Author Archives: JohnnyC

About JohnnyC

Johnny C is a self-described Accidental Asian American: born in California and raised in Hong Kong and Manila, he spends his days traveling as a freelancer for various NGOs in development and human rights. An idealist and adventurer, his travels are both for work and fun, while sharing stories through his pictures, videos, and writing. When he's not dance-walking to indie rock songs on his iPod in cities around the world, he's usually got himself engrossed in a science fiction novel traversing the portals of reality.

Non Je Ne Regrette Rien: So Long, So Long, So Long

Posted on October 23, 2013 by JohnnyC

[The following is an unpublished epilogue to Johnny C’s Asian America in 2013 series. He was originally planning to leave 8asians on a high note after finishing the series, but we persuaded him to stay a little while longer. Some … Continue reading →

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Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid: Platitudes on Passion in Asian America

Posted on October 1, 2013 by JohnnyC

The buzzwords “passion”, “amazing”, and “awesome” are commonly used by people to describe themselves or what they do. As Louis CK says, many words have lost meaning. The danger of the constant use of words like “passion” is that passion … Continue reading →

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Reflections from Vagabond Life, Or: Why Everyone Should Travel and Read More

Posted on September 10, 2013 by JohnnyC

Recently, I climbed Mount Elbrus in Russia. Having nothing but my friend and a few books, it was a good time to really take a step back and reflect on society–ton look at a distance and not be affected by … Continue reading →

Posted in Observations | 5 Comments

Cultural Blackmail: The Hipsterization of Asian America

Posted on July 17, 2013 by JohnnyC

Very few things can get me to pop in while I’m still vagabonding and give even an inkling of attention for something in another universe. Unfortunately for you all, the recent article about being “hip” to be Asian-American, which coincides … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Observations | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Southeast Asian Rock: Your Imaginary Friends

Posted on April 26, 2013 by JohnnyC

Growing up in Manila in the late 90s and going to international school (long before MP3 file-sharing became the norm), I had an opportunity to hear a wide variety of music most people stateside had never heard of from around … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Questions, Entertainment, Music, Observations | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Slanted and Enchanted: Another Take on Last Week’s Rant and Some Traveler’s Tales

Posted on April 2, 2013 by JohnnyC

One of the things I enjoy about the Internet and Democracy is that you have the opportunity to engage in dialogues and see different points of view. One of the things I don’t like is that often, people have already … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Discrimination, Observations, Politics | 12 Comments

Asian America in 2013: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Part 4: Cosmos, Chronos, and Telos

Posted on March 21, 2013 by JohnnyC

[pullquote]I know people, I know towns, farms, hills and rivers and rocks, I know how the sun at sunset in autumn falls on the side of a certain plowland in the hills; but what is the sense of giving a … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Current Events, Observations | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Asian America in 2013: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Part 3: All Boundaries Are Conventions

Posted on March 20, 2013 by JohnnyC

[pullquote]Many cultural identities are not discernible from appearance. Because all of us belong to many different groups, choosing generalizations linked to one apparent identity as a basis for relating is presumptuous. We know that cultural influences are variously salient in … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Current Events, Observations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Asian America in 2013: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Part 2: The Red King Syndrome

Posted on March 19, 2013 by JohnnyC

[pullquote]They are trying as directly as possible to sell you experiences, i.e. what you are able to do with the car, not the car as a product itself. An extreme example of this is this existing economic marketing concept, which … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Current Events, Observations | 4 Comments

Asian America in 2013: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Part 1: Sensus Communis

Posted on March 18, 2013 by JohnnyC

[pullquote]America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth in the Declaration of Independence; perhaps the only piece of practical politics that is also great literature. ― G.K. Chesterton[/pullquote] As … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Current Events, Observations | 10 Comments

Book Review: ‘Revenge’ by Yoko Ogawa

Posted on March 15, 2013 by JohnnyC

Rarely do I pick up a book so engrossing that I realize that no matter how tired I am, I am compelled to read “just one more chapter” before I realize that I have come to the end of the … Continue reading →

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Mythmaking: On YouTube “Celebrity” Cults, Their Hubris, and Avarice

Posted on March 5, 2013 by JohnnyC

The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from belief … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Movies, Music, Observations | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments