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jmdbjk · 2 years

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Happy Tumblr Anniversary to me

Exactly 1 year ago I started blabbing on this hellsite. A lot happened in one year...

• Oct. 2021: In the Soop 2: people were analyzing the clues Bam was throwing down to prove if Jimin and Jungkook lived together. And then we get this followed by an invitation to partake in ramen:

• Also Oct. 2021: Jimin’s birthday VLive when he made a phone call to JK (suspiciously staged?) and Jungkook immediately (less than 1 minute) zips up or down the elevator to join him briefly.

• Nov. 2021: BTS historically wins the AMAs Artist of the Year Award and during that acceptance speech, JK had us hanging because “in 2022 we’re gonna focus on....” feeding jk some pizza…

• Also Nov. 2021: The PTD LA VMinKook VLive when Jimin and Jungkook officially name their (fake) YouTube channel “Mingoogie.”

• Dec. 2021: Jin unleashes Super Tuna on an unsuspecting world and surprised himself with an instant hit.

• Also Dec. 2021: the creation of individual Instagram accounts and we are blessed with a series of photos from Santa Monica Beach including this one...

• Jan. 2022: The Hunger Games of Artist Made Merch began.

• Also Jan. 2022: the world stopped for a week from Jan. 31-Feb. 5 when Jimin was admitted to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy and treatment for COVID simultaneously.

• Feb. 2022: Jimin finally is discharged from the hospital and goes home to recuperate and shares with us on Weverse that he’s watching “The Notebook” for the nth time.

February was a particularly meager month for us as we did not get as much content as we had been.

• March 2022: We discover Jimin’s new moon tattoo and his “Youth” tattoo behind his ear and we collectively freak out. And JK seems to have covered some of his tattoos…and we start seeing more nipples... the normalizing of naked Bangtan has begun...

• Also March 2022: Jimin blesses us with the “air ass slap” video.

• April 2022 (the month that kept on giving): Jimin April Fools us by changing the Twitter handle of the BTS official account to Jimin Park and every post appears like this:

Also April 2022: The Grammy Awards... and Rolling Stone inadvertently reveal they are Jikookers:

Also April 2022: PTD Las Vegas...

May 2022: The Perilla Leaf Debate raged on... and proved they can’t be a couple because those darn leaves get stuck together. Ok whatever you say...

Also in May 2022: BTS is invited by the White House and President Biden to speak during our National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. And they did amazing...(this photo is surreal)...(and we see you Jimin and JK)...

Also May 2022: Jikook just Jikooking in Washington DC at Dave and Busters? (courtesy of @uarmyhope).

June 2022: The bombshell heard ‘round the world. BTS going on hiatus/not a hiatus, BTS embarks on Chapter 2... and oh look, Namjoon already said they would perform Run BTS (actually practically spoiled that choreography was being created for it) and right before this he sort of said old songs like Mic Drop and Fake Love might be popular with fans but they are ready to move on from them... go watch it again. Calm down people.

July 2022: Hobi killed it with Jack in the Box and Hobipalooza.

Also in July 2022: They are THAT couple at a party...

Aug. 2022: VampKoo drops and Armys (who were in the midst of some sort of Werewolf fantasy) were in shambles...

Sept. 2022: Jungkook’s birthday WeLive (with his lil hairclips) and Jin’s interrogation of who came to wish JK happy birthday in person...

Also in Sept. 2022: All we needed was a leather-gloved hand to cause a massive orgasm within the fandom...

Oct. 2022: Jimin’s birthday... the thirst trap birthday wish/invitation/horn-fest...

And here we are, full circle. So much more happened other than what I mentioned here! But I hope everyone can see what has remained consistent: Jimin and Jungkook being together. Now we are waiting for the big event of the year, Yet to Come in Busan. We’ve seen the sneak peeks of them rehearsing and we know Jimin and Jungkook are STILL happily being in each other’s space.

Also, the constant downplaying of what they are and have. So. much. energy. wasted. on that. Just accept it my friends. It is what it is.

And these words I’ve seen more times in the last year than in my entire lifetime before BTS: hypocrisy and heteronormativity. And the big “H” word... homophobia. Attitudes and views that are sadly still prevalent. I will admit, I have LEARNED A LOT being here. If only everyone else were capable of opening their minds to ideas that might be different than what they think they know.

On a much brighter note, I’ve encountered many of you who follow my crazy ramblings and you have enlightened me, made me feel like I belong here, bring me joy and make me smile every day. I will keep saying it, I love you all. We are in this Bangtan shit together and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Looking forward to what’s to come.

#rolling stone are jikookers #jimin #kookmin #jungkook #its a great day in the jikook neighborhood #jikook in the sheets #i dont know where that jikook in the sheets tag came from #it was supposed to just be jikook #jikook #happyanniversary #happy birthday bro

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veryqueermovies · 1 year

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Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Here is a short list of Queer Asian films to watch all year long!

