August 2011 Archives
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Learning Expectations of Social Behaviour from the Streets of NY
By Olga Pazukha
Photo credit: StreetEtiquette.com
I love fashion because it doesn't compromise or apologize. It exists in so many incarnations that anyone can find one that appeals to them and make it their own. I find that fashion is often about juxtaposition—mixing patterns, fabrics and even concepts that don't seem to naturally combine at first glance.
Take the concept of street. Street is often associated with a rough-around-the-edges toughness, clothing that stands out, bold accessories and an unmistakable 'I-don't-care-what-you-think' attitude. Now, think about the word etiquette. Do images of polite pastels, sleek fabrics and mild smiles cross your mind?
What about street etiquette? Interestingly, the two concepts combine into a harmonious display of fashion as a way of life, on and off the streets. This is exactly what the Street Etiquette blog is about—approaching style from an urban perspective. The New York based blog, created in 2008, focuses on African-American men's fashion and has been featured in publications like GQ, The Guardian and London Times. Most recently it has been the centre of the New York Times Thursday Style Section.
Check it out. You may learn something from these fierce and fearless guys!
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 31, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Fashion
Online Dating Meets Bar Scene in Korea
By Vinnie Yuen
Photo credit: KoreAm
Young Koreans are finding a new way to connect with their next potential partners--through tablet computers at a bar in Seoul.
A special program links the devices between customer's tables and patrons where they can communicate with those they are interested in at other tables. After chatting via instant messages or video chats and deciding the attraction is mutual, they join tables.
The crowd usually consists of college students and so far the bar has received favourable feedback from patrons.
One 22-year-old said that less burden is placed on turning someone down. But you know what I think? It's all a great idea until someone gets rejected. All the little lies you use to try to get out of conversations online will no longer work.
This is the scenario I see going down between patron A and patron B.
Patron A: Hey! How are you?
Patron B: Great! ^_^ How are you?
A: Good good!
B: So what do you do?
A: I just graduated and recently started working at a bank! You?
B: I am a student.
A: Oh, of which school?
B: Well...I mean...I recently decided to stop going to school.
A: How come?
B: I've just been very busy lately because my ex broke up with me. It was the best 2 and a half weeks of my life but then he broke up with me when I accidentally broke into his apartment, you know, just to help him clean and re-organize his closet. Then I started experimenting with hard drugs. It's really been helping me dull the pain. Hehe~
A: Oh, well, that's too bad, I guess. Sorry, but something came up and I think I have to go now. Have fun tonight!
B: But you are still here. You are staying and you are on the tablet talking to someone else.
A: Um.Yeah.
B: >_<
A: Sorry.
Super awkward.
Hapapalooza Festival x Schema Giveaway!!
By Genie MacLeod
Image credit: Hapapalooza Festival
As part of our partnership with Hapapalooza, Schema is pleased to offer our readers 2 FREE tickets valued at $30 each to The Sir James Mix-A-Lot Cabaret, happening September 9 at the Roundhouse!
This evening of mixed entertainment includes special performances of jazz, Polynesian dance, Zimbabwean music, and dance crews Kokoro (Japanese) and First Ladyz Crew (hip-hop). You won't want to miss this!
All you have to do to enter is tell us the name of one Hapa person you admire and why. They can be artists, musicians, dancers, writers, politicians, community shakers, or even your neighbour!
Contest deadline is September 7, 2011!
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 31, 2011 | Comments (0)
Lost in Translation | Chi-Young Kim's Interview with KoreAm
By Olga Pazukha
Photo credit: KoreAm
Language is as much common ground as it is a point of difference. I remember learning English in school and having to translate words and sentences to make conversation that made sense in my mother tongue resonate with native English speakers. It was not easy.
Having to account for sentence structure, verb conjugation, the feminine and masculine distinctions of objects, not to mention the subtle connotations of words that seemed to mean the same thing —all of these were potential obstacles in translating.
Can you then imagine having to translate a novel? Being tasked with relaying what the author wanted the reader to think, feel, how to relate to the characters would be incredibly difficult and intimidating. But this is exactly what Chi-Young Kim is doing.
Kim is an award-winning translator who made it possible for 5 Korean novels to be read in English. Living in transition between Boston and Korea, and learning from her translator mother, Kim works tirelessly to convey the subtleties of semantics in Korean novels to an English-speaking audience. Check out her full interview for insight on what it means to not lose too much in translation.
I sometimes struggle when I have to explain myself fully in my mother tongue, with English words creeping in here and there. Can you imagine having to flawlessly translate someone else's thoughts and creative output?
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 25, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Korea
Heads in the Clouds | Russian Space Hotel
By Justin Ko
It's been awhile since we've heard any significant news or developments regarding outer space. The so-called "Space Race" between what is now Russia and the United States seems to be ancient history by now. In any case, these days space travel seems to have been privatized for the super-rich, who can afford to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a few moments of zero gravity. And at least one Russian company is still looking to the stars for inspiration, this time with a so-called "space hotel."
Russian firm Orbital Technologies plans on opening their "Commercial Space Station," which will essentially be an orbiting hotel for extremely wealthy patrons, in 2016. This station will float 250 miles above Earth, and can supposedly accommodate up to seven people at a time. Of course, time will tell if seven people will even be financially willing and interested in staying in this "hotel." Clearly, it's not as simple as boarding a plane.
Indeed, potential tourists will have to go through special training to prepare them for their space travel en route to the hotel. This training will take up to three months. No doubt the amount of rigorous preparation will resemble that of astronaut training, so one would assume that this would effectively "weed out" many would-be tourists who cannot physically handle space travel. But for those who do succeed in enduring the space trip, they can opt to stay in the hotel for up to six months.
Based on the information given so far, it doesn't seem like any tourist would want to stay for nearly that long. Not only is it impossible to take a shower, with the lack of running water, but with the exact same handful of people stuck together in such close quarters, with nowhere to go, it seems likely that the tourists would get tired of each other quite quickly. Also, all food would have to be shipped in dehydrated form. But then again, the kinds of people who could afford a stay at this "space hotel" are probably not normal people. Perhaps being up in space is enough of a thrill. I'm sure the rest of us will be content to look up on a clear, starry night.
Posted by Justin Ko | August 30, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Technology, Travel
From Yellow Claw to Jubilee | Asian Images in American Comic Books
By Kait Bolongaro
Since characters of Asian descent began appearing in American comic books in the 1940s, their portrayals have usually been more stereotypical than accurate. At New York University library, there is a new exhibit on display called "Marvels and Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics". The collection chronicles Asian images in American comics from 1941-1986 and was put together by science fiction writer William F. Wu. Wu began collecting the pieces when he began noticing the blatant stereotyping of Asian characters.
One of the first Asian comic book characters is the menacing Yellow Claw. This hyper stereotyped caricature made his debut in 1956; however, he was more of a sadistic yellowish vampire than an actual human being. He had long claw like fingernails, small slanted eyes and an almost golden glow. He was also dressed in a typical kung fu sensei outfit with a thin beard. An image such as this helped to shape the American perceptions of Asians, especially Asian Americans, and still holds an influence on popular culture portrayals of people of Asian descent. Even today, Asian characters are stereotyped. Jubilee from X-men is a superhero who shoots fireworks out of her hands. Clearly, her ethnicity was a factor in determining what her superpower would be.
Another important aspect of this exhibition is its time frame. Between 1941 and 1986, the United States was almost continuously engaged in war in Asia —from World War II with Japan, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. There was also an intense cold war ideological struggle between pro-democracy America and communist China. The images in the comic books are closely tied to this complex history. Asians have constantly been framed in public discourse as a source of anxiety and constant threat to the American public, by being dubbed a national 'enemy' in war or in immigration.
However, this exhibit does end in 1986. Currently, there are many Asian and Asian Americans working in the comic industry. They are rethinking the stereotypical Asian character and are reshaping how the American public views people of Asian descent. This is true not only for Asian Americans; the comic industry is becoming more inclusive of different superheroes. It is about time. North America has changed in the past thirty years and society needs stories and characters that it can identify with.
Tags: Asian American, Comics
Factory for Major American Brands a Site of Sexual Assault and Rape
By Vinnie YuenImagine not being able to go to work without the fear of being raped or sexually assaulted. In a recent report by the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, young women have come forward to report being violently raped by Classic Factory managers in the past few years. Classic Factory makes clothes for Target, Hanes, Macy's and other major brands.
Some women have reported that once a week, a manager sends a van to bring four or five young women to his rented house where he abuses them. Some have reported being tortured and bitten during sexual assaults, and beaten or deported if they resist the managers' sexual advances.
According to reports from Huffington Post, Target and Macy's said they were investigating the rape allegations. The accused managers still hold positions of power at the factory and the companies have yet to agree to pull their business.
The Change.org campaign is asking Target, Hanes, and Macy's to pull their orders from the factory unless the managers involved are fired and barred from returning. Supporters of the campaign can also sign the petition on the website.
Please help spread awareness regarding this important campaign, and don't forget to sign the petition!
Vinnie is a journalism student studying at the University of British Columbia. She likes literature, fashion, wittiness and hilarity, and almost every kind of ethnic cuisine. Follow her on Twitter @vinnieyuen.
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 24, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: International
Familiar Faces | Split Family Photos
By Justin Ko
It's often been said that a person has his mother's eyes, or her father's nose, or the like. And indeed every time we are introduced to a friend's family members, we often look closely at the two faces to see how strong the resemblance is. As such, family pictures are the epitome of this visual comparison, where we can contrast the members of a family, side by side.
Quebec artist Ulric Collette decided to take the concept of the "family photo" one step further by actually juxtaposing two close-up photographs of family members into one photograph, perfectly split down the middle of the face. The results, which Collette calls "Genetic Portraits," are striking, especially when the two family members are a brother and sister, or when they are a mother and a daughter.
Of course, at first glance, the faces might not look terribly flattering; certain combinations work better, aesthetically speaking, than others. But Collette is definitely going down the right path in terms of breaking new ground with the artistic portrait as it relates to genetics and the outward similarities that tie us to our family members.
Posted by Justin Ko | August 26, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Art, Design, Photography
Floating Head Serves as Opera Stage
By Kait Bolongaro
Out of Austria's Lake Constance rises a giant head that serves as one of the most creative opera stages in the world. The set, which was originally built by the Bregenz Festival in 1946 for the first Opera on the Lake production, is truly remarkable. It features a statue of a man from the shoulders up who is holding the stage in his left hand. There is also a book on the right shoulder, perhaps indicating the influence of literature and history on opera performances.
