AsianWeek Fall 2008 TV Preview

"Grey's Anatomy" star Sandra Oh

"Heroes" star Masi Oka

A couple of weeks ago, I went out for a walk in the neighborhood to grab some milk tea from the local Quickly’s store a couple of blocks from my house (I love milk tea, cannot live without it). On my way home I noticed an AsianWeek stand and I decided to grab a newsletter and go home and read it. Immediately the first thing I noticed was a photo on the front page of various television actors and actresses who were premiering on television this fall. I recognized Sandra Oh from Grey’s Anatomy and Lucy Liu. I flipped to the article that pertained to the front cover of AsianWeek (Vol. 29, No.6) and there were pictures of Asian television actors and actresses who were going to be featured on television this fall. I did not know many of the television actors and actresses because I do not watch many television shows that featured Asians, except probably only Grey’s Anatomy (one of the best television shows ever) where Sandra Oh plays Dr. Cristina Yang. I also recognized Lucy Liu from her role in “Charlie’s Angels.” There was also Daniel Day Kim from the show Lost. However, looking at the numerous photos of Asian American actors and actresses, I realized that Asian Americans are gaining a larger role in acting on the big screen. The idea used to be held (and is still mostly held today) that Asian Americans highly did not consider acting as a career because acting was looked upon as insensible and not worth all the hard work and effort when Asian Americans could instead become something more practical such as a doctor, lawyer, or businessman. Now Asian Americans are breaking barriers and stepping up to the plate to put them in a larger contextual role for Asian American culture. Having more Asian Americans on the screen will inspire other Asian Americans to consider acting if they have been afraid to. Not only are these Asian American actors and actresses appearing on the television screen, but they have large roles in these television shows and are not given roles to play minor characters that often get ignored in the show. Masi Oka plays Hiro Nakamura, a programmer at Yamagato Industries in the NBC television series "Heroes," and he has the special ability to manipulate space and time. Bobby Lee is a repertory cast member in the television series "MADtv". Watching television this fall will be more thrilling and exciting not only because of the plot involved in these television shows, but also because there are Asian American actors and actresses who represent our culture and heritage in society.

Book Review: The Dim Sum of All Things

The Dim Sum of All Things by Kim Wong Keltner is a novel that touched upon themes such as Asian/Asian American Culture, stereotypes, cultural/ ethnic/ generation identity, and interracial dating. The main character, Lindsey Owyang, a typical Chinese American, struggled to define herself as an Asian American. I personally enjoyed reading this book because a lot of the themes Keltner wrote about were relatable to my own life. I could picture myself in Lindsey's Owyang's shoes experiencing the life she described and understanding exactly how she felt about it. This novel is humorous, easy to read, and personal. It was helpful that the setting of this book was placed in San Francisco because as Lindsey described the places she traveled to; it gave me a clear picture that brought this novel to life.

As an American born Chinese, I lived a life similar to Lindsey. Growing up, I was raised by my grandparents. I ate my grandmother's cooking every evening, my grandparents took care of me when I was sick, I walked the streets of Chinatown to buy groceries, and watched my grandmother play mahjong. As I was reading, Lindsey and I encountered many of the same experiences. When Lindsey was heading out of the house, her grandma, Pau Pau, would complain about the clothes she was wearing. I remember many times when my grandma always told me to wear more layers because it was cold outside. It didn’t matter if it was 80 degrees out or 50, it was never enough. Or when Lindsey ran around the house spraying air freshener so the house wouldn’t have a weird Chinese scent, I remember I would spray something on my clothes because I was paranoid that it smelled like moth balls or some other weird smell. One scene that got me nodding my head thinking “Yeah! That’s totally what I do,” was the scene of the Chinese banquet where Lindsey’s brother, Kevin, showed off his Chinese speaking skills by adding Chinese words in his sentences. “Chinglish” is what it’s called when Chinese and English words are mixed together in a sentence. I was speaking “chinglish” to my mother one time and she had a confused look on her face and said to me, “Are you speaking Chinese or English?” Other than being able to relate to Lindsey, I liked how Keltner explored the theme of interracial dating. It shows how in our generation today, interracial dating is not a big deal. It shows that as time changes, so does our view in relationships. However, many are still skeptical about telling their parents because in their generation there was no such thing as interracial dating. It was like a forbidden law and if you disobeyed you were frowned upon.