Funeral Parade of Rose (1969)

Farewell My Concubine (1993)

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

Fire (1996)

Happy Together (1997)

Intimates (1997)

Drift (2000)

Lan Yu (2001)

Blue Gate Crossing (2002)

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

The Gathering (2003)

Tropical Malady (2004)

Ethan Mao (2004)

Saving Face (2004)

I Don't Want To Sleep Alone (2006)

The World Unseen (2007)

Love of Siam (2007)

Drifting Flowers (2008)

Just Friends? (2009)

Yes Or No (2010)

Muli (2010)

The Dance of Two Left Feet (2011)

Two Weddings and a Funeral (2012)

Night Flight (2014)

Loev (2015)

Front Cover (2015)

Naanu Avanalla…Avalu (I Am Not A He…I Am A She) (2015)

Our Love Story (2016)

The Handmaiden (2016)

Spa Night (2016)

Die Beautiful (2016)

Fathers (2016)

A Bride For Rip Van Winkle (2016)

Taste Of Betel Nut (2017)

Present Perfect (2017)

Close-Knit (2017)

Malila, The Farewell Flower (2017)

Billie & Emma (2018)

Fish Bones (2018)

Dead Ex (2018)

Our Body (2018)

Song Lang (2018)

Rainbow’s Sunset (2018)

Twilight's Kiss (2019)

How I Felt When I Saw That Girl (2019)

Goodbye Mother (2019)

Moonlit Winter (2019)

Monsoon (2019)

Super Deluxe (2019)

The Half Of It (2020)

Your Name Engraved Herein (2020)

I Told Sunset About You (2020)

A Distant Place (2020)

Midnight Swan (2020)

Wish You (2021)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Joyland (2022)

Cobalt Blue (2022)

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uwmspeccoll · 11 months

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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

During this AAPI Heritage Month we present Other Imaginings, an artists book made of hand-spun and woven Khadi cloth, with images woven, silkscreened, and relief printed by Indian artisans at Sri Gandhi Ashram in Akbarpur, the Chinmoyee Kala Niketan in Varanasi and Rudraksh in Jaipur. The images were curated and the project coordinated by American visual artist Aaron Sinift in collaboration with his Indian colleagues Kahkashan Khan and Jitendra Kumar. The book was produced in the state of Uttar Pradesh by 5YearPlan.org in 2016 in a limited edition of 100 copies.

The project explores universal aspects of Gandhian visual culture in discourse with contemporary international artists and new ashram artist commissions. Sinift writes:

This book is a seva (service) in honor of Mohandas Gandhi (1892-1948) and inspired by the khadi cloth he wore and propagated throughout India. Gandhij sae khadi as a swadeshi (locally produced & used)fabric to clothe a free and independent India. . . . OTHER IMAGININGS is an attempt to introduce Gandhiji’s counter-industrial vision of village self-sufficiency. . . . This book in an artifact (art & fact) of a living tradition of service that continues into the present day, and is curated as a mix of deshi & videshi (local + foreign), Gandhi ashram & contemporary art. We hope you will take the time to consider the qualities of this home-spun khadi . . . and linger on its fragrance and tactile qualities as evidence of the hundreds of hands contributing to its creation. . . .

The book includes images designed by several non-Indian artists, such as Judith Linhares, Dorothy Iannone, Jenny Holzer, Philip Taaffe, Duncan Tonatiuh Smith, and Yoko Ono. Except for the cover, we are only showing the pages designed by Indian artists here. Click on the images for attributions.

#Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month #AAPI Heritage Month #holidays #India #Indian art #khadi #Other Imaginings #Aaron Sinift #Kahkashan Khan #Jitendra Kumar #5YearPlan.org #Sri Gandhi Ashram Akbarpur #Chinmoyee Kala Niketan #Rudraksh #J. P. Jaisawal #silkscreen printing #woodblock prints #hand-woven fabric

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the--art--of--reading · 1 year

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I posted 18 times in 2022

18 posts created (100%)

0 posts reblogged (0%)

I tagged 17 of my posts in 2022

Only 6% of my posts had no tags

#book review - 17 posts

#booklr - 16 posts

#books & libraries - 15 posts

#ya books - 12 posts

#books and reading - 10 posts

#reading - 9 posts

#books - 7 posts

#ya fiction - 7 posts

#diversity in ya - 6 posts

#historical fiction - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 50 characters

#asian american and pacific islander heritage month

My Top Posts in 2022:

book review | The Marvelous

Author: Claire Kann

Genre: YA Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery

Rating: ⭐⭐

From the blurb: The Marvelous “follows six teens locked together in a mansion, contending for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress.”

Sounds good, right? Well, it wasn’t (at least for me). I really, really wanted to like this book. The representation was great, the premise sounded fun, and I wanted to give Kann a second chance after I DNF’ed her other novel, Let’s Talk About Love. Unfortunately, it failed to meet the hype.

The execution was terrible. The book has only 3 POVs, but is still confusing and lacks any distinction in character voice. Luna, Stella, Nicole, and Jewel felt like the same person. I'd get through an entire section and feel like I'd somehow skipped over a few paragraphs. The mystery game aspect was interesting, but it’s hard for readers to try and solve the clues because of how the plot is set up. The worldbuilding was vague--I'm still not exactly sure what Golden Rule is. All of these aspects put together made for a book I struggled to get through and characters I couldn’t connect to.

One thing I liked: the cover--I love seeing hand drawn artwork on books. Liz Dresner and Rachelle Baker did a great job with the design and artwork respectively.

While reading Goodreads reviews, I saw The Inheritance Games mentioned a few times. I’m not familiar with it, but it might be worth checking out if you’re looking for a different book with a similar premise.

15 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

quick review | Vengeance Road

Author: Erin Bowman

Cover Illustration: Teagan White (this cover is everything)

Genre: YA Fiction, Historical Fiction, Western

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Revenge is worth its weight in gold. When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

I have never read a Western before and this book made me realize how much I’ve been missing. This was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while. There is a wonderful balance of description and action, a morally gray protagonist, and a plot twist that brought the plot down perfectly. If you’re looking to try something new, but want to stick with YA, this is a read to consider.

28 notes - Posted February 28, 2022

book review (ramble) | Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Jacket Design: Natalie C. Sousa and Ellen Duda

Genre: YA Fantasy, Fantasy

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finally, finally got to read this. I’ve been a Six of Crows fan for some time, but I’ve danced around getting deeper into the GrishaVerse as I’ve heard mixed reviews. Fantasy is an iffy genre for me, but Shadow and Bone managed to draw me in with excellent worldbuilding, mysterious characters, and plenty of dark elements. I really enjoyed Alina Starkov’s voice and experiencing the world of the Grisha through her eyes. I won’t go into the plot too much, but I do like the choices the author made in terms of pacing. Bardugo has masterfully set up this series and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes (hopefully it won’t loose steam in the second novel as with other fantasy series). I can’t give any definite reviews yet, but if you liked Six of Crows (or any other magical/dark fantasy novels), Shadow and Bone is worth the read.

32 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

quick review | There There

Author: Tommy Orange

Cover Designer: Tyler Comrie

Genre: Adult Fiction

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tommy Orange's wondrous and shattering novel follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. Among them is Jacquie Red Feather, newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind. Dene Oxendene, pulling his life together after his uncle's death and working at the powwow to honor his memory. Fourteen-year-old Orvil, coming to perform traditional dance for the very first time. Together, this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American--grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism. Hailed as an instant classic, There There is at once poignant and unflinching, utterly contemporary and truly unforgettable.

A powerful book, an unforgettable book, an important book that adds so much to the understanding of what it means to be an urban Native American. This book is written from the perspectives of multiple characters which made the narration shifts and time jumps a little disorienting, but I eventually found my groove. Orange writes with such a confidence that forces the reader to pay attention to the realities he is conveying. This is a must add to your reading list.

174 notes - Posted March 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

quick review | American Betiya

Author: Anuradha D. Rajurkar

Cover Art: Saqiba Suleman

Cover Design: Angela Carlino

Genre: YA Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a rollercoaster of a book. I thought the premise was interesting, but the first few chapters almost lost me. I struggled to connect with Rani and the decisions she made and the parts with Oliver were uncomfortable to read at times. In the end, I do appreciate this novel for the story it tells. Shedding light on the intersections between culture and identity and toxic relationships is not easy to do, but Rajurkar does it with wisdom and authenticity.. My favorite sections had to be Rani's time in India and the realization and healing that came with it. This book is hard to read at times, but worth it for the themes it holds.

469 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #book review #books and reading #books #booklr #100th post

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lizzie-is-here · 2 years

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ok i completely forgot to do this yesterday

but as many of you know, may 1-31 is aapi heritage month. and as a few of you know, i was adopted from china when i was a baby. for those of you who don’t know me:

hi, i’m lizzie. my chinese name is xiu hua lin (pronounced shiu hwah leen). my biological parents dumped me on a bridge without a clue to who they were, and i was adopted from chongqing before i turned one. i now live in a very conservative town in southern america. i know. ew.

and in the spirit of the month, i just wanted to share some stuff about my experiences in a very conservative town in a very conservative southern state in america.

my family is huge. my mom is the youngest of nine and my dad has six siblings. they all have kids, and most of those kids have kids. i’m practically related to every damn person in my school.

my town is very racist. and homophobic. and all the other forms of bigotry you could imagine. my own dad doesn’t believe in climate change and my aunt is racist towards her own children she chose to adopt.

being adopted means that i lost all cultural ties as soon as i got picked up. my very country/ignorant parents refused to even educate me or themselves on anything about my culture past the whole awkward adoption talk.

there’s a sort of identity crisis that happened to me when i was little. i kind of was realizing that i didn’t really agree with some of the stuff my family said and was working on figuring myself out. i still am.

but i’ve never felt really “american”. but “chinese” doesn’t seem like the right label either. i’m stuck in the middle of the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype and the mild disappointment from the chinese people at their restaurants every time i can’t speak mandarin back to them. it’s not anyone’s fault, but still.

when i was younger, i never really noticed racism at school. my school was catholic, so naive little me thought that that meant no bullying. but every now and then, i’ll look back and be like, “holy shit, that’s really fuckin’ racist”

every asian kid knows the whole “squinty eyes” and that one stupid rhyme, but i evidently wasn’t perceptive enough to realize that they were making fun of me.

when i was in first grade, my principal told me i had an “unfair advantage in the classroom” because i was asian.

i kind of noticed it more when i got called a “cat-eater” in fourth grade, and by the time a teacher told me that “we need the wall to keep out the foreigners” in middle school, i was well and truly done with the american school system. honestly just done with america in general lol

and when covid hit, i was scared to go back to school. if those people were bold enough to make those statements before, then what would they do now?

it wasn’t too bad going back, but the micro aggressions were enough to make me a bit snappier than usual.

and when the fox-eye trend came around, it just felt so unfair. these white girls were copying the same features they’d made fun of me for for literal years, and now it looks good on them? but on me it’s “chinky”??? the fuck?

when that one girl wore a cheongsam to prom with a slit way higher than any actual cheongsam, it was attractive. but if i’d worn one? bro i would’ve been hate crimed before i even got into the building.

i’m so done and tired of my culture (that i don’t even feel entitled to) being “done better” by the people that made fun of me for it. i’m tired of people who look like me being hypersexualized in media, and im tired of people complaining about “forced diversity” when the eternals and shang-chi came out.

literally it sounds so cliche but 19 years of bullshit from even my own friends and family is enough for me to snap.

anyway just wanted to rant for the beginning of aapi history month. and remember, asian american and pacific islander covers a lot of ethnicities, not just the ones you typically think about. use this time to stay up to date, appreciate asian creators and such, and stop aapi hate.

#stop aapi hate #aapi #stop asian violence #stop asian hate #chinese #lizzie rants #aapi heritage month

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asianartsblog · 17 days

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Exhibition & Festival Asia North 2024 May 3 – June 1 Various locations throughout the Station North Arts District, Baltimore, MD

INFO: towson.edu/asianorth Celebrate Baltimore’s Charles North – Station North – neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub. Co-produced by Asian Arts & Culture Center and Central Baltimore Partnership

Exhibition Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV Friday, May 3-Saturday, June 1 16 W. North Ave. and Motor House Gallery Hours: 16 W. North Ave: Friday - Saturday 5-8pm Motor House: Tuesday - Saturday 4-10pm APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and Desi American) artists based in Maryland, DC and Virginia creatively express their ideas of love and home, including the meaning of home, how they respond to the question, “Where are you from?” and more. Through research from AA&CC’s Greater Baltimore Asian Community History Project, this exhibit honors the Station North neighborhood's ongoing transformation from a historic Koreatown to a diverse arts district. Curated by Nerissa Paglinauan with Guest Co-curator Ryan Jafar Artes.

Opening Event Asia North 2024 Friday, May 3, 5-9 pm 16 W. North Ave. and Motor House Celebrate the kick-off of Asia North 2024. Meet the artists featured in Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV. Enjoy performances by Ami Dang, Soo Kyung Jung, Somapa Thai Dance Company, and the Yong Han Lion Dancers. Savor dishes provided by the Baltimore Xiamen Sister City Committee. Hosted by Joyce Liang.

Improv Free AAPI Improv Jam Led by A++ Saturday, May 4, 5-6 pm Baltimore Improv Group All experience levels from novice to experts are welcome.

Improv All AAPI Performer Improv Comedy Show ft. A++ Saturday, May 4, 7-8 pm Baltimore Improv Group

Social Hour NAAAP Baltimore 2nd Thursdays AAPI Meet-Up Thursday, May 9, 6-8 pm 16 W. North Ave. $10 NAAAP Members, $15 Non-Members Registration Required: https://baltimore-members.naaap.org/.../second-thursdays...

Celebrate artists who are exhibiting in the Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV exhibit while bringing people together for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Enjoy food from a local AAPI-owned business, covered by your registration fee.

Discover & Dine Kamayan Feast Friday, May 10, 6-9 pm 16 W. North Ave. Enjoy a communal Filipino feast where food is artfully laid out atop banana leaves in the middle of a long banquet table. "Kamay" literally translates to "hand" in this traditional Filipino practice of eating with your hands. Presented with Barangay Baltimore.

Walking Tour Koreatown & Lunch with NAAAP Baltimore Saturday, May 11, 11 am-1 pm Meet at 16 W. North Ave. INFO & RSVP: https://baltimore-members.naaap.org/.../baltimore...

Join us for a guided stroll around Baltimore's first unofficial Koreatown. We will explore parts of Baltimore's Charles North neighborhood and the Station North Arts & Entertainment District to discover an area several Korean-owned businesses and families have called home as early as the 1960s. From landmarks to people, the Asian Arts and Culture Center will facilitate an engaging tour that will compel conversations about Koreatown's past, present, and future. We invite participants for lunch at Kong Pocha following the walk. 12 pm lunch at Kong Pocha. The tour is free. Participants are asked to pay for their own dishes during lunch. Presented with NAAAP Baltimore.

