How to do an Asian American Blog

Before the Asian American blogosphere, there were Asian American discussion boards. You had Model Minority, Yellow World and the Fighting 44's. These sites were extremely popular for a time, because they provided platforms in which Asians all over the Anglosphere could connect, discuss and vent on everything from the personal to the political.

Eventually blogs came into prominence, and the Angry Asian Man became the first to aggregate news stories of interest to Asian Americans. Now we have tons of AA blogs, everything from Channel APA to the Minority Militant to Slant Eye for the Round Eye to Big WoWo.

The rise of AA blogs brought about the demise of AA forums, because blogs address a need for self-expression. Although forums do allow for individual expression, what usually happens is that a core group of posters dominate the threads. Cliques form and what was once a very open forum now becomes a private cyber hangout for disaffected intellectuals who snipe at those they disagree with. It's almost as if forums have a built-in mechanism to limit their growth so that they don't get too big.

Blogs appeal to the narcissist in all of us. For some, the blog is more about the blogger than the audience. But there are so many AA blogs out there, that you have to focus on a niche. You have to meet a need other than your need for attention and external validation.

I think what AA blogs do well is to expose their readers to AA artists and AA news. Much of the AA community doesn't support AA artists and films, because the community isn't exposed to these artists and films in the first place.

But what I think AA blogs should also start doing is to give its readers a sense of direction. If you're running an AA blog and all you're doing is commenting on the same videos and stories that every other AA blog is commenting on, then what's the point?

Don't get me wrong. If you have a personal blog, then treat it as your online diary. If you have a business blog, then treat it as a business tool. But if you identify your blog as an Asian American blog, then you should probably identify your target audience within the AA community, because as of now the AA blogosphere is getting pretty crowded. If you're looking to burst on to the AA blogosphere and yell, "TA-DA!" then you've got to distinguish yourself:

1) Write something interesting or do something interesting to write about. Your readers are either looking for information or for entertainment. But sometimes they can get caught up in the story of your personal life, IF you have an interesting personal life. Your entire life doesn't have to be on display for all to read, but providing snippets of who you are and where you're from makes your blog posts far more personal. People place more value on information when they know who's providing the information.

2) A blogger has to have an opinion. If you're a blogger, then you better damn well have an opinion. Otherwise there is no reason to read your ramblings. What's the point of being a blogger if you don't say what's on your mind? Most AA bloggers are just bland: they don't comment on controversial issues, and when they do, they give the most tepid lukewarm opinions. Then to top it off, they ask the readers, "What do you think?"

I already know what I think. I'm reading your blog to find out what YOU think.

If you are a blogger, then people expect you to have a strong opinion on things. This is what distinguishes you from a journalist, who has to remain objective. You may be afraid of what readers may say if you truly expressed your opinion, but as long as you are honest, then who cares what other people think. Screw political correctness. Screw dogma and pseudo-intellectual rhetoric. Grow some balls and say what's on your mind. This leads me to the next point:

3) If you call yourself an Asian American blogger, then you should advocate for the Asian American community. You don't have to tackle every AA issue, because then you'll just develop compassion fatigue. But if you take on the mantle of "Asian American," then you should advocate for the Asian American communities, especially when a current event sheds light on a racial injustice. It puts a bad light on your Asian American blog if the mainstream news media is covering an Asian American issue and you're silent.

4) A balance of levity and purpose. There are plenty of blogs which aggregate viral videos and articles on how insane the Japanese are, but those blogs are a dime a dozen. Everybody has access to the same LOL/WTF videos, so what's the point other than a good laugh? What distinguishes your blog from Buzzfeed, for God's sake?

You have to have a balance in the tone of your blog: the frivolity of cute cat videos with the seriousness of "60 Minutes."

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Rally at SF City Hall on May 4th 6-8pm

In response to the recent violent attacks against the Asian American community in the San Francisco Bayview and the city of Oakland, we are organizing a peaceful rally at the steps of SF City Hall on Tuesday, May 4 @ 6pm.

