas Morning News
A clerk working for Kwik Stop owner Thomas Pak, a Korean American, opened fire during the 2010 confrontation witnessed by a Dallas County sheriff’s detention officer. The cash register thief didn’t just try to run off, he also tried to assault the clerk, a relative of Pak. In December, another man brandished a knife during a confrontation with Pak. This neighborhood is one of the toughest in the city. Over the past month alone, within a five-block radius of Pak’s store, police have responded to at least 73 crimes, including 10 assaults and more than 12 robberies or thefts. Since October, there have been three homicides within a 10-block radius. There are at least two open-air drug markets nearby.
Does that make Pak a great humanitarian for braving all these dangers to keep his business open there? No. In fact, he openly admits he used a racial epithet during an argument in December with Jeffery Muhammad, a student minister at a nearby mosque. And Muhammad apparently responded with his own racial epithet. Pak apologized. But is his racial outburst really the issue here? If he apologized and is seeking mediation to end the dispute, why isn’t that enough to bring a pause to the picketing? Perhaps there’s more here.
K-Pop Leads Record Earnings from Cultural Exports
Chosun Ilbo
Korean pop culture generated record profits from overseas last year. According to statistics released by the Bank of Korea Monday, the industry earned US$794 million from exports of cultural and entertainment services last year, up 25 percent from $637 million in 2010.
This was the highest amount since statistics in the sector were compiled for the first time in 1980.
N. Korean women popular as brides: JoongAng Ilbo
Marmot’s Hole
The JoongAng Ilbo reports that female North Korean defectors are increasingly popular with South Korean men as brides.
One 46-year-old man running a Japanese restaurant in Cheonan who married a 37-year-old North Korean defector said he was hesitant at first to enter a relationship because he thought there would be a huge cultural gap, but his thinking changed “180 degrees” after meeting her.
He said he liked her purity/innocence, which was hard to find in South Korean women. He also liked her deep thoughts and her vitality, a product perhaps of the great difficulties she has faced.
Chicago restaurant couples must get creative to celebrate their relationships
Chicago Sun-Times
Yvonne Cadiz-Kim, who owns Belly Shack with her husband, chef Bill Kim, likes to surprise him with last-minute vacations.
Political Star Starts Fund to Benefit South Korea
New York Times
A South Korean software magnate and university dean, whose presidential ambitions are among the biggest unknowns in this election year, said Monday that he would start a charity to help tackle widening social and economic inequality, a major grievance here.
“I continue to reflect on what roles I can play for our society’s change for the better,” said the magnate, Ahn Cheol-soo. “Politics can be one of them.”
How Fashion Week Gets Made With Richard Chai
fashionista.com
For our inaugural edition of “How Fashion Week Gets Made,” Richard Chai, who will show his men’s and women’s collections together on Thursday, and was just named creative director at Filson, tells us about his design process, lack of sleep and reveals the location of his after party.
The Battle for Jeju Island: How the Arms Race is Threatening a Korean Paradise
OneEarth
Actor Robert Redford has joined the fight to prevent a military missile defense system from being built on Jeju Island.
I think the least that environmentalists, peace activists and supporters of democracy can do is express our outrage. You can take action now by visiting the Save Jeju Island Campaign website.
S. Korea’s ancient ‘farmer drink’ to hit US
AFP via Google News
A centuries-old Korean rice wine is enjoying a renaissance at home and in Japan, and is set to make inroads into a major new market as it gains ground on better known beverages such as soju.
Makgeolli, a smooth milky-white drink famed for its purported health benefits, will be produced overseas for the first time later this year when a brewery opens in Chicago, South Korea’s Baesangmyun Brewery has announced.
Under a deal with an entrepreneur based in the US city, some 50,000 bottles a month of makgeolli will be produced, a spokeswoman for the company said.
“This will be the first makgeolli brewery outside the country,” she told AFP without being drawn on the cost.
Independent Voter Project with Randall Park
channel APA
Comedian Randall Park is in a new PSA about the Independent Voter Project. Joining him in the PSA are actresses Jae Suh, Lynn Chen, and Joy Osmanski.
The Independent Voter Network (IVN) is a new kind of news network, an online news platform for communication between independent-minded voters, public officials, civic leaders, and journalists. The Independent Voter Network is dedicated to providing political analysis and rational commentary in an effort to elevate the level of our public discourse.
Playwright Lloyd Suh Talks About a Rebel Finding His Cause: Jesus in India
SF Weekly
We are all familiar with the story of Jesus Christ. But what about his lost years? Lloyd Suh, the author of American Hwangap, about a Korean father’s 60th birthday celebration, is back at the Magic Theatre with Jesus in India, exploring Jesus’ teenage years, when he runs away from home with his friend, Abigail of Galilee, to the East to explore who he is and who he wants to become. The play continues through Feb. 19. Suh talked with us recently about prequels, destiny and the universality of coming of age stories.
