Los Angeles

The Chinese American Museum's 6th anual 2012 Historymakers Awards Banquet takes place this year September 27 at The Westin Bonaventure.

Prominently recognized as one of the premiere Chinese American events in Southern California, the event honors the achievements of extraordinary individuals who have made a significant impact or lasting contributions towards the advancement of the Chinese American community and beyond in the fields of art, literature, journalism, medicine, film, science, business, government, law, athletics, and community service.

This year’s Historymakers Awardees include:

Excellence in Corporate Leadership – Tom McKernan and the Automobile Club of Southern California;

Excellence in Medicine and Community Service – Dr. Carl K. Moy, an OB/GYN who practices in Chinatown and Monterey Park;

Excellence in Government - Honorable Carol Liu, California State Senator, 21st District, serving Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Temple City, La Cañada Flintridge, East Pasadena and East San Gabriel; 

Lifetime Achievement Award – Dr. Dan S. Louie, Jr., Chinese American Citizens Alliance; 

The Judge Ronald S.W. Lew Visionary Award – Latham & Watkins, LLP.

“We are incredibly excited to be honoring this distinguished group of community, civic and corporate leaders,” said Banquet Chair Munson A. Kwok, Ph.D.  “The Board of Directors is committed to reaching its goal to become one of the pre-eminent museums in the...

Hollywood

February 26, 2013

What?!! An Asian American male star in a Hollywood movie that isn't a Kung Fu film? 

Justin Chon ("Twilight"), steps into the spotlight as the lead character in the comedy 21 and Over, opening in theaters nationwide March 1.

Chon, 31, was born in Garden Grove in Orange County, California, and was raised in Irvine, California. He attended business school at the University of Southern California. At age 20, Chon began taking acting lessons, inspired by growing up watching his father in black and white films. His father is a former child actor from South Korea.

AsianConnections' Suzanne Joe Kai chatted with Justin about his new role, 
breaking stereotypes, and what's next in his fast-rising career.  (For the full interview transcript click on the blue headline link above.) 

Justin: Hey Suzanne, thank you.

Suzanne: You’re right from Orange County, California!

Justin: Yeah, Irvine. Yeah, born and raised. I was born in Garden Grove Hospital.

Suzanne: Can you describe your role in your new film 21 and Over coming out in theaters March 1, 2013?

Justin: Yeah. I play a character named Jeff Chang. It's his 21st birthday and my two friends come up to celebrate with me but I have a medical school interview the next day. They convinced me to have one beer and obviously that beer turns into absolute chaos. My character's just an average kid. He's actually not that...

New York City

Congressman John Lewis, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (Georgia), Jose Antonio Vargas of Define American, and Simone Wu of Choice Hotels International, Inc. received the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s (AALDEF) 2013 Justice in Action Awards at AALDEF’s annual Lunar New Year benefit, held at PIER 60 Chelsea Piers in New York on February 19, 2013.

2013 AALDEF Justice in Action honorees Jose Antonio Vargas, Simone Wu and Congressman John Lewis. Photo by Lia Chang

Since 1987, AALDEF has presented the Justice in Action Awards to exceptional individuals for their outstanding achievements and efforts in advancing social justice. The awards were presented by Rep. Grace Meng, the first Asian American to represent New York in Congress, Tony Award-winning playwright of M. Butterfly David Henry Hwang, and Gordon Smith, CEO of Consumer and Community Banking, JPMorgan Chase.

Congressman John Lewis, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (Georgia), Margaret Fung, AALDEF executive director, BD Wong, