JULY 30, 2022
Hello, everyone!
Acclaimed comedian Jo Koy’s new film, “Easter Sunday,” about Filipino family, culture and chaotic get-togethers was originally going to air on Netflix.
But, in a move to put Filipino Americans on the big screen, Koy took initiative to secure a theatrical release.
While Koy has had many comedy specials on the streaming service, putting a film that showcased experiences from his own Filipino family on a similar path didn’t seem like the right move. Instead of waiting for another big film to represent Filipino Americans as side characters, Koy took the first step towards using the resources he had to put his film on higher ground, bringing with him Filipino actors like Lou Diamond Phillips, Eva Noblezada, Tia Carrere and comedian Joey Guila as leads and co-leads.
The film will release in theaters on August 5.
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Spotlight đź’ˇ
Chun Wai Chan is the first principal dancer of Chinese descent throughout the New York City Ballet company’s 74-year history. He is the fourth Asian dancer to hold that rank.
Chan was born in Huizhou, an industrial city in Southeastern China, and has studied and competed in China and abroad, cementing a reputation as well as a loyal fanbase. His success as a finalist in the 2010 Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland at age 18 allowed him to study away on a scholarship at the Houston Ballet, which ultimately led him to New York City.
Wanting to show the world that “Princes can be Asian, too,” a reference to the mere nine Asian dancers in background roles on a production of “The Nutcracker,” Chan pushes through his parents aspirations for him, as well as other cultural barriers, in an attempt to reinvent the dance form by incorporating Chinese values and attitudes into the characters he plays.
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Race in America 🌎
In California, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has called for school board appointee Ann Hsu to step down for her comments on a candidate questionnaire.
Hsu was running to maintain her seat on the school board, but her comments reinforced stereotypes about Black and Brown families not supporting their children’s education. Her comments come from a place of “very limited exposure,” yet her assertion, as other San Francisco officials point out, supports racial stereotypes that many generations continue to work against.
Her full comments are as follows: “From my very limited exposure in the past four months to the challenges of educating marginalized students especially in the black and brown community, I see one of the biggest challenges as being the lack of family support for those students. Unstable family environments caused by housing and food insecurity along with lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning cause children to not be able to focus on or value learning."
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California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye is stepping down and will not be pursuing another term. After serving the state for 12 years, she is giving the governor an opportunity to appoint a new justice to the court.
Cantil-Sakauye was sworn into office on January 2011 as the first Asian American and Filipina to serve on the court. She worked her way up as the daughter of farmworkers and experienced a lifetime of legal frustrations, which she felt with her Japanese in-laws as they faced internment.
At 62 years old, and an ardent defender and amicable uniter of the court, she has not yet figured out her next venture after stepping down, however, she is very confident that she will not be stepping into a political career.
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In Other Asian News đź—ž
In Japan, the innovative baby hatch, a location for mothers to give up their children safely and securely, at Jikei University Hospital in Kumamoto has been a lifeline for mothers who cannot support their children.
The country’s only baby hatch operates as an anonymous and safe location for children, and a safety net for mothers in Japan. While the service has long been a target of criticism, head doctor Takeshi Hasuda emphasizes the societal pressures, lack of resources and alienation an individual may be dealing with. Babies who are left in the hatch trigger an alarm, which alerts attending physicians and nurse to the location within a minute. If mothers stay by the hatch, healthcare workers will also inquire about the child’s health and background, in addition to the mother’s health and offer a check-up.
The Hospital also offers a 24/7 pregnancy support hotline and the only “confidential birth” program in the nation. While the baby hatch concept has existed for centuries and still exists today in South Korea, Pakistan and the U.S., it has been outlawed in the U.K., and criticized by the U.N.
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In South Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol is planning to cut funding and staff for the public sector.
President Yoon’s reform measures come after data has shown a steady decline in approval ratings, sliding from an approval rating of 32% to 28% last week. He plans to address concerns from the general public and experts about the efficiency and effectiveness of public organizations matching the sector’s rapid expansion.
According to Finance Minister Choo Kyung-Ho, South Korea’s total 350 public organizations employed around 449,000 people at the end of May, and also carried 583 trillion won ($449 billion) in total liabilities at the end of 2021, a shocking growth of 17% over the past five years in liabilities.
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TV and Music đź“ş
The trailer dropped for Arden Cho’s Netflix drama series “Partner Track,” based on the 2013 book of the same name by author Helen Wan.
The series is set to premiere on August 26. It centers around Ingrid Yun, a first-generation Chinese American woman and the first lawyer in her family. She strives to make partner at her predominantly white law firm.
This is the first major project for Cho following the news of her choice not to return for the revival movie of “Teen Wolf.” Cho alleges she was paid significantly less than her co-stars despite having a main cast billing and seniority during the television show’s run.
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K-pop superstars BLACKPINK have finally released a new song, “Ready For Love.”
The music video was made in collaboration with PUBG Mobile and features 4 AI avatar versions of Jisoo, Jennie, Chaeyoung and Lisa. The partnership with PUBG Mobile is a continuation from their virtual concert project earlier this month that saw the AI versions perform the track. The song was teased all the way back in 2020 during a recording session scene in the Netflix documentary, “Blackpink: Light Up the Sky.” A year later, a demo version of the song was leaked online, but this marks the first official digital drop.
The PUBG Mobile and BLACKPINK team up is a primer for BLACKPINK’s upcoming comeback and album next month. This week, YG Entertainment said they had started filming the comeback music video and that it was the most expensive one to date.
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What else is on our minds? đź§
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Minhoon Yoo is a watchmaker in Seoul, South Korea who is making some subtle and well crafted pieces going for $18,000 or more.
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A four-year-old Sikh boy in London has made history as the first children’s wear model to wear a Patka in a new ad for Burberry.
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Indian industrialist Gautam Adani is now the fourth richest person in the world, beating out Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates.
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20 Asian immigrant families are trying to work out a deal letting them stay in their apartment building after a developer allegedly vanished with $4 million of their cash.
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Photos from North Korea’s celebration of the anniversary of the 1953 armistice which brought an end to the fighting in the Korean War.
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