This rally is first and foremost an opportunity for the Chinese and Asian American community, particularly immigrants and elders, to speak out about their experiences with violence in their communities and to demand that San Francisco city leadership act immediately to address this crisis.

We will demand that city leaders take immediate actions to address the issue of violence against the Asian community. We believe that long-term solutions are needed to address violence in all communities, however in the short-term, immediate actions must be taken.

We understand that violence happens in all communities but we, the Chinese/Asian American community, have been silent on this issue for too long and need to make our voices heard and join with other communities of color.

Please come join us at this rally to demonstrate your support!



What I find disturbing is the tendency for people to downplay the anti-Asian racism of late, despite the pattern that is emerging: the Muni attacks, the Oakland death, the South Philly High incident and countless other acts of violence and disrespect that are not even reported on the news. In fact there was not any coverage of last week's rally at SF's City Hall by the Chinese American community protesting the violence. 500+ people showed up, mostly older Asian Americans, who came out in the rain to meet with the Mayor. And yet nobody reported it on that day.

No coverage at all of this rally by the Bay Area news channels or by any of the Asian American blogs, including mine because I found out at the last minute. No coverage by the AA blogosphere and no outrage. This is appalling. What is the use of calling yourself a blogger speaking on behalf of Asian Americans if you don't advocate for the safety and respect of your community? What use are you as a journalist if you do not present all the facts and all viewpoints?

There is clearly a big disconnect between Asian Americans indoctrinated in Anglo American culture and sentiment (whether conservative or liberal) and those Asian immigrants who live and work in poor urban neighborhoods. This disconnect between ABC's and immigrants is apparent, because the only Bay Area media platform that immigrants have is the Chinese language radio station. Every since the YouTube video showing the altercation on Muni, Chinese immigrants have been calling into the radio show, voicing their frustrations over the assaults on their safety, property and respect that have been going on FOR DECADES. I've seen 40 years worth of assaults, muggings and racist microaggressions perpetuated against Asians in the Bay Area, and yet white liberals and their yellow Uncle Tom's want to paint San Francisco as a Shangri-la free of racism with the moral snottiness to judge other cities and states (like Arizona).

Here's an excerpt from a local column on SF Gate that best illustrates the frustration on the part of Asian Americans living in the City:


African Americans attacking Asians is a reality, said Young Kong, a local talk radio show host on a Chinese language station.

"This is a hate crime," he said. "The supervisors don't want to say it because they don't want to exacerbate the tension. They are too chicken, too politically correct."

Cheng says she has a long-term relationship with her neighbor, who is black, and the people who rushed to her aid were all African American. This isn't a race war. But something is happening here.

"Let's face it, if older black men were being killed by marauding groups of kids, we'd be going crazy," said Lynette Sweet, a lifelong resident of District 10 and candidate for supervisor there. "We in the black community have to take responsibility for our kids."

The concern, however, is that the discussion is too polarizing. No truly great city can allow this. It is time to take a break from debating boycotting Arizona for its immigration policy and look at our own streets.

"This is the immigrant's voice not being heard in a city of immigrants," said Yvonne Lee, a former police commissioner who helped translate for Cheng. "This is years of frustration and fear that has burned into anger."


People downplay the anti-Asian sentiment and rationalize the violence as crimes of poverty. Plenty of poor people are law abiding citizens and do not commit crimes. And yet people who don't even live in these neighborhoods have the audacity to lecture you on how statistically there is more Black on Black violence and crime, quoting studies that don't even bother including Asian Americans in the statistics in the first place.


SF Gate: Dirty secret of black-on-Asian violence is out

That's what community organizer Carol Mo calls the realization that Asian residents are being targeted for robberies, burglaries and intimidation by young black men.

"It is San Francisco's dirty little secret," said Mo, a former Safety Network Community organizer in the Sunset District. "It's not news to us."

Hundreds of people marched into Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting to express their fear, frustration and outrage. But so far the response has been disappointing, particularly from the San Francisco Police Department. It seems intent on downplaying the role of race and its impact in the community.

The recent incidents of black violence against Asians is the perfect opportunity to open a dialogue about racism. Instead, they are attempting to close the door.

City officials, including the Police Department, say these assaults are part of a larger crime picture where gangs of kids take advantage of a vulnerable group of small stature. But Mo participated in a 2008 survey by the Police Department in which about 300 strong-arm robberies were analyzed.

"In 85 percent of the physical assault crimes, the victims were Asian and the perpetrators were African American," she said.

The squeamishness city officials are experiencing about confronting those numbers doesn't reflect well on anyone. No one is saying the entire African American community is violent. But ignoring the legitimate anger and frustration from Asians is disingenuous and unfair.

"We love San Francisco," said the Rev. Norman Fong, a Presbyterian minister. "And we don't want to do anything to divide the communities. But at the same time, our community is hurting and we feel like our voices are not being heard."

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On Leadership: Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim

The above video is some good advice from Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim, which is similar to the advice I give: Develop an Asian American Consciousness and Be Damn Good at Something.

I once had a relevant email correspondance with Will of Better Asian Man. I told him how I enjoyed the Fallout Central podcasts and that I was sad to see Fallout Central go.

For those of you who don't know, Fallout Central was a site that featured podcasts on Asian American issues, current events and interviews with AA celebs and activists. They were a crew of four that came out with a professional and informative series of podcasts during their site's 2-3 year period. Here's what Will had to say about the demise of Fallout:


I hear what you're saying regarding the void on the internet, and I believe that this has to do with the CNN-style of news reporting that we did with regards to Asian American news. We have an assortment of blogs that report on what each respective blog author thinks is important, but none of them have quite the same edge.

For example, Angry Asian Man doesn't really report on news, his take is basically "here's something that happened ..." and every now and then he'll say "that's racist!" Then there's 8Asians, which provides a similar vibe. Between the two of them, there are also a number of things that aren't really news, such as recent sightings of random asian people in Microsoft Windows 7 advertisements. Plus, they don't do podcasts, they don't actively go out and research the incidents (the people surrounding the given incident, the neighborhood, and other pertinent background), and they don't do it in a live talk show format with multiple commentators. Being that that's what we were doing, you could imagine how much work that was. And I gotta tell you, that was exhausting work. I'm glad we did it, because I really learned a lot of things about research, reporting, and radio show production (I also gained extensive knowledge on audio recording equipment).

But for all that effort, I gotta tell you that the reach was miniscule compared to the reach that I have now with the Better Asian Man podcast. I posted some statistics on my website yesterday, and they are unbelievable. The first year of operation, 2008, was actually only 7/12 of a year, but even if you doubled those numbers, it's not even close to the number of podcast downloads in 2009, which was over 26,500 downloads. It's insane. The fallout central podcast was downloaded about 10 times per week, and usually less.

If there ever was a way to reach a captive audience of Asian American men, ages 18 - 35, I would find it hard to believe that any other website is can do it more effectively than me. Now, I am sure that Angry Asian Man has more than 10 times the website visitors than I do, but considering that it actually takes 100% of a person's attention span to listen to a podcast talk show, and considering that there were so many downloads in this past year, there is no question that the Better Asian Man podcast has a MUCH wider reach into the Asian American community than the Fallout Central podcast ever did in the time that it was running, which I think was 2.5 years-- maybe 3 years.

That said, if you know anyone who wants to spend the time to do interviews, or do Asian American news reporting, feel free to give them my contact information (email, cell phone, facebook), and I'd be happy to let them run the "Asian American Stuff" podcast segment. 'cuz pickup or no pickup, social stigma or no social stigma, the Better Asian Man podcast is the definitive means of reaching a captive Asian American male audience in a live talk show format that provides for live listener dial-in participation.


Identity politics is good, but when it comes right down to it, if you want to help people, then you have to address and fufill a need, whether perceived or real. This applies to business and to activism.

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Facebook bans Racebending

On March 15th, 2010, Facebook bans the group "People Against Racebending: Protest of the Cast of The Last Airbender Movie" for violating their terms of use.

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Racebending Interview with ChannelAPA

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Honestly Expressing One's Self

So here's a great video I watched on the Big WoWo blog. Here's Byron's synopsis of the video:

"In the video above, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie talks about what she calls “the danger of the single story” and how stereotypes can warp a culture’s perception of the people of another culture when there are not many stories told about that other culture. She talks about growing up in Africa reading the stories of Americans and British, and how she felt people like her could not “exist in literature.” She talks about how power comes into the equation, and how stories can make or break the dignity of a people."

I think we know the single story for the Asian American experience: The Joy Luck Club.

For better or for worse, that movie and book has become the single story for Asian America. I remember watching Better Luck Tomorrow with a Caucasian female friend, and after watching the movie she said, "That was disappointing. I thought it was going to be the Asian male version of The Joy Luck Club."

Better Luck Tomorrow is sort of like the male version of The Joy Luck Club, only in the sense in that it caters to just one sex. It appeals to everything guys like in a movie: fast-pace, humor, criminal enterprise. The Joy Luck Club appeals to women, because they like a good cry over their awkward relationships with their moms.

But Better Luck Tomorrow is not the single story of Asian America. It does not flatten our collective experiences as Asian Americans and reduce us to a stereotype. Stereotypes, like all beliefs, rely on "legs" of assumptive information to prop them up and give them standing. There are 3 assumptions with racial and ethnic stereotypes:

1) These "people" (i.e. Asians) really are this way.
2) That's all these people are, nothing more.
3) If they're not this way, then they better damn well be this way.

It's amazing how people will vehemently cling to and defend a racial or ethnic stereotype, even in the face of contradictory information and examples. This goes for both the stereotyper (a.k.a. racist) and the stereotyped (i.e. Asians). Asians are guilty of conforming to stereotypes imposed on us by non-Asians and believing in the white supremacist crap about our inferiority. To paraphrase George Orwell: "We're given masks, and our faces grow to fit them."

Although I have plenty of issues with The Joy Luck Club, my main issue is that it has become the single story for Asian America and that every Asian American story has to follow this mold. As a racial minority in the Anglosphere, we need to hear other voices. We need to see ourselves in a variety of ways, ways that show our emotions and the depth of our humanity.

I think this is part of the reason why non-Asians cannot relate to us and hence, devalue us. We keep our emotions and opinions to ourselves. If we don't express ourselves, then it's very difficult to show ourselves as being human, with drives, desires and aspirations just like everybody else. If we don't portray ourselves with depth and humanity, then it makes it easier for non-Asians to dehumanize us.

This is why I cannot stand Asian American indie films sometimes. There are a lot of silent moments in these films, which should be filled with dialogue and expressions of emotion. I don't know if the director is trying to convey something with the silence or if they don't have high quality actors who can act or if they have a shitty script with shitty dialog:

"For the main character, opt for injecting well written dialogue instead of distant, silent posturing. Communicative characters communicate a lot to the audience."

- How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Asian American Independent Film


This is what being an Alpha Asian is all about. It's about "honestly expressing one's self" as Bruce Lee put it. This blog is about showing how Asians and Asian Americans are honestly expressing themselves with a wide and diverse set of stories, not just a single story.

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Apathy by Celtic

GT talks about apathy in the community.

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Blending into your Landscape

So here's a comment that caught my eye at the Single Asian Man blog:

For the most part, all AA’s are the same. And most just strive for what everyone else wants – nice house, 2 car garage, 2 kids, yard, decent job that pays the bills, middle class, go to church maybe, not break any laws and pay your taxes, and be a good nice citizen/neighbor. All AA’s care about is what’s inside their little bubble – anything beyond that or outside of that, it’s irrelevant and unimportant. If it doesn’t have anything to do with us directly, we don’t care.