There is room for 6,800 spectators on this floating goliath. It is anchored to a fixed concrete base that is attached to the bottom of the lake and the floating stage is almost double the size to ensure that the surrounding water doesn't swallow it up. To add onto the stage, wooden piles are driven into the bottom of the lake to support the extra weight. The sets must also be able to endure through the natural elements; the production run time for a play is around two years.
The opera featured in these stills is from Andre Chenier by Italian composer Umberto Giordano. The story is about a poet during the French Revolution in the 18th century. Chenier is an ardent supporter of the Revolution; however, he is ultimately sentenced to death by guillotine for his involvement. The most interesting part about this tragedy is that it is based on a historical figure who was actually killed in 1789.
While I like the idea of watching an opera on a lake, especially in Austria, this head makes me uncomfortable. I can't exactly explain why; I think it has something to do with the ladder coming out of his left eye and his death like stare. So while I would definitely see a production, I don't think I would ever look at a statue the same way again.
Interracial Relationships May Be A Solution for Unwed Black Women
By Vinnie Yuen
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal suggests that Black women should try to be more open to interracial relationships if they wish to find a suitable mate. The article states that nearly 70% of black women are unmarried while their white peers are less than half as likely to be unmarried.
Ralph Richard Banks is convinced that black women confront the worst relationship market of any ethnic group and they worsen their situation by limiting themselves to black men.
Roughly 40% of incarcerated men are African-American and black men also lag educationally. 1.4 million black women are in college compared with 900,000 black men. Black men are also much less likely to marry than white men, and this is among all income brackets. Black men are in short supply, so their options are better than those of black women. Black women who do marry are often with black men less accomplished than they are.
Richard Banks state that black women lead the most segregated intimate lives of any minority group in the U.S. Some black women want to help and support black men. Others don't think a relationship with a non-black man would work. Some just don't want to explain oneself to a non-black partner. While some black women simply want to have "chocolate babies", said Cecilia, a black woman cited in the article.
This study reminds me of a previous article I wrote on Asian men's unpopularity in the realm of online dating. Asian men, too, are left behind. It makes me question: are Asian men also less likely to date someone of their own race?
I recently had a conversation with an Asian male friend, and when I mentioned my white boyfriend, he jokingly said white men were stealing their women. Though he was joking, it reminded me of the movie Save the Last Dance. The black women in the movie expressed the same sentiment towards Julia Stile's character, who was dating a black man about to enter Georgetown University.
I've also heard from Asian girl friends that specifically say they won't date a white guy, whereas others would specifically say they would only date white guys.
Some people still place restrictions on whom we can or cannot love. I find those who complain about another race "stealing their men" or "stealing their women" are often the same people who are unwilling to step out of racial boundaries when it comes to dating.
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 22, 2011 | Comments (0)
Meeting the Parents | A Guide for Interracial Couples
By Rosel Kim
It seems that interracial dating is a popular topic to discuss in the media these days— after all, the number of interracial marriages is increasing steadily each year. Being in an interracial relationship myself, I thought I'd offer up some advice for those facing the "Meet the Parents" date soon, based on my own experience.
a) If your boyfriend is coming over to meet your parents at their house, make sure he's wearing socks without holes.
If not, you will simultaneously feel embarrassed and amused as your father calmly says in Korean, "he has holes in his socks." Because your father's facial expression doesn't change much when he says that biting piece of criticism, your boyfriend might think your father said something nice and smile unknowingly. But you know the truth. And you have to carry on knowing the awkward truth— which you cannot reveal to him until the whole meeting ordeal is actually over. Your boyfriend will then feel doubly embarrassed and mad that you didn't tell him sooner (but when could you have told him? And what could he have done, anyway? It's not like he carries extra socks).
b) If your boyfriend has dreadlocks, maybe stuff them into a wool hat. Even if it's summer.
If you don't, your mother will ask you during dinner if they're clean. Of course she won't ask you that in English. Then you have to get all defensive about his hygiene, and you will wonder why your partner has chosen such an alternative hairstyle and why he can't just, I don't know, have short hair that he can smooth over with some gel or something. That thought will inevitably make you think of all your crushes in grade 8, and reluctantly admit that you actually hate gel. But your mother is still concerned about the state of his hygiene and is convinced he has dandruff that's falling on her shoulders and you'll just lose your appetite.
c) If you are going out for dinner with your parents and the boyfriend for the first time, White Spot might not be the best location.
Just because your 14-year-old brother thinks that place is cool, doesn't mean it is. And do not order one of the new dishes they offer because they make it sound vaguely tasty and adventurous— but its not. White Spot is never as good as you think it is. You inevitably wax nostalgia about going there when you're not in BC, only to confront the terrible reality of heartburn-inducing burgers full of regret every time.
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Rosel Kim is a Korea/Vancouver transplant now living in Montreal. She writes about feminism and race on her blog What Are Years?
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 16, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Dating, Funny, Korea, Relationship
Resident Aliens | A Call for Action
By Brandon Wooresident aliens trailer from Ross tuttle on Vimeo.
"[I] went to heaven, and came straight back to hell," says one Cambodian American in the documentary Resident Aliens.