One thing the novel could have been without was the love story between Lindsey and Michael Cartier. Perhaps it was please in the novel to illustrate the theme of interracial dating, but this love story was not an important part of the novel. I also thought that some characters could have been left out of the novel such as Steve D. I honestly did not see his purpose besides his role of fulfilling Lindsey’s theory about the hoarder of all things Asian.

This novel by Kim Wong Keltner is more than just a novel. It is a life experience that I, and probably many Asian Americans, can relate to.

My review of The Dim Sum of All Things

The book The Dim Sum of All Things by Kim Wong Keltner is must read. It is a definite page turner because I just could not put it down. I am not an avid reader and don’t tend to like many books, but this one just made me want to keep on reading because I wanted to see what was next in Lindsey Owyang’s life. There are many themes throughout the book that are hot topics to contemplate, like Asian/Asian American stereotypes, interracial dating/ marriage, and cultural identity.

I personally liked the book because I thought Keltner’s unique and fresh writing style made this book a quick and easy to read. I also felt a strong connection between Lindsey’s character and myself because we are both American – Born – Chinese (A.B.C.) in San Francisco, trying to get through life as best we can. From work to fun, or her ‘Pau Pau’ and her brother, I could relate to what she was going through. Right off the bat I found myself thinking in my head, “Oh yeah, that’s totally happened to me too” or “Oh my goodness. That’s so true!” as I was reading. For example, when she goes to the butcher in Chinatown and she orders in Chinese and then she can’t understand what the butcher is saying. I have experienced that and am also a little cautious when I speak Chinese in order to not get stuck in a situation where I can’t respond because I don’t know what the heck they said. Also, I totally agree that “nothing is more repulsive then the combined odors on a Muni bus.” I ride Muni practically every single day and I dread it; because there are so many gross, nasty smells and also the creepy people that just make the ride so torturous, not to forget that the buses are always jam packed too. Furthermore, I too have trouble sometimes talking with my ‘Pau Pau’ and go through the same little caring gestures that Lindsey does, like making me drink ‘dong gua tong’ when I’m sick.

So all in all, you should really pick up a copy if you think you can relate to a white-washed A.B.C. and want to read something that will get you thinking about your own life. This book will make you look at how you live your daily life as an Asian American living in a world that is so crazy. I never thought I’d be the one to recommend a book, but this one was just overflowing with interesting stuff that I have to say it rocks. So get your butt to the nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy of this wonderful book and get ready for a hilariously good time.

The Dim Sum of All Things: A Book Review

Kim Wong Keltner's The Dim Sum of All Things tells the humorous story of Lindsey Owyang, a third-generation Chinese-American in her mid-twenties. Throughout the novel, Lindsey battles with defining her identity. When told she is "white, anyway," she feels both insulted and complimented. She considers herself as different from typical Asian-Americans, but there are also many things she loves about her Chinese heritage—Chinatown, Peking duck with hoisin sauce, rice porridge with bits of preserved egg, just to name a few. Having grown up as an "ABC" in San Francisco, I can relate to a lot of the things that Lindsey experiences, such as the smell of Tiger Balm when my grandma is nearby, loathing Chinese school, and the unpleasantness of riding Muni buses.

While I found the novel to be an enjoyable read, there are a few things that irked me. The authors use of Asian puns ("She hurt like H-E-Double-Chopsticks.") disrupted the flow and felt a bit too contrived to me, but luckily there were only a few scattered throughout the book. The thing that got to me the most was Lindsey's theory of "Hoarders of All Things Asian." In the beginning it was amusing and funny, but, as I read on, it became repetitive and seemed as though almost every white male who talked to her was deemed a Hoarder. Her relationship with Michael almost ended because of her extreme dislike of anything that matches her description of a Hoarder.

