Although the title of this piece might suggest a playlist for Asian fetishists, it's intended to beย more of a selection of songs which I think reveal something deeper or at least more interesting about changing attitudes toward Asia and Asians in the mainstream Western collectiveย consciousness. Thus there is no "Big in Japan" or "Turning Japanese," … Continue reading Saturday Night Yellow Fever
Tag: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
No Enclave — Exploring Singaporean Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION TO SINGAPORE The Republic of Singapore is an island city-state in Southeast Asia. Its entire area is just 719.1 km2, making it slightly smaller than Los Angelesโs San Gabriel Valley. However, whilst the San Gabriel Valley is home to about 1.6 million, Singapore is home to an estimated 5.5 million. The area around Los … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Singaporean Los Angeles
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High Rising — Los Angeles’s Asian-American Skyscrapers
The skyline of the modern city is largely defined by its skyscrapers; those towering, gleaming symbols of the architectural ambition, developer wealth, humanity's hubris, and ย usually crowned with a corporate logo.ย Before skyscrapers, cathedrals were nearly always the tallest human-made structure; Before them, the ancient pyramids. Their symbolic (and perhaps psychosexual) importance is subconsciously understood by … Continue reading High Rising — Los Angeles’s Asian-American Skyscrapers
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Pan-Asian Metropolis — Pioneering Asian-American Architects in Los Angeles
There were Asian-American architects working outside of Los Angeles. Thomas S. Rockrise (nรฉ Iwahiko Tsumanuma) joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1921, toward the end of his career. Yasuo Matsui followed in 1927. In the mid-20th century, there Asian-American architects active in other parts of the country, as well, including Edith Leong Yang, Pu Hu Shao, … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Pioneering Asian-American Architects in Los Angeles
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No Enclave — Exploring Malaysian Los Angeles
According to the 2010 census, there were 26,179 Americans of Malaysian background.ย Malaysian-Americans consist of people of a variety of ethnic origins, includingย Malay, Malaysian Chinese, Tamil, Banjar, Minangkabau, Indonesian, Iban, Filipino, Nepali, Tausลซg, andย Dusun.ย The state with the largest population of Malaysian-Americans is California; smaller populations live in New York, Texas, Illinois,ย Virginia, and Hawaii. In Los Angeles … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Malaysian Los Angeles
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Those Useless Trees — The Aoyama Tree
Although not native,ย many Moreton Bayย Figs (Ficus macrophylla) dot the Southern California landscape.ย The oldest of these Australian immigrants might be those planted by agriculturalist Elijah Hook Workmanย on the Los Angeles Plaza in 1875. Around that same time, one was planted in Anaheim which later served as theย model for the Disneyland's Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. One planted … Continue reading Those Useless Trees — The Aoyama Tree
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No Enclave — Exploring Mongolian Los Angeles
As of 2010, there were 18,344 Americans who self-identified as Mongolian-American. The census of that year also showed that 4,993 Mongolians were living in California, making it home to more Mongolians than any other state. About 2,000 Mongolians are estimated to live in Los Angeles. Although relatively low-profile and not thus far recognized with a designated enclave, a good … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Mongolian Los Angeles
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Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Radio
Los Angeles is the worldโs great Pan-Asian city, a melting pot within a melting pot. Arguments could be made for multicultural metropolises like Birmingham, Honolulu, London, New York, Toronto, and Vancouver which in some case have more numbers or larger percentages but none come close to matching Los Angelesโs sheer breadth and vibrancy. In the … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Radio
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No Enclave — Exploring Sri Lankan Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION As of 2010, there were 45,159 Sri Lankans living in the US. Substantial immigration began in the 1990s when many fled the violence of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The majority of Sri Lankan-Americans live in the vicinity of either New York City (where there's a Little Sri Lanka on Staten Island), central New Jersey, or Los Angeles -- the latter … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Sri Lankan Los Angeles
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Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Supermarkets
Supermarkets are wonderful places. My old landlord, a friendless and frankly unlikeable person, told me that Gelson's was her favorite place to spend Thanksgiving (alone). Joe Strummer wrote of getting lost in one, an experience apparently so traumatic that he required Mick Jones to sing his lyrics. The group Supermarket recorded just one song, called "Supermarket," the lyrics of which consisted … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Supermarkets
Eric Brightwell 