February 4, 2003

RAPPA New Year Celebration

Last weekend I mentioned the anniversary of Ellison Onizuka's death. Little did I think there would be a repeat in a few days. See below statement from OCA and article from the Washington Post.

Chinese New Year is upon us. For starters, check out http://www.chinapage.com/newyear.html

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was convicted of knowledge of a Berkeley bomb factory. Ms. Yoshimura was also known for her association with then fugitive Patricia Hearst.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Promote full utilization of the capabilities of the Enterprise's employees and champion the betterment of the company and community. Promote interest in Asian Pacific issues and culture and act as a bridge to all groups within our community.

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ed. by Douglas Ikemi

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The internet site is at:

Our own domain name, apa-pro.org, stands for Asian Pacific American Professionals. www.apa-pro.org/ gives you a menu of AP organization websites.

Back issues of the newsletter for all of 2000, 2001, and 2002 are available on the website if you want to look up some past event.

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APPA Board Meeting Schedule for 2003:

Evening meetings will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2100 Mariposa Ave.(corner of Nash) 310/726-0100. Noon time meetings will be on Raytheon premises

Feb 12 6PM

March 12 noon

April 16 6PM

May 14 noon R1/6E10

June 11 6PM

July 16 noon R1/6E10

Aug 13 6PM

Sept 10 noon R1/6E10

October 13 6PM

Nov 12 noon

Detailed calendar is available on the internet at www.apa-pro.org in Acrobat and Excel formats. Events go into the calendar that I don't mention here. Please send in information on cultural events and news items. Thanks to those who have.

Long range calendar items:

Feb 12 Come and join us in celebrating the Lunar New Year for 2003. We'll kick off the new year with Dim Sum at Sea Empress. 11:30 AM, Sea Empress, 1636 West Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA, 310-538-6868. The cost will be $5 to the first 30, and $10 after the first 30. Please RSVP to Tuan Cao, by Monday, 2/10/2003. Please pay in advance to the following people: North Campus: Kohei Tsujimoto: 334-5216, Alice Nguyen: 334-7706; South Campus: Manwai Szeto: 647-1096, Tuan Cao: 647-2766.

Feb 10,20 Waraku: A Lecture, Demonstration and Workshop. Shinto priest and former karate champion Maeda Hiramasa will demonstrate an ancient martial art form. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Japanese American Community Cultural Center, Lower level, 244 S. San Pedro Street $10.00. R.S.V.P. to Esprit Travel at 213-346-9100 or 800-377-7481. (If you reach a recording, please indicate your name, phone number, which evening you plan to attend and number of people who will be attending.) Wear comfortable, loose clothes.

Feb 13-15 Performance: Walking Westward A Dance Concert by Sri Susilowati and Hyun-jung Kim. 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM, Highways Performance Space,1651 18th Street (1/4 block north of Olympic) Santa.$15 general admission; $13 students, seniors, and Highways members. For more information please contact Highways Performance Space, (310) 315-1459 www.highwaysperformance.org

Feb 16 Pacific Asia Museum February Author Programs - Theodora Lau Presentation and book signing with Theodora Lau, author of "Children of the Moon: Discover your Child's Personality through Chinese Horoscopes" 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, (626) 449-2742, ext. 20. www.pacificasiamuseum.org

Feb 23 "Words Weaving and Song" documentary film about teenage lives of Wakako Yamauchi, Momo Nagano, and Mary Kageyama during WWII to be shown at the 2003 Installationof the Board of Japanese American Historical Society of So. Calif. 3-7PM Sea Empress Restaurant, Gardena, $20. Call Iky Kiriyama at 310-324-2875.

Friday, February 28 _ Sunday, March 16 Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts FilmDay One, Executioner from Shaolin Fans and filmmakers are all drawn to Chinese martial arts films -- this series traces the development of the martial arts film from the silent swordplay films of the 1920s through the kung fu (unarmed combat) films of 1970s. 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM ,Writers Guild Theater,135 South Doheny Drive (at Wilshire). Parking is available for $2.75 in the parking lot on Doheny just north of the theater. Beverly Hills, CA, $7 general, $5 students and UCLA Alumni Association members with ID. Advance tickets for all Heroic Grace screenings can be purchased in person at UCLA_s James Bridges Theater box office from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 15; Sunday, February 16; Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23. Each ticket-buyer will be limited to two tickets per screening during the advance ticket sales. Ticket-buyers should check www.cinema.ucla.edu for advance ticket sale updates after Feb. 15. For more information please contact Kelly Graml Tel: 310.206.8588 www.cinema.ucla.edu/