In the end, Lindsey realizes that "every experience, even the unpleasant ones, had helped to slowly build her character, creating a one-of-a-kind Chinese-American named Lindsey Owyang" and, instead of distancing herself, tries to get closer to her Chinese roots and learn about her family's past. The dinner at the end reflects her acceptance of her cultural identity; she allows Michael to see her with her Chinese family and is not afraid to let her family see her with a white man. The ending subtly shows the embracement of both Asian and American cultures—Brandon, who previously warns her of the Chinese mafia's wrath against people who "give away any Chinese secrets," finds common interests with Michael, and Pau Pau sings the American folk song, "Oh! Susanna."

My React/Response

Painting- React
Calligraphy- React
Dance- React
Music- React
Performance- React
Poetry- React
Stories- React
Games- React
Sculpture- React
Japanese Internment Camps- React
Fall of the I-Hotel- Response & React
Chinese Exclusion Act- Response
Angel Island- Response
Chinese New Year- React & Response
Vietnam War- React & Response
Immigration to America- React
Jackie Chan- React
Masi Oka- React
Adriel Luis- React
Lindsay Price- React
Sandra Oh- React
John Cho- React
Jet Li- React
Margaret Cho- React
Bobby Lee- React
Bruce Lee- React
Lucy Liu- React
Gook- React & Response
Chink- React & Response
Chinaman- React & Response
Twinkie- React & Response
Flip- React & Response
F.O.B.- React & Response
A.B.C.- React & Response
Drive "rice rockets"- React & Response
Slanted eyes- React & Response
APAture- Response
ASU @ SFSU- Response
KSA @ SFSU- Response
PACE @ SFSU- Response
Vietnamese International Film Festival-Response
Asian American International Film Festival-Response

TOTAL: 42

Analyze your generation APA culture

My generation APA culture is very unique in comparison to other generations of APA culture. APA culture is now increasingly becoming widely recognized and appreciated by people of our generation. Back in the past, Asian Americans and Asian American culture was not accepted easily or even at all by everyone. Racism and stereotypes were stronger and more significant back then because of movements such as the civil rights movements and events such as the Vietnam War and the large influx of Asians immigrating to the United States. However, now that time has passed, people have realized that Asian American culture plays an important role in society, especially for Asian Americans. Without Asian American culture, what would connect us to our past? Actually, without Asian American culture, we would not know anything about ourselves or understand anything about us. Lack of our past and of where are roots originated from would frustrate everyone who is determined to know who they are. As a result, APA culture is being embraced by those who want to let others know more about APA culture. The messages of APA culture are now portrayed in a variety of creative and inspiring ways, including singing (rap), dancing (hip-hop), paintings, sculpture, drawings, writings and poetry. These messages about APA culture have been taken to places all over the world to not only inform but inspire and pass on APA culture to others. Hyphen magazine and AsianWeek, which are accessible to people mostly in the Bay Area but also all over the world, uses writing and photos and iLL-Literacy uses mediums such as rapping, hip hop, video, and poetry. We have so much access to ways that we can spread the message during this generation, especially with technology such as the Internet (YouTube, blogging, AIM), television, and radio. Even though we use newer ways of spreading the message we still retain the old traditions, practices, and values of APA culture, such as celebrating holidays (Chinese New Year), food (lumpia), dance, singing, music, painting (calligraphy), and storytelling. Our generation, in regards to APA culture, is attempting to create a balance between the old and the modified APA culture that fits our time. APA culture is changed to keep up with today’s society so that people will understand about APA culture but the native roots of APA culture are taught so that we can trace back to how APA culture all began and how it ended up the way it is today.