Panel Discussion Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV Tuesday, May 14 Motor House

Performance The Set List – Live Music Series ft. Shonay K., Silver City, and The Honest Thief Thursday, May 16, 7:30-9:30 pm (doors at 7) Motor House Price: $10 Tickets: https://thesetlist.eventbrite.com/ Motor House celebrates the abundant musical creativity of Baltimore in this monthly music series called The SET LIST! Each month, enjoy the vibes and tunes of Baltimore's most vibrant musical acts that feature artists who are diverse in terms of style and genre. Come groove with us!

Walking Tour Historic Koreatown & Landmarks with Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee & Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington Saturday, May 18, 2-4 pm Meet at 16 W. North Ave. Join Joy Kim for a walking tour of the Charles North neighborhood’s historical Koreatown landmarks and favorite food spots. Learn stories behind dishes such as Korean BBQ, bibimbap, and rice cakes through a presentation by Joanna Chang. Enjoy and assortment of complimentary Korean snacks and win a gift card for a local Korean eatery. Presented with the Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee and Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington.

Visioning Session Baltimore AAPI Learning Community: A Visioning Session Monday, May 20, 6-8 pm 16 W. North Ave.

Guided Writing Workshop & Open Mic Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV Wednesday, May 29, 7-9 pm 16 W. North Ave. Participants will engage with each other and themselves by way of a guided writing workshop, during which we will explore easy conversations with each other and ourselves. The aim of the evening is to engage with and generate dialogue around what we consider to be our homes, as a way of understanding our individual and collective power to change our homes into what we desire them to be. Directed by Ryan Jafar Artes and Mohammad Rohaizad Suaidi. The writing workshop will be followed by an open mic, during which audience members will have the opportunity to share their just-written work.

Closing Event Asia North 2024 Friday, May 31, 5-9 pm Motor House, 16 W. North Ave., and Sidewalk in Front of the North Avenue Market Celebrate the conclusion of Asia North 2024. Congratulate the artists featured in Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV. Enjoy performances by Meki's mure PolynesianArts, Sutradhar Institute of Dance, Steve Hung, Spike Yee & Proper, and 1Pick.

Makers Market Asia North 2024 Friday, May 31, 5-9 pm On the Sidewalk in Front of the North Avenue Market (30 W. North Ave) and Motor House By us and for us from all over the Asian diaspora, the Asia North 2024 Makers Market highlights and showcases local APIMEDA artists/makers and their goods. Connect and resonate with others in a season of transition through community care, cultural work, and crafts. Goods featured include art prints, jewelry, pottery, home goods, and much more. Curated by WeiAnne Reidy.

Improv All AAPI Performer Improv Comedy Show ft. A++ Friday, May 31, 8-9 pm Baltimore Improv Group

Location Info:

16 W. North Avenue Motor House, 120 W North Ave. Baltimore Improv Group, 1727 N Charles St. Sidewalk in Front of the North Avenue Market (30 W. North Ave)

Performer, Curator, and Host Bios:

Ryan Jafar Artes (he/she/they) is an activist, memoirist, and poet. Ryan’s work calls for a re-imagination of culture via cultural renaissance from their perspective and lived experience as a transracial transnational South Asian Indian American adoptee. Ryan is the host of The Adoptee Open Mic, and hosts virtual writing classes to support their activism and creative work, most of which is self published, including their debut poetry chapbook After Midnight.

Ryan’s work appears in Panorama: The Journal of Travel Place and Nature, and anthologies published by Querencia Press, Moonstone Arts Center, and Capturing Fire Press. Ryan��s poem “8,049 Miles,” was a finalist in the 2021 Prometheus Unbound Competition and is featured in the accompanying anthology published by Prometheus Dreaming. Ryan participated in a DIY MFA program of their own design and implementation, and hosts letter writing workshops to support their creative work and activism.

Joanna (Joohyang) Chang is a first-year pre-med student at the University of Maryland, specializing in Cell Biology and Genetics. As an honors ambassador for the Integrated Life Sciences Honors program, she brings insight to prospective honors students and their families. With a background in volunteering at the annual Korean Festivals and serving as a teaching assistant for Korean schools, Joanna has cultivated a reputation as a hardworking and thoughtful individual who shares her cultural values within her community. Guided by her experiences, she aspires to pursue a career as a clinician scientist, integrating her Korean-American values with her passions for medicine and scientific curiosity

Amrita “Ami” Kaur Dang is a South Asian-American vocalist, sitarist, composer and producer from Baltimore. Her sound blends elements of North Indian classical, noise/ambient electronics, beat-driven psych and experimental dance pop. The work references her hybrid identity as a first-generation South Asian-American, Sikh upbringing, musical education, as well as the chaos and spirituality of the landscapes of both Baltimore and urban India.

Picking up her first sitar when she was twelve years old, Dang has studied North Indian classical music (voice and sitar) in both New Delhi and Maryland, and she also holds a degree in music technology & composition from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Following in the footsteps of artists like Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, she seeks to advance the sound of contemporary experimental, pop, and electronic music with the sounds of South Asia—through vocals and sitar, ragas, and sampling. And vice versa, she aims to bring a broader sound palette to the legacy of South Asian music. These goals are a lifelong mission. To that end, she has collaborated with Animal Collective, William Cashion (of Future Islands), James Acaster, Thor Harris—to name a few. She has provided tour support for Beach House, black midi, Grimes, Lower Dens, Florist and more.

Steve Hung is a fingerstyle guitarist and one-man band who was born and raised in Texas, but has been living in the Mid-Atlantic for over a decade. He has been compared to Shakey Graves, another one-man band act who stomps on foot percussions while simultaneously picking the guitar and singing a mixture of folk, blues, and old country. His guitarwork has been compared to Chet Atkins, and highlights his speed, accuracy, and intricacy.

Steve has supported internationally acclaimed guitarists such as Mike Dawes and Olli Soikkekli, won the regional Deer Creek Fiddler's Competition, and has been praised by other highly acclaimed guitarist such as Peppino D'Agostino, Toby Walker, and Shaun Hopper. Steve's influences include Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, Justin Johnson, Shakey Graves, Ry Cooder, John Fahey, and Leo Kottke.

Soo Kyung Jung is Director of DI DIM SAE Korean Traditional Art Institute, in Washington, D.C. who currently teaches Korean dance and drums in Centreville and Chantilly High Schools. She was the winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for the 12th International Asian Art Competition and has been named as Korea’s National Intangible Asset #27 for studying and preserving the Seungmu dance. Ms. Jung will perform Seungmu to kick-off Asia North 2024 on May 3.

Joy Kim is a first-year student studying marketing at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. As a student at the University of Maryland, she is exploring her growing passion for business, marketing, and international relations. As a member and ambassador of the International Studies Scholars program, she incorporates her interests outside of business, learning about global issues and cultural diversity. In the past, she has served as a teaching assistant for the Korean Education Center, assisting in the planning and leading beginner-level Korean language classes for adult learners. As she learns about the business world and what it means to be a global citizen, she strives to share her culture and voice as a Korean American.

Joyce Liang (b. 1997, China) is a Baltimore-based curator specializing in uncollectible art mediums in unconventional exhibiting spaces. Completed her B.F.A. in Art History at Maryland Institute College of Art, she now serves as the Gallery Manager for AREA 405 and Arts Operation Coordinator for Central Baltimore Partnership. Her curated exhibitions have been exhibited in the U.S. and China, including Creative Alliance, the Parlor, and Charles Theatre in Baltimore, and Tree Art Museum in Beijing.

Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts was founded in 1969 by Meki & JoAnn Toalepai who were performers at Baltimore’s most famous tiki restaurant – The Hawaiian Room in the Emerson Hotel. Meki is an immigrant from Western Samoa performing across the United States in the early 1960s when he met JoAnn who was a Baltimore native that practiced hula as a hobby. They met when Meki’s group had a contract with the Emerson Hotel to provide entertainment. The Hawaiian Room closed around 1970 and the Emerson Hotel was demolished in 1971. The couple had married in 1966 and formed Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts Group a few years later. Tamure is a Tahitian term for “dance festival or party”. Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts Group is still run by the Toalepai family and continues its mission to use the cultural group to entertain, educate and instruct audiences in Maryland and surrounding states with regards to the art forms of Polynesia. Polynesia is defined as the geographical region within a figurative triangle formed by Hawaii (North), New Zealand (Southwest) and Easter Islands (Southeast).

Nerissa Paglinauan is Curator of the Asia North Exhibition and Program Manager of the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University where she engages audiences in Asian arts and culture through exhibitions and programs. In 2013, she co-curated AA&CC’s first all-Filipino art exhibit, Art Filipino: Works by Master Artists, featuring works of Filipino American and Filipino National Artists, including Jose Joya, Fernando Amorsolo, Abdulmari Asia Imao, Toym Imao, and Pacita Abad, among others. She previously served as an administrative, editorial and production assistant at National Public Radio and as a Program Director with the Living Classrooms Foundation. She holds B.A.s in Music and Child Development from Tufts University and is active as a choral singer with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society.

1 PICK is a high school K-Pop dance group created by their lead Rachel Lee. Members include Rachel Lee, Min Kim, Janice Chen, Caitlyn An, and Dina Chen.

WeiAnne Reidy is the organizer of Asia North 2024’s Makers Market. She has previously curated Growing Our Gardens living altar and APIMEDA Makers Market during Asia North 2022 and 2023. WeiAnne is particularly invested in amplifying cultural identity and LGBTQ+ experiences across the Asian diaspora. WeiAnne is delighted to continue connecting and highlighting local artists, creators, and makers.

Shonay K is a Baltimore-based singer & producer. Born in Upstate New York to two Pakistani parents and having lived all over the Northeast, Shonay K’s music is boundless with inspiration and references to his culture and his idols. Shonay K’s music career began in 2014 after starting a production quartet named “PiXELVISION” with three of his close friends. Going solo in 2015, he spent the next years sporadically releasing projects such as the instrumental-only album, “Neon Nights” in 2017. With the release of the album “Lunar Eclipse” in 2021, Shonay ushered in a new era in his musical journey by leaning into more vocal heavy tracks. 2022 and 2023 brought about the release of joint EP’s, “Neon” and “Blacklight”, which explored themes such as fast and obsessive love, heartbreak, making peace, and bad coping habits. Tracks like “Love U Loco”, “All In”, “Too Fast” and “Falling” show Shonay K’s immense love for dance music and romantic lyrics while songs like “Every Night”, “Peace With The Pieces”, and “Blacklight” show a darker, sadder side to his artistry.