Feb 28 Concert: "Papillon III" featuring Patti Austin and Frances Yip Grammy nominee Austin and popular Chinese vocalist Yip will appear together in a multi-lingual performance for the first time in Los Angeles. 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM Harriet & Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive. $35, $50, $80, $100, $120 & VIP Tickets available through the Luckman Box Office: (323) 343-6600, or Ticketmaster: (213) 365-3500 / www.ticketmaster.com For more information please contact Luckman Fine Arts Complex Tel: (323) 343-6611, www.luckmanfineartscomplex.org

Mar 1 Jazz pianist Makoto Takenaka will perform at the Coast Botanic Garden in PV Peninsula, 7:30PM and the New Otani Hotel in Little Tokyo on Mar 2 at noon. Mar. 1 concert is $20 at the Frances Young Hall of Horticulture, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd. Mar 2 is a benefit for Keiro Senior Healthcare, tickets $50. For reservations call Toshihiko Taenaka at 310-515-2806 or Yoshi Koyasu at 562-865-9652

The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742) Family Festival schedule for 2003, Saturdays, 1-4:

Feb 15 Year of the Ram Chinese New Year

March 15 Girl’s Day, Japan

April 19 Pakistan Festival

May 17 Buddha’s Birthday

June 21 Gods and Goddesses

July 19 Calligraphy

Aug 16 Strings of Asia

Sep 20 Myanmar

Oct 18 Vijaya Dashimi

Nov. 15 Himilayan Festival

Dec 13 Pasko Sa Nayon

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API PFLAG (Asian Pacific Islander Parents and Friends of Asian Gays and Lesbians) have a monthly meeting on the 2^nd Sunday of the month at The Village, 1125 McCadden Pl., Hollywood, near Highland and Santa Monica. For info call Paul at 818-353-4359, APIPFLAG@yahoo.com

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This Weekend (and earlier)

February 8 Lunar New Year Gala 2003. Come and celebrate the Lunar New Year with APEX in style and elegance in the breathtaking Garden Room at the Le Meridien! Come meet new friends, celebrate the Year of the Ram, and dance the night away! Featuring hot new DJ with the grooviest dance music! Surprise opening performance by up-and-coming Asian American entertainer! Full bar will be available. 21 and over only. Dress Code: Semi-formal (No tennis shoes, t-shirts, jeans, or caps please.) All proceeds to benefit APEX Youth Olympics. Doors open from 9pm - 2am, Le Meridien at Beverly Hills, 465 S. La Cienega Blvd. $10 for APEX members, $15 for non-members. Valet parking will be available at the le Meridien for $8.Contact: susan@apex.org

Feb 5-8 KODO, One Earth Tour at Royce Hall, UCLA www.kodo.or.jp Tickets: $45,$35,$30 and $15(for UCLA students with ID) To Order call 310-825-2101

Feb 8 Sister Cities of Torrance and Kashiwa Celebrate 30^th Anniversary at the James Armstrong Theater. The cultural performance starts at 8PM and is $15. Call box office at 310-781-7171 or Hazel Taniguchi at 310-328-1238. Proceeds benefit the Sister City Program. Show includes Japanese song and dance, ballet, poetry, magic, incense burning, and tea service in the lobby.

Feb 5, Korean Music Concert, UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology Presented by the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology; co -sponsored by the Society for Korean Traditional Musicology, the Korean Music Study Center and the Korean Classical Music and Dance Company. 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM. UCLA Jan Popper Theater,1200 Schoenberg Music Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095 Free For more information please contact UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology Tel: (310) 206-3033, www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/

Feb 6, Chinese Arts in Japan's Shinto Matsuri Festivals, Gloria Gonick discusses the role of Chinese works of art in Japanese festivals, & leads a tour of the exhibition "Matsuri! Japanese Festival Arts", 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Room 2450, Center for the Study of Regional Dress, Fowler Museum, UCLA. Free & open to the public. For more information please contact Richard Gunde, 310 825-8683, www.international.ucla.edu/ccs

February 6 APEX Cultural Affairs Committee Info Night. Come and learn how you can get more involved through Cultural Affairs at its Committee Info Night. If you can't make it and still want to get involved, email Bonnie at bonnie@apex.org. 6:30pm-7:30 pm, Relaxtation,1108 Gayley Avenue (1 1/2 blocks north of Wilshire, 3 doors up from Shakey's Pizza) Costs: Just your time. Get a choice of free drink or shaved ice. What a bonus! Contact: RSVP Bonnie Lu at bonnie@apex.org

