Articles & Editorials

TV nerds like us already know that this will be the last season for a number of groundbreaking shows. Well, now there is one more show to add to the list. 2019-2020 will be Fresh of the Boat's last season.

Have you ever heard of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference? I didn't till recently. But from what I read, it sounds like a guaranteed way to ensure your child success in life. Does that sound exaggerated? That's because it is.

In this day and age when any act of racism is almost immediately publicized and scrutinized upon, racism seems to be on the decline. Yet, there is a form of racism that is openly exercised every year, affecting thousands of U.S. citizens. And it is all LEGAL!

In addition to having performed on stage all around the world, Esther K. Chae has also had major roles in shows like N.C.I.S., Law and Order, The Shield, and ER. Chae is currently in New York performing So the Arrow Flies, a solo performance piece she wrote herself. Asian Loop recently had a chance to talk with this prolific actress about her background, her career, and this latest work.

Yunah Hong has been making films since 1990 with her first short film Memory/All Echo. Since then, her work has won numerous accolades. Her latest film, Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words, is an revealing and inspiring look into the famed Chinese actress from the 1920's and 30's. Hong was kind enough to sit down with us recently to discuss this latest work as well as her career.

The first time I went to New York's Museum of Chinese in America was back in 2008, when they were still located on Mulberry Street. And quite honestly, I was disappointed. But recently, I had the pleasure to finally visit their new location at 215 Centre Street. And I must say, the difference is night and day.

Nowadays, with oceans of hyped-up beauty products and treatments available, marketers trill that there are no more plain girls, only lazy girls. Some of them might as well mean "only poor girls", as they then proceed to shill $200 thigh creams and $50 eyeliners, because "they make all the difference!" What's a girl on a budget to do--sacrifice her life’s savings to the beauty industry?

In recent years, New York's Manhattan Chinatown has deteriorated from being an economically and culturally thriving community to an area where local businesses are closing down and resident are forced to move to other locations. Recently, Asian Loop has the opportunity to ask Winnie Tam Hung, a renowned researcher on the Chinatown community, on why this is happening.

Since its publication in March 2008, "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles" has been #26 on the New York Times Best Seller List and featured on numerous media outlets, such as The Colbert Report, CNN, and Newsweek. Asian Loop was lucky to get the opportunity to sit down with the author, Jennifer 8. Lee, to talk about her book.

Lawyer, writer, web designer, and singer--any one of those callings is surely demanding enough for one person, but Indian-American musician Nishi manages to follow all of these passions.

Nearly 61 million people in the United States volunteer at least once a year, over a quarter of the national population. The tangible impact they have on their communities can be documented—planted trees, newly painted schools, children in a free tutoring program. The intangible benefits (greener neighborhoods, a brighter learning environment, motivated and successful youth) can be felt. What many don’t consider or measure is the impact of service on the volunteer himself or herself.

Due out in 2009 is the major motion picture "Ninja Assassin" from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Playing the lead role will be Korean superstar Rain. Rain recently made his U.S. film debut in "Speed Racer" as the character Taejo Togokhan. Thanks to Warner Bros., Asian Loop is proud to feature these behind-the-scenes photos of the actor training for the role.

It's April 25 in Los Angeles, and it's Rain's press day for his U.S. film debut in "Speed Racer". Although there was media from all over the world, Asian Loop got a chance to conduct a one-on-one interview with the Korean Superstar to talk about the film.

Starting this week is the annual Asian Cultural Festival held in Queens, New York. The festival will showcase a broad range of Asian and Asian-American talents, ranging from musical performances to theatrical plays to comedy, all with an Asian cultural spin. This year will mark the third anniversary for this wonderful event.

Kristina Wong is a hilarious and cutting-edge performance artist who has performed in major theatres, festivals, and dozens of universities all across the U.S. Wong is best known for her one-woman shows. Her latest show, "Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", has won her rave reviews from sources like The Associated Press, San Francisco Bay Guardian, and New York Newsday. This week, AsianLoop had a chance to catch up to this daring artist to talk about her work.

Kevin So is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Not only does he write, sing, and play his own songs, he also records his work under his own record label of WingBone. Earlier this week, So was nice enough to sit down with us to talk about his career.

China Dolls, the first novel by cowriters Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan, is a sassy story about three Chinese women trying to balance life and high powered careers in the New York City. Despite their busy schedule, and the fact that they are already working on their next book, Michelle and Blossom were kind enough to sit down with Asian Loop to discuss their work.

Since pairing up in 1992, Hongbo Zhao and Xue Shen have become one of the most successful figure skating teams in the world. Together, they have won dozens of medals, including from the last two Winter Olympics and first place gold from the last World Championships. Despite their busy schedules, they took a moment to conduct an interview with us.

Newsweek counts 81 international adoptions that failed last year, but Korean adoptee Jade Poeteray is an especially heartbreaking case.

Ever since the first Asians arrived in America, there has been anti-Asian racism. This includes prejudice and acts of discrimination. For more than 200 years, Asian Americans have been denied equal rights, subjected to harassment and hostility, had their rights revoked and imprisoned for no justifiable reason, physically attacked, and murdered.