That’s pretty much it. None of us strive to be some CEO of a fortune 500 company, none of us date supermodels, or become rock stars, and none of us travel the world and see the 8 natural wonders of the world. All we want to do is live in our little bubble, commute to work, eat out sometimes, hang with friends, play poker, drink at a bar, and come home, hope to get some sex from the wife, and go to sleep. And the entire cycle repeats next morning.

Most move to the suburbs after marriage and kids, to be able to inject the kids to a good school district. We like to buy electronic toys from time to time to keep up with technology and with the Jones, or in this case, the Kims or Wongs.

What else is there? That’s it. It’s the simple things in life. We don’t care what happens in Iraq or Afghanistan, we don’t care who is leading our country, we don’t care about politics or what shapes the world, and we don’t even probably vote. We don’t care about social injustices happening to other AA’s in the U.S., as long as the AA is safe and still in his/her own bubble.


I'd have to agree with this statement. Nothing wrong with enjoying the simple things in life. Nothing wrong with wanting to have a stable life of contentment. But I'd have to agree: Asian Americans like to keep to themselves and are not actively engaged in their communities.

Our greatest strength is self-reliance, but it is also our greatest weakness. Asians are expected to be self-reliant and not to complain about hardship, because our mentality is this: we take care of our shit. Everyone is expected to carry their own weight, so your personal shit shouldn't be affecting other people.

While this is normally a good thing, it makes things difficult when there is a call for unity within the Asian American communities. We'd rather not get involved. We operate individually and independently despite our numbers and our potential for solidarity.


Every so often, however, an event galvanizes us into action. It's usually something pretty serious like Vincent Chin. But short of that, it's tough getting Asian Americans out of their shells. Asian Americans don't pop up on the social, political or economic landscape, because we've blended so well into the landscape. Alvin Lin of Asians Not Brainwashed by the Media wrote this intriguing observation:

For magazines I've interviewed some AA entertainers trying to make it in their respective industries. You know what is sad, and what is supported by the above data? Many Asian Americans basically chase what is already considered trendy or cool, which is essentially what is pushed through mainstream media.

However, all the AA artists who make it mainstream have to first pander to mostly White/Black audiences, because they aren't getting any major grassroots support from Asian American consumers. Asian Americans aren't supporting 'their own', the same way Blacks helped created and nurture grassroots jazz, hip hop, or rap before it became mainstream.

What is sad is that you have AA artists who recognize this, and their strategy is that they know AA's will support them only AFTER they've received approval/prestige from other sources first.

It's like the story of the Little Red Hen: nobody gives you support until you find success. Sometimes I don't even bother asking for support or collaboration on a project, because I've been disappointed too many times by flakes and dead weight. I usually just go ahead and do whatever the hell I want, and people start to come around when my project starts taking off. This is what I've done with my blogs, my books and my articles. Keep doing honest work, and people will recognize it and buy it.

But I have to say, there's a big difference between my Asian readers and my non-Asian readers. I run a bodybuilding blog which has half the traffic of this blog. The readers of this bodybuilding blog are mostly white. And yet the ratio of book sales to traffic hit is 1:2 every month, which means half of my traffic translates into sales of my books. It's not as simple as that, of course, but you get the picture.

On the other hand, the Alpha Asian blog has twice the amount of traffic, but sales of The Alpha Asian Mindset are ABYSMAL. In fact, they're virtually non-existent.

I knew the book was for a very niche market, but I thought giving the profits to an Asian American cause would motivate people to buy. I guess I was wrong.

So here's my suggestion to you all: if you don't know already, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is filing a federal civil rights complaint against the Philadelphia School District for violating the equal protection rights of its Asian students. If helping these students feel safe matters to you, then I suggest you vote for AALDEF on the Alpha Asian Challenge poll and buy the book. Profits from The Alpha Asian Mindset go to the winner of the poll.

Or if you hate my writings and think I'm a moron, then donate directly to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Either way works for me. Just don't stay in your shell and blend into the landscape.