Hello Kitty jets: Cutest airplanes ever
CNNGo
Forget the YouTube videos. If you want a real dose of cute cat, book a flight with Taiwan airline EVA Air.
The carrier has recently launched three Hello Kitty-themed aircraft, on which everything from the fuselage to the flight attendants to the food is kitted out in the kawaii cat brand’s images.
Passengers have been purring with delight, according to Anna Wong, an EVA Air public relations officer in Hong Kong.
Oh the Lin-Sanity! China Has a New Hardcourt Hero
Wall Street Journal
Move over Yao Ming, China’s newest basketball hero is … Jeremy Lin?
Lin, a former Harvard star who went undrafted out of college, gives up 14 inches and roughly a hundred pounds to Yao, the former No. 1 draft pick and recently retired center of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. He’s also an American by birth, the California-raised son of Taiwanese immigrants.
But none of that appeared to matter to China’s basketball fans after the second-year player exploded for a career-high 25 points in leading the New York Knicks to a victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday then went on to top that effort with 28 points in a win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.
Koreatown angry over LA’s proposed redistricting plan
89.3 KPCC (Southern California Public Radio)
A plan to redraw city council districts in Los Angeles is stirring tension in Koreatown.
Hundreds of Korean-Americans crowded a hearing at the Wilshire Ebell Theater last week expressing anger and dismay that the city’s Citizens Redistricting Commission has proposed splitting Koreatown into two council districts.
“We’ll fight using any means to keep Koreatown whole,” attorney James Beck said.
Beck expressed an oft-heard sentiment – that elected officials tap Koreatown business owners for political donations but refuse to give the area real political power.
“Our community will no longer sit idly and be pimped out like a two-dollar whore,” he said.
Law firm accuses PI Bank of aiding fraud
Puget Sound Business Journal (Wash.)
A lawsuit filed by Seattle-based Shim Law Firm in King County Superior Court in late January accuses Seattle’s Pacific International Bank Pacific International Bank Latest from The Business Journals Regulators warn Seattle’s P.I. BankPacific International Bank CEO abruptly resignsSBA lending boomed in Q4 2010 Follow this company of aiding an admitted thief in embezzling $322,136 worth of checks from the firm.
Paul Sabado, interim chief executive at P.I. Bank said in an email he didn’t have a comment at this time.
According to the complaint, P.I. Bank cashed checks from an employee of the law firm that was part of a scheme by the employee to embezzle money. The suit says that employee, Veronica Pak, was charged with 105 counts of theft in King County Superior Court last fall as a result of the scheme and pleaded guilty to the charges.
The law firm, which was a co-tenant in the same building as P.I. Bank, claims it notified the bank that it believed Pak was embezzling on Oct. 20, 2009. However, the Seattle bank, which caters mostly to Korean-American customers, continued to cash Pak’s checks after that date.
Hana Financial Group seeking to buy Korean American bank in U.S.
Yonhap News
Hana Financial Group Inc., South Korea’s No. 4 banking group, said Saturday that it is pushing to acquire a Korean American commercial bank in the United States as part of its bid to accelerate expansion abroad.
Real estate mogul thrown off bank board
LA Observed (blog)
David Lee, the Korean-American doctor who made a fortune buying up properties all over L.A., has been thrown off the board of Premier Business Bank, which he founded six years ago. Lee had been participating in risky business practices, according to federal regulators. The story will be in the Business Journal’s Feb. 6 edition (out on Monday).
South Korea security law is used to silence dissent, critics say
Los Angeles Times
Amnesty International branded as ‘ludicrous’ South Korea’s indicting of blogger Park Jung-geun for tweets satirizing the North Korean government.
Can Girls’ Generation Break Through in America?
Wall Street Journal
The Girls had just pulled off a crowd-pumping rendition of their first U.S. single, “The Boys,” complete with their signature precision choreography, and stood posed and slightly breathless onstage to receive Ripa and her cohost du jour, Howie Mandel. Ripa and Mandel congratulated the girls on their Stateside appearance in full-on talking-to-foreigners mode, speaking loud and slow, and making big, evocative gestures with their hands.
Then Mandel decided to pay the girls a compliment. “Your English is very good!” he said to one member — bubbly, effusive Tiffany. Without missing a beat, Tiffany responded in a perfect NorCal accent, “Well — I was born in America.” “I was too!” chimed Jessica, the brown-haired pixie next to her. Startled, Mandel could only repeat, “And…your English is very good!” The other girls burst into laughter as Tiffany defused the awkward situation: “I know, I know, thank you so much, I studied so hard!”