Final book review on D.O.A.T

Kim Wong Keltner’s, The Dim Sum of All Things is a refreshing outlook on modern Asian American culture. Brilliantly crafted, Keltner reflects upon stereotypes and contemporary struggles with being Asian American through her character, Lindsey Owyang. Lindsey’s comic approach through all sorts of relationships, womanhood, and identity struggle lets readers bond with her and her San Franciscan surroundings. The book opens with Lindsey’s experiences with encountering “Hoarders of all things Asian.” Seemingly nothing out of the ordinary, Keltner illuminates the many guys who try to pick up on Lindsey just because of her race; with trying to talk to her in slow English as if she can’t understand, trying to show off how much they know about the Asian culture, and stereotypically questioning her if she was carrying groceries for a restaurant.. This first scene comforts readers into a familiar realm and emphasizes the life-long pondered question, “Why do white guys have this fetish for Asian women?” As she arrives at work as a quiet secretary for a tribune, Keltner presents her audience with Lindsey’s reactions when it came to her secret crush, Michael Cartier. It is especially a hilarious moment when Lindsey fantasizes about Michael and when she comes into interaction with him, for she melts into this child like state. This characteristic is present amongst all women and it is a clear connection Keltner makes in order to link all cultures together; revealing Keltner’s reflection on interracial dating. The novel could have continued without this relationship for I thought it was pathetic and it didn’t contribute any growth to the story, but the simple frustration felt with Michael does portray the struggle with gender and age. Not only does the author reflect on love relationships, but also a relationship with one’s culture. Readers see this when Michael comes over to her apartment whom she shares with her Chinese grandmother, Pau Pau. Desperate to cover up the “Asian smell” of her apartment and Pau Pau’s cultural trinkets, something as simple as Lindsey’s insecurity of how her apartment smells like is very symbolic. In an attempt to mask the Asian-ness, Keltner reflects on the identity crises within the Asian population trying to be American in order to fit in. This theme is apparent upon Lindsey’s outfits, friends, choice of food, and language which is all connected through Pau Pau. Pau Pau acting as this main link to her Chinese culture, readers watch Lindsey flourish from being embarrassed about the unfamiliar ways of the Chinese, to a content acceptance which begins to evolve into appreciation at the end of the novel. This journey was not easy. The climax occurred when Lindsey was actually being forced into visiting China itself. Her epiphany of first hand experiencing her culture shed light on the generational struggle with retaining one’s culture after living and being so contacted by another. Filled with heartwarming events, Kim Wong Keltner’s story is more than words on paper; it is a journey of finding ones place in society while still retaining one’s cultural makeup.

Letter to your ancestor

Dear great great grandpa Chi,

Times have changed since you have passed. Numerous events have occurred that have changed our family’s lives forever. Even though the family has gone through rough times since you left, we are still happy and thankful for what we have.
Since you passed, my grandpa moved from Guangzhou, China to Vietnam to escape Japanese attacks on Vietnam. He brought grandma along with him, and they fled across the border. They survived countless nights of hiding from Vietnamese soldiers, sleeping on the ground with thin blankets, and foraging for food. Both of them kept walking and walking day in and night out, not knowing where they would end up or even knowing whether or not they would survive. On a bright sunny morning, grandpa and grandma finally arrived in Saigon (now renamed Ho Chi Minh City). They decided to settle there and they bought a good house to start having a family with. Grandpa opened a grocery store and grandma did all the chores around the house. They had 5 kids: 3 girls and 2 boys. My mom was the second youngest family member in the family, and she and her other siblings helped grandpa out with the store and had fun going to the movies.
However, when the fall of Saigon occurred in 1975, my mom, one of my aunts, and one of my uncles, and grandpa and grandma managed to move to America. My other aunt and uncle were caught trying to flee but were lucky to escape from Vietnamese soldiers. To this day both of them are still living in Vietnam, but they have their own families to take care of and are very happy. When they all got to America, they all settled in San Francisco, California, which is where we all currently and still live today.
Not only has our family history changed, but Asian American culture has changed as well. We still carry your values and traditions that you had when you were still alive but there are also some modifications in Asian American culture today. Our family still practices traditions and celebrates holidays like Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival, and I like how our family gathers together to celebrate these moments because I greatly appreciate my family and other things that I have during those times. We still speak Chinese and cook dishes that come from both China and Vietnam. Our family makes sure that we preserve our cultural heritage and understand how important it is. Not all of Asian American culture has been erased from the past.
However, much of Asian American culture has changed. Fewer and fewer people seem to appreciate Asian American culture and do not realize how important it is to understand and recognize your own heritage. We live in a society today where our lives are filled with technology and other aspects of American culture that we get distracted from spending time on our past. There is hope though. People have incorporated Asian American ideals into today’s society through popular aspects such as music and dance. Even though the practices may not be the same as those in the past, they still convey the same message about Asian American culture as the traditions, values, and practices of Asian American culture do in the past.