Somapa Thai Dance Company, a premier Thai dance and music company based in the Washington DC area, presents traditional Thai music and dances from Thailand. The group has performed at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and the Reach, Wolf Trap's Children Theater in the Woods, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC. The group’s mission is to introduce Thai arts and culture to the public, promote diversity, and encourage understanding and appreciation of the arts between people of different countries, cultures, and ethnicities in the communities in which they are invited.

The music ensemble is directed by the group music director Master Vorayot Suksaichon, the most celebrated string master from Thailand. Other musicians include Kittima Suksaichon, Antiena Nguyen, Suteera Nagavajara, Chad Kladkemthong, and Warin Tepapayone.

Spike Yee & Proper are a rapper/DJ duo based in Morgantown, WV. Both hailing from east Asian descent, they blend their cultures with modern Hip Hop and Electronic music for an easily digestible set that has been curated for audiences of all walks of life.

Mohammad Rohaizad Suaidi (he/him/his) is a Queer theatre-maker and performer who has directed and conceptualized new devised works in Honolulu, Kuala Lumpur, Micronesia, New York, Singapore, and Baltimore. Rohaizad has taught at institutions of higher learning since 2002 and is currently Adjunct Professor at Towson University and UMBC, where he teaches courses in Acting, Theatre Ensemble, Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Theatre, and Queer BIPOC Theatre. He is also a trained ESL teacher who has been teaching at the Adult Learning Center in Baltimore since 2016, working with adult learners who are refugees and recent immigrants.

In 2018, Rohaizad co-founded the Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (https://baltimoreapac.org/), a non-profit organization that uses art to advocate for more diverse representation of Asian and Pacific Indigenous Americans. As an immigrant, Muslim, brown Southeast Asian, and gay cisgender man, Rohaizad is committed to creating platforms and opportunities for AAPI artists to make and present works that explore intersectionality and the community’s complex diversity.

The JHU Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe was founded in 2003 by a group of students who wanted to learn more about the culture and performance of Lion Dance. Since then, they have been performing all over the East Coast, from NYC to Raleigh. From performance experience in martial arts and lion dancing techniques at a variety of events including weddings, parades, and cultural events; the troupe offers many opportunities to share the blessings of Chinese lion dance and good luck!

Asia North 2024 partners and sponsors include TU Asian Arts & Culture Center, Central Baltimore Partnership, Station North Arts District, Motor House, Maryland State Arts Council, William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Citizens of Baltimore County, TU-BTU Presidential Priority, Baltimore Changwon-Sister City Committee, Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington, Barangay Baltimore, Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, NAAAP Baltimore, and Baltimore Improv Group.

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xtruss · 11 months

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Debt Drama at Home Dents US Diplomacy, Role as 'Global Leader'

— Nebojsa Malic | May 20, 2023

A slogan is pictured at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in a protest against the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) Summit, in Hiroshima, Japan, May 17, 2023.(Photo: Xinhua)

It was supposed to be another "historic first" the US establishment is so fond of: a sitting president visiting a Pacific island nation, and during the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, no less! White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre positively gushed last week, announcing that Joe Biden would stopover in Papua New Guinea, right after the G7 summit in Hiroshima.

On Tuesday local time, however, Jean-Pierre had to walk it all back. Instead of proceeding to Port Moresby and on to Australia, for a meeting of the "Quad" of countries seeking to box in China, Biden will return to the US to hold last-minute negotiations with congressional leaders on raising the national debt limit.

Biden was supposed to receive a lavish welcome in Port Moresby, with portions of the city put on lockdown so he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could move about safely. On Monday, Prime Minister James Marape had declared the day of Biden's visit a public holiday, urging the Papuans to get out of the way of the foreign guests and "share in the excitement of this historic occasion" by watching the visit on TV or online.

While canceling this glorious display of American "global leadership" - as Washington likes to put it - was no doubt painful, the debt crisis still is not considered enough of an emergency for Biden to skip the G7 summit in Japan. Calling that off would have been a clear distress signal.

Biden's Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has already argued that not raising the debt limit would cause Washington to default on its obligations by June 1. That's not true, strictly speaking. The US government has enough revenue to cover the debt and interest payments, even at $34.4 trillion. That would require balancing the budget, however, and not spending hundreds of billions on various social engineering programs beloved by the current US government.

As it is, the ruling establishment is likely to leverage the Papuans' presumed disappointment to mount even more public pressure on Congress to rubber-stamp yet another debt ceiling increase, in the guise of protecting the US' international prestige and reputation.

Arguably, that reputation has already been dented by the cancellation of the Papua and Australia trip. It's hard to claim that the US is an all-powerful leader of the "democratic world" and enforcer of the "rules-based international order" when it can't seem to get its own house sorted out.

