Category Archives: Local

Sawtelle Japantown vs Little Tokyo

Sawtelle Japantown, Los Angeles – a quaint neighborhood in West LA just as big as its downtown counterpart. Born from its historical Japanese population in the early–mid 20th century, Sawtelle Japantown is a cornerstone of Japanese American history and culture, … Continue reading

Posted in Community, History, Local, Southern California | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Little Tokyo – Small Corner, Big Place

Little Tokyo, Los Angeles – the largest official Japantown in the US and a bustling center of activity in the heart of LA. With strong connections to Japanese culture, cuisine, and media, Little Tokyo is one of the most popular … Continue reading

Posted in Community, Current Events, History, Southern California | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Ousted in November Recall Election

After calls for her resignation after a number of incidents, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled from her office in this November’s election.  She has to vacate her office after the election is officially certified, sometime between December 5 and … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Politics, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Koreatown – Trendy Nightlife or Neighborhood in Decline?

Koreatown, LA – a vibrant and bustling place, especially during the night. Full of bars, restaurants, shops, and nightclubs, the area attracts many young adults and teenagers in the LA region. As the densest neighborhood in LA County, totaling at … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Drink, History, Local, Southern California | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “Other” Chinatown

In contrast to the broken down, struggling Chinatown of Los Angeles, the original and oldest Chinatown in the US located in San Francisco is a hustling and bustling center of activity in the Bay Area. Established in the early 1850s … Continue reading

Posted in Discrimination, History, Local, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Aconic™ Podcast – Inspiring Stories of Asian and AAPI Icons

A friend of mine is involved in this recently launched podcast, The Aconic™ Podcast – Inspiring Stories of Asian and AAPI Icons: “The Aconic™ Podcast features candid conversations with successful Asian and AAPI icons who share their personal journeys of … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Local, Politics, San Francisco Bay Area, Technology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

San Francisco Japantown Thriving, at least for the moment

We have written about the challenges and evolution of Japantowns in the US, but according to this article, San Francisco’s Japantown is thriving.  According to the article, tax revenue for the Japantown area is up this year compared to 2019, … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Food & Drink, Local, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Black Box Diaries Opens Oct 25th in NYC (Plus Review & Post-Screening Q&A)

The documentary Black Box Diaries: “… Japanese journalist Shiori Ito takes on the most compelling and traumatic assignment imaginable – investigating her own sexual assault. The nonfiction feature from MTV Documentary Films – an expected Oscar contender that has won … Continue reading

Posted in 8mm Film Review, Discrimination, Local, Movies, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Asian Boyz – A Cambodian Street Gang in SoCal

Asian Americans are often thought of as the “model minority” – a highly educated, wealthy, and good-behaving demographic. Sure, Asian Americans as a whole do have the highest income amongst all racial demographics and are massively overrepresented in higher education, … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Local, Southern California | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fremont: The Asian American City that rates as “Happiest” in the United States

In the movie Didi, the lead character Chris seems anything but happy.  Ironically, his home of Fremont, which is also the home town of Didi‘s creator Sean Wang, was selected by Wallethub as the happiest city in the United States.  … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Local, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where’s Chinatown?

Chinatown, Los Angeles. Walking through there, it’s obvious that the neighborhood is struggling. With broken sidewalks, empty and abandoned stores, widespread vandalism, and a lack of commercial activity, it’s no wonder that hardly anyone walks through these streets. Though there … Continue reading

Posted in Community, Discrimination, History, Local, Southern California, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Asian American Brunch

When the Number Two Son and his girlfriend invited The Wife and me to brunch, I didn’t realize that our meal at Tanzie’s Cafe would be representative of an emerging food trend – the Asian American brunch. Terry Tang of … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Drink, Local, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged , , | 1 Comment