Imagine having your entire life flipped upside-down, and everything you've ever known— your family and your friends—being taken away from you.
Sadly, some people don't have to imagine this—for them, it is reality. Under the United States' Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, this is happening to non-citizens of the United States who have committed felonies. The government doesn't care if you have children or if you sincerely wish to turn over a new leaf; people are simply deported to the country that they originated from, no questions asked.
For Cambodians, this matter is even worse. Many came to America as children to escape the genocide that killed off 20% of Cambodia's people, but are being forced to leave from a place they know as home and sent back to the violent hell that they've escaped from. "Our own people don't want us here," notes a male deportee in the documentary.
Cambodian Americans are being deported to a country almost completely foreign to them, a country they only know through their parents, experiencing culture shock, and being forced to rebuild their lives with almost nothing. "I'm separated from my family, and I'll probably never, ever see them again," a female Cambodian American reflects in Resident Aliens, knowing what she's experiencing is real.
Resident Aliens brings awareness to this major flaw of the United States' government policy. "Their entire lives have become more like jail sentences, says Ross Tuttle, the producer of the documentary.
Resident Aliens brings hope that families can be reunited and that others will not have to go through the same experience that 200 deportees have already gone through.
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 11, 2011 |Tags: Asian American, Film, International
The New Spiderman | A 21st Century Superhero
By Kait Bolongaro
SPOILER ALERT: Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, is dead. In a recent decision, Marvel Comics has decided to kill off Peter Parker and replace him with a new Spiderman named Miles Morales. Some traditional Spiderman fans were outraged at this news; not only is Peter Parker no more, but his replacement is a biracial teenager who is half Black and half Latino. Traditional audiences are predictably upset by the news as it digresses from the image of our greatest superheroes we have had for the past century: white, heterosexual, males.
Morales doesn't fit the superhero mold as most racialized characters are sidekicks or stereotypical villains. From gangsters and thugs, to karate masters and dragon ladies, people of colour have only been given restricted roles. However, Morales is a step in the right direction. Generations of non-white children have idolized characters in the media who don't look like them and have silently learned their 'place' in society: behind the white man. The new Spiderman is a form of empowerment for a new generation of youth who now have a superhero who looks like them.
I would also call Miles Morales a 21st century superhero. In a globalized world, identities are far more complex than they were when Spiderman was first created. This especially holds true in North America, where the mixed raced population is growing at a rapid rate and it is no longer easy to answer the question 'Where are you from?' Morales is an accurate representation of what North America is today, and what it will be in the future.
Although Morales is not the first ethnic superhero, he is one of the first to replace an established white mainstream character. While there are barriers that still exist, the media is becoming more inclusive. It's about time! I am excited to read the Morales storyline and to see the next superhero that Marvel Comics creates. Hopefully, it will challenge more stereotypes and break down the superhero mold, so we can all be superheroes.
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 11, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Art, Comics, Diversity, Ethnic Cool
This Week in Vancouver | Year of India Edition
By Genie MacLeod2011 has been declared Canada's Year of India, and although Vancouver seems to have been left off the official events calendar (thanks a lot, Ottawa, geez), we seem to be doing just fine throwing Indian parties of our own. Already this year we've had the Bhangra.me exhibit at the MOV (which is still on, by the way, and you should absolutely go see it), and the Indian Summer Festival. Coming up this weekend we have the South Asian Family Association's cross-cultural Sawan Mela festival, as well as the 38th annual Chariot Parade and Festival of India. Then to round out your week we've got queer films and poetry in a park!
photo courtesy of Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Thursday, August 11 - Saturday, 21
Various times and locations
Vancouver's Pride Festival really is the gift that just keeps on giving. This week we have the Queer Film Festival to look forward to, and Schema is just as excited about it this year as we were last year. This year's fest includes an Asian Voices Focus series, which features gripping tales like Call Me Salma, a documentary about a 16-year-old transwoman eking out a living on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, I Am, which documents filmmaker Sonali Gulati's journey across India interviewing the parents of queer South Asians like herself, and Madame X, a campy dark comedy from Indonesian filmmaker Lucky Kuswandi about a kidnapped "lady-boy" who becomes superhero of sorts, defending the queer community from evil homophobic militants. Check out these and a host of other documentaries, shorts, and full-length features sure to suit your queer tastes!
photo courtesy of Pandora's Collective
Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival
Saturday, August 13, 11:45 am - 8:00 pm
Lumberman's Arch, Stanley Park
If your dreams of summer involve stretching out in the grass on a sunny day while someone reads you poetry in a gentle and soothing voice, then you're in luck! Pandora's Collective is an organization devoted to promoting all things literary and wonderful in Vancouver, and this weekend they bring you their 8th annual festival of literature and poetry in Stanley Park. In attendance are Canada's first poet laureate, George Bowering, award-winning poets Billeh Nickerson and Jabez Churchill, and author Tariq Malik, and nearly 100 other writers from Vancouver and beyond. When your head gets too crowded with words, there will also be musical performances courtesy of C.R. Avery, The Creaking Planks, and others.
photo courtesy of SAFA Vancouver
Sawan Mela
Saturday, August 13 - Sunday, August 14
Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver Convention Centre
Bollywood Under The Stars
Sunday, August 13, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver Convention Centre
"From Bhangra & Bolly to Filmi & Fusion to Giddha and Garba, the team at SAFA will turn Jack Poole Plaza into Little India" — that about says it all, doesn't it? There is also a (FREE) screening of Bollywood favourite Jab We Met If you missed out on the Indian Summer Festival and need your fix of all things Indian, then this is the festival for you. But then there is also...
photo courtesy of Festival of India
Chariot Festival of India
Sunday, August 14, 11:30 am - Dusk
Beach Avenue (Parade), Second Beach (Festival)
...another Indian festival for your pleasure and enjoyment! And this one has a parade! Details on this fest are scant, but it has a parade at the beach, a FREE full course Indian meal, and something called "Multi-Media For The Soul," so it has my vote.
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Genie is an editorial assistant for Schema Magazine and self-appointed seeker-out of Schema-worthy events in Vancouver. She is a certified bookworm with a special fondness for Shakespeare and CanLit. You can follow her on Twitter @geniemak
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 11, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Art, Books, Community, Culture, Dance, Diversity, Ethnic Cool, Events, Film, Film Festival, Food, Fusion, Identity, India, Music, Pop Culture, Queer, Theatre
College Students Seek Sugar Daddies to Help Pay Tuition
By Vinnie Yuen
A lot of college and university students nowadays are familiar with debt, but how far are you willing to go to pay it off? According to an article on Huffington Post, women are going on websites such as SeekingArrangement.com to find sugar daddies to help out.
Seeking Arrangement links sugar daddies with "sugar babies". Older rich men can skip the whole awkward process of looking like a creep picking up 20-somethings at the bar.
Brandon Wade, founder of Seeking Arrangement, said college students make up about 35 percent of the site's members. Wade said he sees his company as a chance for "men and women living through tough economic times to afford college", describing the site as facilitating "mutually beneficial relationships."
Huffington Post interviewed a young woman and an older man about the experience. Taylor, a 22-year-old student at Hunter College, said she felt "dirty" after having sex with someone 30 years older but needed the money for school. On the other hand, Jack, a retired 67-year-old, said he meets up with women under 25 twice a week from Seeking Arrangement and sees himself as "helping them to get a better life."
The article warns that some women may get used to such high allowances from their sugar daddies and will find it difficult to stop and work a regular job.
Dayanara, a 23 year old graduate of Florida International University, began hunting for sugar daddies instead of looking for a job on Wall Street upon graduating. She used to get a monthly allowance of $5,000 from her older, married sugar daddy whom she met during an internship at an investment bank. The relationship eventually ended and she still had $30,000 in student loan debt and another $10,000 in credit card debt. She now has three sugar daddies and works part-time as a topless masseuse. Her biggest fear is that one day she will run into a banker from her former life and the possibility that she can never have a career in the industry again.
How does someone put aside their personal dignity and self-worth? How will you tell your future boyfriend or husband? Will you even tell them? How many marriages are affected by these arrangements? Nothing, even getting rid of your student loans, is worth the possible consequences of this lifestyle choice.
At the end of the day, whatever you may call it, this is still selling sex. It's a slippery slope. There is a difference between owning your sexuality and being proud of it and selling it off like a commodity. To me sexuality should always be priceless.
Apl.de.ap. | Representing the Asian Community
By Justin Ko
It's difficult to find a person on the planet right now who hasn't heard of the Black Eyed Peas. Their flavor of party music and dope production, combined with a multi-ethnic group membership, has been on a tear ever since they released the socially conscious single "Where is the Love" so many years ago. But it definitely seems that the group is more than the sum of their parts.
Indeed, even though frontman Will.i.am and diva Fergie take over most of the spotlight, vocalist and rapper apl.de.ap., whose real name is Allan Pineda Lindo Jr., is also an integral part of the Peas' success. And as a musician who has a strong connection to his Filipino ancestry, Apl is also doing what he can to use his fame and recognition to spread some love to the Asian community,
Besides making hit tracks which pay homage to his upbringing, such as "Bebot," Apl made a notable apperance in May as a part of HBO`s East of Main Street documentary mini-series. As a part of his feature video Apl explained how he was raised in the Phillipines until he was 14 years old to a single Filipina mother, and also as a legally blind teenager who took up breakdancing as a way to overcome his disability before he was put up for adoption and soon moved to the United States.
Without even considering his race, it`s definitely an inspiring story of overcoming early struggles to achieve. But the fact that he represents the Asian-American community with a fun-loving but also respectable and artistic persona is, I think, just as important as well.
Check out apl.de.ap in the video below!
Posted by Justin Ko | August 9, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Asian American, Documentary, Music, Philippines, Pop Culture
This Week in Vancouver | The Toronto Shout-out Edition
By Genie MacLeodOk, so maybe Toronto doesn't quite fit the "this week in Vancouver" bill, but we at Schema realize that Vancouver isn't the only hub for Schematastic events. Peruse this week's offerings and you will find, as per usual, great food, great music, great theatre, and great times! Plus Filipino cultural celebrations reppin' Tdot as well as Vancity. Whether you are basking in the 24 degree glow of the West Coast, or melting in the stifling hellfires of the East, let Schema help you plan a fun-filled week!
SummerWorks Theatre Festival
August 4th - 14th
Various locations, Toronto
It seems like Summerworks has become the poster child for controversy in Canada's arts scene. You may remember the choice words that our fearless (fearful?) leader had for Catherine Frid's play, Homegrown, which is based on a series of interviews between Frid and Shareef Abdelhaleem, one of the "Toronto 18" terrorist group. When the government pulled funding for this year's SummerWorks there was some very heated finger-pointing and shaking of fists. But since there's no such thing as bad press, donors of large and small means alike rushed to the rescue of the fest, so SummerWorks lives to glorify terrorism another day (kidding!). This year's festival includes a multi-genre piece about youth, immigration, and "otherness," an Iranian play that is read cold by a different actor each night, and something called Origami Airplane. Remember, kids: If you don't support Canadian theatre, the terrorists win.
MusicFest Vancouver
August 5th - 11th
Various locations
Now in its 11th season, MusicFest Vancouver (formerly Festival Vancouver) promises another solid line-up of pop, classical, jazz, opera, and choral music that will let you tour the world (musically speaking) from right here at home. With 45 concerts and events featuring artists from Cuba to Denmark, Taiwan to the Netherlands, there really is something for everyone! The Fest kicks off tomorrow night with Vancouver's beloved Sarah McLachlan singing her signature pop tunes with the help of the VSO.
Kae Sun
Friday, August 5, 8:00 pm
Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto
If you are in Toronto this weekend and find yourself at the corner of Yonge St. and Dundas St., just stop and park yourself there for the weekend. First up on Friday is Kae Sun, a Ghanaian Canadian singer/songwriter who is as much a storyteller as a musician. For a preview of his beautiful and earnest folk/soul songs, you can download his latest EP, Outside the Barcode, (for FREE) on his website.
Pinoy Fiesta
Saturday, August 6th, 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Olympic Village
If Pride Week has taught us anything, it's that the Filipino community in Vancouver can participate the hell out of a parade! My favourite entries by far in this year's parade were the colourful caravan from last year, and the amazing marching band of the Aklan Ati-Atihan Association of B.C. If those floats were any indication, Saturday's all-Pinoy Parade is not to be missed. Schema's dear friend Sammie Jo Rumbaua is even inviting YOU to join in the parade yourself! Other draws include an appearance by Miss World Canada, Riza Santos, and of course, Filipino food and musical performances. Hala Bira Pinoy!
Filipinos Making Waves Festival
Saturday, August 6th, Sunday August 7th
Yonge-Dundas Square
It seems the Filipino community in Canada was riding the same brainwave because Toronto's Filipino parade and cultural festival is also happening this weekend. FMW also features a parade, music, food, dance and etc., but this year's festival also has a particular focus on the talented youngsters in the Filipino community.
TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival
Saturday, August 6th, and Sunday August 7th, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Columbia and Keefer St.
Why go all the way out to the Richmond Night Market when you can get the all food, fun, and frolicking you need right in Vancouver's historic Chinatown? This gig just sells itself. See you there!
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 4, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Art, Asian, Asian Canadian, Culture, Dance, Diversity, Ethnic Cool, Events, Food, Music, Philippines, Theatre
"Overcome" With ... Confusion | South Asian Rapper Drega
By Olga PazukhaSouth Asian rapper Drega recently released a music video for his song "Overcome". The song touches on different things Drega has overcome on his path to becoming the person that he is now, one of which was bullying.
The video, directed by Alex Young and starring young South Asian actor Hatim Hassanali centers around Hassanali, who I take is representative of Drega as a teenager on his way to school. He keeps turning to look over his shoulder in fear and, as he walks through a wooded path he is attacked by another teen. The video cuts from scenes of fearful 'young Drega' and Drega rapping in the same wooded path. The other teen, who appears to be Caucasian just passes by after beating up 'young Drega'.
The attempt at raising awareness about bullying and its impacts is there. The video opens with bullying statistics, noting that 160,000 students miss school daily for fear of being bullied.
However, the entire concept was lost on me. The storyline of the video didn't depict how to overcome bullying, and the lyrics were less than motivating. Maybe it's me, but I somehow can't understand how knowing that Drega 'was in New York fucking all the Puerto Rican hoes' relates to overcoming bullying. The bravado and machismo in the lyrics get in the way of talking about a serious subject and the creative concept of the video leaves me confused.
I understand that Hassanali represents young Drega, and is juxtaposed with Drega today to show that he has overcome bullying and is now a rapper but I don't find that the video carries a message of hope or a call to action.
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 17, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Music
Cowboys, Canada and [Fill in Ethnicity Here]
By Olga Pazukha
Photo credit: Calgarystampede.com
Canada's culture is as diverse as the people who live here. Personally, I can never nail down a 'thing' that is Canadian, mainly because it already has roots elsewhere. When I travel back home and want to bring treats do I take maple syrup, even if I don't live in Quebec? When it comes to work, I am part of a national organization and it's Western branch. But even the West stretches from Vancouver to Winnipeg, each with its own flavour and flare.
I was recently in Calgary, and had a chance to check out the Stampede—billed as a Canadian celebration of culture. I normally associate horses, cowboys and rodeos with the Southern US, so it was interesting to see this side of Western Canada, which turned out to be a complete opposite of the laid back BC vibe.