Nor is the debt drama the only domestic political issue hampering US efforts to project power overseas. The culture war, which Washington sees as absolutely vital to getting and keeping power, is increasingly spilling over into foreign policy. The current government has been very clear that it values these beliefs more than any alliances - and in fact has sought to redefine America's alliances as being primarily based on "values," not common interests. This has already antagonized a variety of countries whose values are based on traditional morality, from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa.

In the interview with Bloomberg, former US Treasury secretary Lawrence Summers quoted someone from a developing country as saying, "What we get from China is an airport. What we get from the US is a lecture."

US politics are currently at such a stage that Washington is unable to prove the naysayers wrong by simply building a hospital. It's far more likely to send over an activist official to deliver a lecture on how lectures are a good thing, actually.

— The author is a Serbian-American Journalist.

#US & Hypothetical Stupidities

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one-minute-saree · 11 months

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Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month 2023:

Honoring the Richness of Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultures

As the month of May unfolds, two specific minority communities across the United States embark on a journey of celebration and recognition. The AAPI Heritage Month, standing for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, is a special period dedicated to honoring and appreciating the diverse cultures, histories, and contribution of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Let’s indulge ourselves in the significance of AAPI Heritage Month 2023 and embrace the richness of AAPI communities.

WHAT DOES AAPI MONTH 2023 ACTUALLY MEAN?

The term ‘AAPI’ is literally one of the most diverse communities that includes an incredible diversity. It encompasses people across roots in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Pacific Islands, covering a multitude of cultures, languages, religions and traditions. AAPI Heritage Month encourages individuals to explore and appreciate this diversity acknowledging the unique experiences and contributions of different AAPI subgroups. The United Nations states that there are over 30 countries and ethnic groups speaking over 100 different languages.

As far as history tells us, the first Asians arrived in the year 1587, when the Filipinos from the Philippines (then a US colony) arrived in California. Later on, Indians, Chinese, Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese and Pacific Islanders arrived in the United States. Thus, the recognition of these minorities was inevitable and required to address various challenges faced by the AAPI community as a whole. However, this month-long celebration also recognizes the community’s contributions to the various aspects of American society, including art, literature, science, technology, sports, politics and more.

ORIGIN OF AAPI MONTH 2023 CELEBRATION

Political representation for the AAPI month came around the 1970s, when the first ten days of May were declared as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week by American Politicians Frank Hortan and Norman Y. Mineta. The month of May was chosen based on the fact that the first Japanese Immigrant arrived in the United States as well as the first transcontinental railroad (completed by Chinese laborers) opened in May.

The month of May was finally recognized as the Asian American and Pacific Islander AAPI Heritage Month in 1991 by then US President George Bush who signed a bill passed by Congress to extend the week-long celebration to an entire month. Later in the year 2009, Barack Obama also signed a presidential proclamation for the AAPI month gaining more cultural importance and widespread celebration.

Lastly, how does one remember that Chinese laborers were behind the construction of the transcontinental railroad or other groundbreaking accomplishments in various scientific and cultural areas? It is the AAPI Heritage Month that offers a safe and celebratory space for individuals from the Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. This AAPI Heritage Month 2023 fosters a more inclusive and equitable society as schools, organizations and various institutions organize events, workshops, and exhibits that aim to raise awareness, encourage discourse, and create spaces for a meaningful future.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES THROUGH AAPI MONTH

As the AAPI Heritage Month is a time for celebration, it also offers us some time as a reminder of challenges and discrimination faced by the AAPI community. Recent incidents of anti-Asian violence and hate crimes highlight the ongoing struggles against racism and xenophobia. AAPI Month prompts us to stand in solidarity with AAPI individuals and to raise a voice against their challenges.

There has been a drastic surge in Anti-Asian hate crimes in recent years. New York City noted a sharp increase from 30 to 133 anti-Asian hate crimes. San Francisco reached 60 crimes from 9. The Midwest US is far more intolerant towards Asian and Pacific Islanders than both the coastlines. Thus, the significance of AAPI Heritage Month 2023 Celebration has a wider need and impact on the entire American population.

CELEBRATING AAPI MONTH 2023 WITH ONE MINUTE SAREE ®

AAPI Heritage Month in 2023 is an occasion to honor the past, celebrate the present, and look towards a more inclusive and equitable future. By acknowledging and appreciating the diverse cultures, histories and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, we foster a society that values and uplifts all its members. Being a revolutionary South Asian brand - One Minute Saree ® brings forth the art of saree draping to a whole new generation of saree lovers.

One Minute Saree honors the significance of Asian American and Pacific Islander month with saree draping experience like no other. People from all cultures can drape a saree without having any knowledge of draping. One Minute Saree can be any saree whether it is a silk saree, cotton saree and chiffon saree. All Indian ethnic sarees can be stitched and pre pleated for an easy to wear draping experience. Let’s start shopping from a South Asian brand that has brought Indian saree to become a global phenomenon. Start shopping you One Minute Saree rightaway and wish you a Happy AAPI Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023.

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