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Students Boycott South Philly High

Why is it that when crap like this happens, that non-Asians say, "Oh it's just kids fighting" or "It's not racial"? Asians are constantly being attacked in poor neighborhoods and on buses and when the Asian community brings it up as a legitimate safety concern, some pissant who lives in another neighborhood downplays it. Asians deserve dignity and deserve to be safe from violent racist fucktards.

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The Alpha Asian Mindset

So I'm sure you've noticed that I've got a book out: The Alpha Asian Mindset. It's a compilation of my writings here on the Alpha Asian blog from the first year, organized into nice neat chapters. If you've enjoyed my insights into life, psychology and the Asian American consciousness, then this is my gift to you.

For those who are fans of my Strength and Physique books, you will find a chapter in The Alpha Asian Mindset on strength training with a training program. The book is available now through Amazon.com.

All sales of The Alpha Asian Mindset will go to an Asian American cause. I'll provide you the causes, and you the reader will vote on which cause the profits go to. Causes will change every so often. And yes I stole this idea from Kev Jumba.

For this round of causes, I've chosen the traditional non-profit organizations. Take the time to vote on the poll on the side. Here are the links for each of the organizations:

80-20 Initiative

APA's for Progress

Asian Law Caucus

Asian American Justice

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Media Action Network for Asian Americans


I've been playing around with some exciting ideas for other causes which address Asian American images, which I'll reveal later. But for now, spread the word about The Alpha Asian Mindset challenge and the cause you'd like to advance. Buy a copy for yourself and buy a few extra copies and give them out as Christmas gifts.

I started the Alpha Asian blog a year ago, because I felt that although Asian Americans had a presence on the Web, nobody was using it to aggregate positive and confident portrayals of Asian Americans. Sure, there were plenty of Asian Americans creating positive images, but nobody thought of compiling these images. Most blogs and forums compiled videos and articles about Asian Americans without any sort of standard. Just being an Asian in public light seems to merit progress.

But it's not just about representation. It's about respect for the Asian American image. I didn't want to start a blog commenting about yellow guys doing yellowface and call that activism. Asian Americans have to be damn fucking good as actors and performers. So fucking good that people of all colors will see someone remarkable that they can relate to, not just an Asian person. Getting respect from other people means we have to respect ourselves and that means holding ourselves to a higher standard.

Blogs, forums, Facebook and Twitter are just tools. Phil Hartman once said, “You give one guy a computer, and he invents the space shuttle. Give it to another guy, and he plays ‘Doom’ all day.”

Some guys use the Internet to make money and learn new skills, while other guys use it to wallow in self-pity in forums and clamor for page hits and comments for their blogs. Blogs and forums are great tools for self-expression, but they have so much more potential than that. Whining and venting about issues is fine, because we all need an outlet where we can vent in anonymity and without fear of repercussion. But being a badass on the Internet means just that: you’re a badass on the Internet. If you’re angry about the situation our communities are in, then what the fuck are you going to do about it?

The Internet gives us the power to create our own images and spread our unique views of the world. It gives us the power to control our reality. So why not close the gap between reality and perception?

Over the past year, I think my blog has helped spread some rather unique idea viruses: Develop an Asian American Consciousnes and Be Damn Good at Something, The Kubler-Ross Model Applied to Asian Americans. I feel like Tyler Durden when I read other people on the Internet parroting my statements and ideas. But idea viruses without action just die. Which is why I’ve decided the blog needs to earn its keep by generating some income for Asian American causes. So buy The Alpha Asian Mindset, accept the challenge and let’s spread this virus around.

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Blips of Progress

You know progress is never linear. If you lived during the time of Anna May Wong and Sessue Hayakawa, then you would have thought that Asians would become a significant force in Hollywood in the latter half of the 20th century.

There were always blips of progress in cinematic history with regards to representation of the Asian American male: The Crimson Kimono (1959), Flower Drum Song (1961), Bruce Lee (1972), Vanishing Son (1994), Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), Harold and Kumar (2004).

Every time one of these movies appeared, it looked like, "Yeah, things are getting better! We're on the road to full representation for the Asian American male!"

But representation always comes in spurts, and we've never been able to reach a point of critical mass. I'm hoping that now with all the Asian guys in movies, Internet and TV that we'll gain some traction as far as representation, but more importantly… respect.


Divide and Conquer

The thing is Alpha Asians tend to be isolated from each other due to their success. In mainstream society, the more successful you are as a person of color, the less likely you are to run into other people of color. Chances are you if promote high up in a given field or obtain significant wealth or power, then you will work with and run into other successful people and chances are they will be white because they make the majority of the population. This is why successful Asians, both men and women, tend to marry whites. Not necessarily because they have strict preferences for whites, but because people tend to date and fall in love within their social circles and of the same social status.

As a result, there’s a huge disconnect between those Alpha Asians who have knowledge and experience and those of us in the Asian American communities who benefit from that knowledge and experience. We have few role models who publicly give back to the Asian American community (John Liu, Yul Kwon), and the few role models we do have are overwhelmed by the needs and concerns of the masses. People think that if you’re an Asian in public light that you should be all things to all people in your community.

This is why we can never get traction in the Asian American community. Everybody wants to do their own thing and be their own boss thinking that they are the ones to lead the Asian American community to the promise land. We all operate independently as agents of change, and we burn ourselves out reinventing the wheel and treading the same issues over and over (i.e. IR disparity). Without knowledge of our past to build on and without the passing on of such knowledge, then we as a community will just have flashes of insight, but nothing more.

Which is why I’m hopeful that the blogger get-together Banana will be something more than just a blip. The event proved that although blogging is an effective means to achieve influence and educate people about the needs, concerns and accomplishments of Asian Americans, there is nothing quite like interacting with people face-to-face and engaging with them. Otherwise if we blog and act in isolation, then we’re just blips of progress.

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If You Had to Donate $2,000 Every Month...

Let me tell you, I'm not a big charity guy. I'm also the most apolitical person you'll run into. I don't watch the news at all. I get my news from Angry Asian Man, but even then, I skip over most of his stuff. Which probably explains why I'm such a happy-go-lucky person.

It's not that I don't care about social issues, but I'm selective as to which issues to be active about and how to be active about them. Otherwise I'd spread myself thin worrying about everything. Asian American issues mean a lot to me, but I focus on self-improvement as the way to enrich our communities. Money runs out, time is limited, but idea viruses spread like, well... viruses!

But if you're blessed with a lot of disposable income to donate $2,000 to a cause every month, then consider donating to the following:

1) The Asian Law Caucus- These guys do a lot of great work for the Asian American community, but unfortunately, they're located in a really sh!tty part of town. Just outside the Tenderloin area of San Francisco, the ALC is in an area with a lot of bums, crazy people and drug addicts. The front of their building, the inside of their lobby and the elevator smells like urine, because there used to be a psychiatric clinic in the building. If any organization needs more money, then the ALC is it, because they need to move out to a better office.






2) The 80-20 Initiative- "80-20 is a national, nonpartisan, Political Action Committee dedicated to winning equal opportunity and justice for all Asian Americans through a SWING bloc vote, ideally directing 80% of our community's votes and money to the presidential candidate endorsed by the 80-20, who better represents the interests of all APAs. Hence, the name '80-20' was created."


3) Produce an Asian American indie film- Let's face it: there ain't too many Asian faces on American TV and in the theatres. And when we do see Asian faces, they don't get much air time, and they don't get choice roles. They're supporting characters in the stories of white people. I have people that I admire and follow of all different ethnicities, but it's nice to follow one who looks like you. It's nice to follow their story, because it parallels your story as an Asian American.

If you've got the time and the money, and you want to see more Asian Americans telling entertaining stories, then why not produce an indie film? Seriously, making a short film and showing it to viewers is so much easier and cheaper than ever before. You can shoot your film on a camera and audio equipment bought from Best Buy, edit your film on Movie Maker and then upload it to YouTube. It's so easy and cheap, that you really have no excuse.