More importantly, the Stampede only reinforced my belief in the fact that 'Canadian things' are really a mix of 'things' from different cultures and places. The Stampede celebrations featured many references to the Aboriginal community with singing and dancing, horseback riding and a village showcasing beautifully crafted teepees on the Stampede grounds. Of course there were horse races and rodeos, and everything from farms to saloons.
My biggest observation was how the cowboy hat, worn by everyone and their dog (literally!) was the uniting factor for many cultures in attendance. All possible ethnicities have seemed to embrace this 'Canadian' experience and were truly enjoying the festivities. My favourite sight was a young Muslim woman wearing a burka and a cowboy hat while shopping for cowboy boots with her husband.
So what is 'Canadian'? To be honest, I still can't point it out. But if I had to explain it, I would probably think of different ethnicities bringing something to the common table and equally enjoying the experience.
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 5, 2011 | Comments (0)
"The Big Dig" | A Hole to the Other Side
By Brandon Woo
Ever try digging a hole to China? My mother would sooner put me up for adoption than allow me to ruin her beloved garden, and so, I never got the chance to dig to my heart's content. Berlin-based landscape architecture office Topotek1, however, has taken note of the memories that digging a hole to the other side of the globe brings up, and has built "The Big Dig" at the 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Exposition to answer the equally large 'what if?'
At this huge gaping hole, visitors can also hear what life is like around the world. "[C]ows from the pampas of Argentina, commuters rushing among transit through New York City, the maritime life of Stockholm, and layers of history so audible among the streets of Berlin" can all be heard, just by standing next to the hole, says Topotek1. It's almost as if you were on another part of the planet yourself!
"The Big Dig" just goes to show that sometimes, people will want to believe in something so much that, for a moment, blinded by their burning desires, what they want may almost seem true. In this way, the hole is kind of like love, chocolate, money, grades, and whatever else we needy human beings might want to come our way. "That's what happens to dreams," Jodi Picoult explains in Handle with Care, "[L]ife gets in the way."
Sometimes, reality blows.
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 3, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: China, Design, Environment, International
Caught in the Act | Reporters Without Borders Creates Visual Display of Censorship
By Kait Bolongaro
Recently Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organization that defends the freedom of information and journalists' rights, released a set of advertisements meant to raise awareness about censorship. The campaign's slogan is "Censorship Tells the Wrong Story" and is a visual representation of how media and information can be manipulated to tell only one side of the story (or how easy it can be to fabricate a completely different version). The ads feature photographs of politicians, such as Barack Obama and Silvio Berlusconi, in ordinary press photos that have been pixelated to make the pictures seem sexually explicit.
This series was created by advertising agency Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai and is a clever way to challenge censorship. By changing seemingly routine images of current world leaders, Reporters Without Borders is challenging those who hold political power and control censorship policy. What if one of these altered photos was leaked to the press and marketed as truth? It would cause a huge scandal and ruin political careers.
However, censorship is common around the world. Every year Reporters Without Borders releases a Press Freedom List that scores countries on how free the media is in their society. In 2010, the country with the highest score was Eritrea with 105. Independent media was outlawed in the country in 2001 and the media outlets are extensions of the government, meaning Eritrea is the worst place to be a journalist, even worse than North Korea at 104.75. Canada scored a 7.0 on par with Namibia and below the United States at 6.75.
This series tells a great story of censorship. My personal favourite is of Vladimir Putin. Clearly he is bored listening to a translation at a political meeting. However, his pixelated image weaves a different story as he seems to be pleasuring himself. Wouldn't that be an entertaining headline?
Posted by Genie MacLeod | August 4, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Advertising, Media
AAE Asia Adult Expo 2011 on August 19-21
By Vinnie Yuen
The Asia Adult Expo is evidence that conservative Asians are coming out of their shell sexually. This is the fourth year the event has taken place and this year, the expo is happening in Macau. Last year, it saw 30,000 attendees.
Exhibits include adult content providers, adult entertainment facilities, gifts and novelties, publications, condoms, costumes, new media such as websites and mobile networks and more.
Here is a review of last year's event:
Unlike pornography conventions, sex expos are often geared towards both men and women. According to last year's review, 40% of the attendees were women.
It's also great to see women owning their sexualities instead of treating their sexualities as shameful, which is what many of us with conservative mothers were taught growing up. I don't think I could even begin to explain to my mom what a sex convention is. She'll probably think it's a congregation of promiscuous people who all want to have sex with each other.
It's refreshing to see such events taking place in Asia outside of Japan, which is a country known for sexual products, videos and less conservative attitudes towards sex.
Have you ever been to a sex expo or convention? What are your thoughts and stories?
Posted by Vinnie Yuen | August 3, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Events, International, Sex
Bob Fletcher | Standing Up for Japanese-American Farmers During WW2
By Justin Ko
The process of Japanese-American internment is perhaps one of the most tragic and relatively unpublicized atrocities committed during the Second World War. During this time, American citizens of Japanese descent were ordered to leave their properties and report to internment camps. Upon the end of the war, these Japanese-Americans often returned to ruined houses and looted storefronts, with no chance of compensation from the government. It may have seemed that none of their fellow Americans took a stand for justice during this tumultuous time.