February 6 APEX Cultural Affairs Book Club. Love to read? Please join our first 2003 book club discussion. The book selected for February is My Country Versus Me: The First-Hand Account by the Los Alamos Scientist Who Was Falsely Accused by Wen Ho Lee and Helen Zia.We encourage members to finish the book and contribute to the discussion. However, folks who want to participate without having read the book are welcomed. If you would like to suggest a book for future APEX book clubs, please contact Bonnie at bonnie@apex.org. Books must be related to Asian America. 7:30 - 9:30 PM. Relaxtation, 1108 Gayley Avenue (1 1/2 blocks north of Wilshire, 3 doors up from Shakey's Pizza) Costs: APEX members get in free and a choice of free drink or shaved ice. Non-APEX members is $5 (includes a choice of free drink or shaved ice). Due to limited seating, RSVP is required. APEX members take priority seating. Contact: RSVP Bonnie Lu at bonnie@apex.org

Pacific Asia Museum February Author Programs - Ahmed Rashid, Presentation and book signing with Ahmed Rashid, author of "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia" Ahmed Rashid, author of the best-selling book "Taliban", will discuss and sign "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia." Free with museum admission but reservations are strongly advised.  For information and reservations, please call (626) 449-2742, ext. 20. 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA 9110, www.pacificasiamuseum.org/

Feb 8 Reconfiguring Colonialism: Negotiations of Colonial Cultures in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. CIRA Conference: This graduate student conference examines various colonial and post-colonial sites/moments of negotiation, tension, and dispersion. 9:00 AM - 4:15 PM,11377 Bunche Hall, UCLA, free. Please contact event organizers Todd Henry (htodd98@hotmail.com) and Chris Hanscom (hanscom@humnet.ucla.edu)if you have any questions.

Feb 9 2nd Annual Lunar New Year Parade & Festival in Hollywood. Hollywood kicks off the "Year of the Ram" with a colorful celebration. The Parade will take place on Sunset Boulevard between Highland Ave. and Vine St., and the Festival at Selma Ave. (one street north of Sunset) & Argyle Ave. (one street east of Vine).  See the Parade route and Festival map at http://images.radcity.net/5437/328856.pdf .Directions: From the Hollywood 101 Freeway, exit Hollywood, Vine or Sunset and head South to the Festivities. There is an ample supply of parking lots along Vine, but arrive early as they fill up quickly. For more information, call the parade hotline at (310) 442-2712, e-mail info@kscitv.com , or visit http://www.kscitv.com/showfeature.asp .11:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Free.

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Last Weekend

For Immediate Release

February 3, 2003

Contact: Eleanor Lee 202-223-5500

OCA EXPRESSES OUR CONDOLENCES TO FAMILIES OF COLUMBIA CREW MEMBERS

Washington DC- The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national civil rights and education organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates nationwide, expresses our condolences to the family and friends of the crew members on space shuttle Columbia.

OCA wishes to honor the crew for their bravery. "Astronauts are considered the best and the brightest that this nation has to offer and it is inspiring to see that the crew represented America's diversity," stated Raymond Wong, OCA National President. "Kalpana Chawla and Michael Anderson remind us all of the sacrifices and contributions made by Asian Pacific Americans and African Americans to the United States."

Born in Karnal, India, mission specialist Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian American woman to go into space. She overcame the obstacles she faced as a woman in India to come to the United States to pursue her studies in aeronautical engineering. Chawla received her Master of Science from the University of Texas in 1984 and her Doctorate from the University of Colorado in 1988. In 1998, Chawla joined Overset Methods, Inc. in California as Vice President and Research Scientist and was responsible for the development and implementation of efficient techniques to perform aerodynamic optimization. Chawla became an American citizen during her studies here, a further reminder to us of the many contributions immigrants have made to this country. Chawla's first space mission with NASA was in 1997. During her time at NASA, Chawla was involved with the summer space program, and encouraged NASA to invite students from her high school in India to participate in the program. Chawla is survived by her husband.

Payload commander Michael P. Anderson was the only black crew member on space shuttle Columbia. Anderson, who hails from Spokane, Washington, was a U.S. air force lieutenant colonel and physicist. His first space mission was in 1998 aboard Endeavour on the eighth shuttle flight to the Russian space station Mir. Anderson is survived by his wife and two daughters.

The loss of Columbia brings back painful memories of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger as it took off from Cape Canaveral on January 28, 1986, also killing all seven people on board. One of the crew members on the Challenger was mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, a Japanese American from Hawaii. "Chawla is another reminder to the Asian Pacific American community of the many remarkable successes of APAs," stated Christine Chen, OCA Executive Director. "We are greatly saddened by our country's loss of the heroes on the Columbia shuttle."

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The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights organization with over 85 chapters and affiliates across the country, was founded in 1973 to ensure the civil rights of the Asian Pacific American community. It maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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LA Times: (The Times are requiring registration again)

Washington Post: