Author Archives: John

About John

I'm a Taiwanese-American and was born & raised in Western Massachusetts, went to college in upstate New York, worked in Connecticut, went to grad school in North Carolina and then moved out to the Bay Area in 1999 and have been living here ever since - love the weather and almost everything about the area (except the high cost of housing...)

Asian American Commercial Watch: ConEdison

Posted on July 19, 2022 by John

If you live in the NYC and Westchester area, you might come across this Con Edison television commercial: Con Edison is tripling our investments in energy efficiency programs for the businesses and homes that power New York. From swapping out … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Asian American Commercial Watch | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Michelle Kwan Inducted into U.S.Olympic Hall of Fame & Confirmed Ambassadorship

Posted on July 12, 2022 by John

I’ve been behind on my blogging, but I definitely wanted to catch up with the recent news that on June 24th, Michelle Kwan was officially inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, Class of 2022: Michelle Kwan (figure … Continue reading →

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“38 At the Garden” – A Community Conversation with Jeremy Lin

Posted on June 1, 2022 by John

Ten years after Linsanity, Frank Chi has created 38 At the Garden. The title is a reference to NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin scoring 38 points against Kobe Bryant’s LA Lakers. The upcoming documentary, which will be premiering this June … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Entertainment, Local, Movies, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Actor James Hong *FINALLY* Receives Star Hollywood Walk of Fame

Posted on May 23, 2022 by John

Last week, actor James Hong, at age 93, *finally* received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: “Hong, 93, who was joined by celebrity guest speakers Daniel Dae Kim and Jamie Lee Curtis, unveiled his star in a ceremony, becoming … Continue reading →

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Now on Netflix: ‘Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres’

Posted on May 18, 2022 by John

Back in October of last year, we reviewed the documentary ‘Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres,’ which was still making the film festival circuit (I believe) and released theatrically. Now the documentary is available on … Continue reading →

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POV Presents A Special Encore Presentation ‘Who Killed Vincent Chin’ in Recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the 1982 Hate Crime

Posted on May 16, 2022 by John

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2022, and one of the most consequential events in APA history is the killing of Vincent Chin, whose murders never got the justice they deserved. The documentary, ‘Who Killed Vincent Chin?’ will air … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Asian American Commercial Watch: P&G’s ‘The Name’

Posted on May 11, 2022 by John

I saw someone retweet this P&G ad the other day, and I teared up after watching it: “Everyone has a name — and from birth through a lifetime of introductions, it becomes the cornerstone of our identity. For many Asian … Continue reading →

Posted in 8Series, Asian American Commercial Watch | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Documentary ‘Norman Y. Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story’ – Available for Free Streaming

Posted on May 9, 2022 by John

With the recent death of Norman Mineta, the Norman Y. Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story documentary is available for free streaming here, courtesy of the Mineta Legacy Project. I had the great pleasure of viewing this documnetary back in … Continue reading →

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Historic Japanese American Norman Y. Mineta Dies at 90

Posted on May 5, 2022 by John

Former Secretary of Transportation and Japanese American Norman Y. Mineta died on Tuesday at age 90: “Norman Y. Mineta, a second-generation Japanese American who was held in an internment camp during World War II and later became one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Asian American Commercial Watch: Panda Express – ‘Wok-Fired Shrimp: Now Back at Panda Express’

Posted on May 2, 2022 by John

https://youtu.be/c0LymLgu5LI A former colleague and friend Mike passed this recent Panda Express commercial to me that I had not yet seen. He was intrigued by the Mandarin version of Johnny Cash’s classic, Ring of Fire – quite a clever song … Continue reading →

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8mm Review: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ & SF Premiere Panel Discussion Footage

Posted on April 4, 2022 by John

I had the honor and pleasure of attending the San Francisco premiere of Everything Everywhere All At Once on Sunday, March 20th at the historic Castro Theater with Q&A afterwards with cast members Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie … Continue reading →

Posted in 8mm Film Review, 8Series, Entertainment, Local, Movies, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Asian Canadian Commercial Watch: Google Pixel 6 X Simu Liu | For All You Are

Posted on February 16, 2022 by John

Asian *Canadian* actor Simu Liu is in this Google Pixel 6 commercial speaking in Mandarin showcasing the Pixel’s “Live Translate” feature. Pretty cool to see Simu speaking Mandarin.  He sounds fluent to me, but I’m not fluent in Mandarin (I … Continue reading →

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