Bob Fletcher, from Sacramento, California, would beg to differ. When his Japanese-American neighbors, the Tsukamotos, the Okamotos, and the Nittas, were ordered to leave their properties, which included a combined 90 acres of Tokay grape farmland, Fletcher volunteered to look after their farms and ensure that their grape crops would not go to ruin. While the war raged across the world, and locals harassed him as a "Jap lover," Fletcher tended to the 90 acres of Tokay grape fields by himself, and even paid off their mortgages. After the war was over, he split the profits that he made from grape sales evenly with his Japanese neighbors.
Today, Fletcher and his neighbors are still alive; in fact, they celebrated Fletcher's 100th birthday on July 26th. Once more, his neighbors expressed their gratitude for his tireless acts of charity which ensured that their farms would still be there for them when the war was over. For his part, Fletcher continued to insist that it was only the obvious thing to do, as his neighbors were clearly unrelated to the events of a war an ocean away. To commemorate the occasion, Sacramento County named July 26th Bob Fletcher Day.
If only more people acted like Mr. Fletcher did in this world, then perhaps the world could move on from the destructiveness of WW2 and embrace a new day of tolerance. Unfortunately, we still make erroneous generalizations with people of similar racial backgrounds. Still, the celebration of people like Fletcher shows that we do indeed have the potential to stand up for those who we know are innocent.
Posted by Justin Ko | August 4, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Japanese American
Breakaway | An Indo-Canadian with a Hockey Dream
By Gayatri Bajpai
Akshay Kumar, a Bollywood mega-star of somewhat humble beginnings, has teamed up with Hollywood director Robert Lieberman to make Breakaway, a movie about a Punjabi Torontonian who wants to conquer the world of ice hockey. Boasting a star-studded cast including Canadian comedian Russell Peters, sprinkled with appearances by Canadian hip-hop artist Drake and American rapper Ludacris, how could Breakaway not be promising? The film is now in post-production and is set to release this fall.
Russell Peters seems to be in good smart-alec form, apologizing to his 'little Punjabi puck-bunny' of a soon-to-be brother-in-law. The dynamic between Rob Lowe's coach and the all-Indian team also promises laughs. All in all, this is shaping up to be a pretty funny movie (unless they put all the best lines in the trailer, which moviemakers have been known to do).
For North Americans, Peters, the musicians, Rob Lowe and Camilla Belle will probably be the familiar faces, while Indians will also recognize big Bollywood names, Anupam Kher and Kumar. Kher has already played the protagonist's dad in another crossover movie about Indian immigrants, Bend it Like Beckham. Comparisons between Bend It and Breakaway lead me to wonder how the Indians will be portrayed in a North American context compared to in the UK. Will accents and choice of sport be all, or are there deeper, subtler cultural gaps between Indo-Canadians and British Indians?
I have a feeling Breakaway is going to be a whole lot more glitzy and colorful than Bend It, what with Akshay Kumar of Bollywood pazazz being attached. Not to mention the big American hip-hop artists and soundtrack. Whatever happens, this musical/cultural-crossover/coming-of-age/Bollywood-Hollywood-lovechild promises to be fun. Maybe even culturally thoughtful, but fun is probably enough.
Posted by Gayatri Bajpai | August 2, 2011 | Comments (0)Tags: Film, Gayatri Bajpai, Sports
Who Knew? | Chinese Food in America
By Justin Ko
It's been long known to me, as a person with strong immigrant roots, that what many people consider to be "Chinese food" in the United States exists as its own unique cuisine, separate from the mother country. In Canada, and Vancouver in particular, this is a little different, because there are a number of recent immigrants who still cook in a similar manner to authentic Chinese chefs. But in America, as we all know, there are dishes such as "chop suey," "General Tso's chicken," and of course, the ubiquitous "fortune cookie" which are all distinct American Chinese inventions.
For those of you who know about Panda Express, which is basically a Chinese fast food chain in the States, you will know exactly what I am talking about when I say that "American Chinese cuisine" is very, very different from what you would actually find in Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong- each of which has its own regional cuisine. In fact, it's relatively rare to find these dishes even in Vancouver Chinese restaurants, which are staffed by a different generation of immigrants. American Chinese Food can date itself back earlier than Canada's own creation, to the immigrant workers and gold miners of the early 19th century.
Still, this is by no means a criticism of those American Chinese restaurants. In fact, given the hard circumstances of early Chinese immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, I am still very impressed at the hard work they managed to put into creating their own dishes and unique cuisine which was meant to be consumed by predominantly white Americans. I will say, however, that whenever I vacation in the States and order food at a Chinese restaurant there, it is still sometimes a jarring experience to get a fortune cookie at the end of the meal, instead of traditional red bean soup.
It was also interesting for me when I went to study for a year at the University of Califiornia, and I was surrounded by a very different Chinese cuisine than I was used to in Vancouver. My non-Chinese roommates were convinced that the deep fried, heavy sauces typical of "orange chicken" and "lemon chicken" was what Chinese food was all about, and who was I to prove them wrong? It was simply a matter of semantics; what they called Chinese food was American Chinese food, made for consumption in the United States, by all races. And let's face it, a lot of people do enjoy the "Panda Express" type of food. That's why, according to this video below, Chinese restaurants are more prevalent than McDonalds.
Posted by Justin Ko | August 2, 2011 | Comments (0)Subscribe to our Feed
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