Sincerely,

Cindy

Book Review for The Dim Sum of All Things

If you are an Asian American or want to get a pretty good glimpse about what an Asian American encounters in regards to culture, then you should consider reading The Dim Sum of All Things by Kim Wong Keltner. What is great about this book is that you can connect to the cultural experiences that occur and there are also numerous hilarious moments. This book is not for just Asian Americans, but for anyone who is interested in embracing culture and its values.

This book revolves around Lindsey Owyang, a typical Chinese American woman who frequently encounters and tests her cultural heritage everywhere she goes. She is a secretary for the magazine Vegan Warrior and lives in an apartment in Chinatown with her grandmother. One of the most significant revelations she has in this story is her affection for Michael Cartier, one of her co-workers at Vegan Warrior. She constantly has the conflict that she cannot deepen her desirable relationship with Michael because she is held back by her cultural heritage. Lindsey knows that in Chinese culture, associating with a non-Asian person is highly disregarded because he/she does not embrace the values that Chinese people have. However, as she spends more time with her grandmother, family members, and participates in Chinese family traditions such as helping make moon cakes or cook large family banquets, Lindsey discovers bit by bit more about her Chinese background. After going back to China to visit her relatives and grandmother’s friends and relations, she realizes that she does not need to be ashamed of her culture, even though many would see her culture as weird and confusing.

Numerous themes are presented in Asian American culture in The Dim Sum of All Things. There is the Asian American stereotype where Lindsey mentions about Hoarders of All Things Asian, Caucasian men who pick on Asian girls because of their looks. Cultural identity and ethnicity are strongly represented in this book where Lindsey often relates herself to everything around her, especially when she mentions that she is the only non-white person who works at Vegan Warrior and is often used as a person to do all the chores and laborious work at the company and people portray Chinese culture incorrectly when they tell her. Lindsey’s relationship with Michael causes conflict in interracial dating where her family members do not appreciate interracial dating and she has a hard time accepting it because of her culture and her views of Hoarders of All Things Asian. As a young Chinese American woman, Lindsey goes through issues that all young women face such as love, gender discrimination, and family pressures. She is pressured by her family to find a good husband and Hoarders of All Things Asian try to take advantage of her as a woman. Also, she has numerous conflicts of love with Michael in her mind and also when she is with him.


I enjoyed reading this book. I can largely relate to numerous aspects of Chinese cultural heritage that are presented because it is personal with its appeal to young people since I am sort of like Lindsey in a way. I look at my Chinese cultural heritage and I compare and relate it to everything around me. Putting the setting in San Francisco, the city that I grew up in and still live in allows me to put myself in Lindsey’s shoes and get a sense of what she went through. Not only did this book give a very good representation of Chinese culture, but it also presented the story effectively and in a hilarious and easy way. The author makes us question the situations that Lindsey encounters and think about how she views her culture.

What I did not like about this book is the fact that it does not dive down deeper into the details. I personally think that Lindsey and Michael’s relationship could be described further because the way that their relationship was presented in the book was vague. Also, getting to know the family members better would help me understand how each person plays an important role in Lindsey’s life and how each brings in a unique aspect of Chinese culture. For example, Lindsey mentions Uncle Bill as an important part of the family and Uncle Bill is seen a couple of times throughout the book, including one scene where Lindsey visits Uncle Bill at his senior home and he grasps her hand tightly and talks to her. However, beyond that, there is no further explanation about Uncle Bill and the reader does not know Uncle Bill that well from Lindsey’s few descriptions about him. The ending could have been way much better. Instead of a family banquet, the ending should be more significant with a scene that incorporates all the important aspects and messages of the book. Or the ending could be a scene of a family banquet but with better aspects, such as giving a recollection of Lindsey’s thoughts and views about Asian American culture and putting a bit of everyone who is in the story to create a huge meaning at the end, which includes putting Grandpa and Uncle Bill in too.

This book gets a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.