The keys problems most people run into are:

a) Stupid ass stories- Finding an entertaining story with good dialog and a tight plot that's devoid of cliches is hard to find and harder to come up with.

b) Flaky ass people- If you have a volunteer crew and actors, then they better be on the same page as you. Otherwise you'll have a lot of flakes. Better to get professionals and pay them.

c) Horrible actors- Some people sound the same no matter what emotion they're trying to convey, so cast appropriately.

d) Marketing- Some people produce great films, but their films never see the light of day. You have to know how to generate buzz about your film, because what's the point of telling a great story if no one is there is listen?


4) Sponsor an Asian American mentorship program- Visualizasian.com had a good interview with Yul Kwon. During the interview, Yul touched upon an interesting concept: mentorships for Asian Americans to break the glass ceiling. People who've risen to the top ranks have had mentors. They've had people to guide them and to help them in their career path. Many Asian American career organizations have this sort of thing. Asian professionals, lawyers, peace officers and journalists all have associations that they can turn to when they need to rely on a social network.

But whereas a social network is a supportive group, a mentor provides that extra individualized guidance. You can always seek guidance on your own from many different mentors of any ethnicity. But a formal Asian American mentorship program, that is not limited to career, is something that the Asian American communities need.

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APA Blogs: Creating Societal Change in the Blogsphere

So I was featured in the Pacific Citizen, an award-winning Asian Pacific American semi-monthly newspaper published by the JACL. The article is about the Asian American blogosphere and its influence on the community. You can check out the article HERE. In the meantime, here are a couple quotes from me:

"I started the Alpha Asian Blog as a way to showcase the creativity and positive energy of Asians and Asian Americans," said James Chan, creator and administrator of Alpha Asian Blog, which showcases original videos and forums by APAs. "I've observed lots of talented Asians representing the community in a positive manner and contributing to society. I wanted to compile these positive and talented role models and present them to the world."

"I want Asian Americans to understand that our community has a wealth of talent that is largely untapped. My hope with the (blog) is that Asian Americans would develop a more confident and positive outlook," Chan said. "The goal of the Alpha Asian Blog is to shed light on our Asian American role models, the ones that Hollywood ignores."

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Frank Chin: The Original Angry Asian Man

So back in college, I majored in psychology and minored in Asian American Studies. I identified so much with what I learned in Asian American Studies that I went to grad school and majored in Ethnic Studies (focusing on Asian Americans). My education was like the scene in The Matrix where Laurence Fishburne welcomes Keanu to "the real world." Taking the courses, studying history, social psychology and inter-cultural dynamics as it related to Asian Americans was like taking a veil off my eyes. You see through racist BS a lot better.

Unfortunately, I never finished my graduate degree, and of course, the major didn't help at all in jumpstarting a career. But what it did do for me was to give me a mental framework and a language to articulate my anger over injustices against Asians and Asian Americans. And if you can articulate your anger, sorrow or joy over certain issues, then you're better able to address them. Even though my major was useless as far as finding me a job, my time in college and grad school was useful as therapy... Really expensive therapy.

Here's a classic Frank Chin essay that will blow the virtual reality goggles off your eyes: Racist Love.

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Reader Mail: Asian American Activism

So I got a question from another blogger: "Are you an activist? Do you do stuff outside of the blog? I heard your Better Asian Man podcast. Good stuff."


My Answer: I am for "The Cause" (my friends and I use this code term for Asian American causes), but I am not an activist. I dislike the terms "activism" or "activists," because hard core activists make The Cause too personal. They become so shrill, that nobody listens to them anymore. I would rather put my faith in an Asian American who is for The Cause and has a background in marketing, business or psychology than an activist who has extreme dedication to The Cause but no persuasion skills.

People are moved by stories (particularly ones that offer hope at the end) and talent (see previous post), and they are not moved by theoretical lectures, no matter how rationally the points are laid out. A really good book to read on this topic is Influencer. In a sense, this blog that I run is meant to show the stories and the talents of Asian Americans and Asians all over the world.

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