Edison Student Selected To All-State Symphonic Band
NJ Today
Phil Kim has been playing the contrabass clarinet for only two years, but he’s already become advanced enough to earn very special instrumental recognition.
After a successful audition at J.P. Stevens High on January 20, Kim, of Edison, a student at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School, was selected as a member of the All-State Symphonic Band.
“It’s a great honor to play in that kind of band and meet people who are so good,” Kim said. “It’s a pleasure to play with them.”
Asia’s K-Pop clones dance to South Korean beat
AFP via Google News
Show beautifies plastic surgery
Korea Times
A new cable TV program giving free plastic surgery to selected participants is raising a lot of eyebrows as many viewers find the show uncomfortable to watch.
The new show, called “Let Me In,” which started airing on Dec. 2, chooses patients out of a pool of thousands of applicants who feel self-conscious about certain body parts or have health issues and offers them plastic surgery at no cost. “Me-in” means a beauty in Korean.
As a result, they are reborn as completely different people, most of them made over not only on the parts they requested to change, but also on other areas of their body.
Two months into airing, the show is already drawing skeptical responses from a number of viewers.
Jeremy Lin scores career high 25 points : Knicks vs Nets
channelAPA
New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin stunned both doubters and supporters last night as his team took on the New Jersey Nets. He was the human highlight reel off the bench for the Knicks. With plenty of playing time, instead of garbage minutes, Jeremy Lin showed the crowd at Madison Garden what he’s capable of. With almost 36 minutes on the court, he scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Lin led all Knicks players in points including Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.
this hoekstra campaign ad is racist bullsh-t
angry asian man
Politicians seem to be in a contest for who can create the most xenophobic, inflammatory, anti-China campaign ad. These days, if you’re running for office, the go-to strategy is to make your opponent look like China’s best buddy.
The latest one comes from Michigan Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra, featuring some extra Oriental music and an Asian woman speaking in broken English against a vaguely Asian landscape. It’s some serious racist bullsh-t.
Take On Me by a-ha, North Korean Style
YouTube
TOKiMONSTA – Darkest (Dim) feat. Gavin Turek [Directed by Doug Chang]
YouTube
Here are some videos we’re watching this week at KoreAm.
Big Phony – I Love Lucy (Official Music Video)
Indie singer/songwriter, Big Phony a.k.a. Robert Choy, returns with an official music video for his song “I Love Lucy.” The black and white video is a different spin on the 1950s sitcom that creatively shows the heartache behind the song’s lyrics.
Military training for South Korean Special Forces
In Pyeongchang, a group of soliders trained for nine days during the harsh winter. The soldiers were training for South Korea’s special forces at a survival camp on Mount Hwangbyung. Training included combat exercises as well as other physical activities and a lot of screaming.
Spelling Bee – Bobby Lee Video
Bobby Lee, sporting a new mustache, hosts an episode on Ray William Johnson’s YouTube channel for diversity week. Bobby goes through some of the most viral YouTube videos including an insane driver, a rapping father-to-be and a video we brought to you last week, the trolling spelling bee contestant. Bobby reenacts his own version of the spelling bee and then answers a question from actress, Kristen Bell.
Girls’ Generation invades New York
When Girls’ Generation’s enormous tour bus arrives at the studio for David Letterman, their fans go absolutely wild. The entire crowd sang the girls’ song “The Boys” while waiting for them to exit the bus, and when the girls started signing autographs, everyone rushed to try and get a signature from one of the nine girls.
The Walking Dead Alternate Intro
Earlier this week, we brought to you news of a new 1980s-inspired intro for the hit TV series “The Walking Dead.” This alternate intro reel is to the tune of BJ Thomas’s “As Long as We Got Each Other” which is famous for also being the intro song for the show “Growing Pains.”
Girls’ Generation – The Boys on David Letterman
Girls Generation made their first network appearance on American television Tuesday night. The girls performed “The Boys” on “Late Night with David Letterman.” The next morning, the girls were invited to perform on “Live with Kelly.”
The Daily Life of a Korean Student
A Korean high school student goes through a typical day. From waking up to going to school to going back to sleep, everything is acted out and shown in 10 seconds.
If you have more videos you’d like us to see, email linda@iamkoream.com.
FOR ONLY $28!
Featured Event
It’s the new year, and Yim Jae Beum is coming to town! After a sold-out show in Los Angeles last October, he is coming back to hold two U.S. concerts for the 2012 Lunar New Year. Everyone already knows this man can sing! He’s got an impressive resume, debuting as a rock singer back in 1986, releasing Korean classics, such as “For You,” and most recently, joining and winning first place twice on the MBC show, “I am a Singer.”
Seattle and New Jersey, get ready! We are happy to announce that we will be giving away TWO (2) pairs of tickets! read more
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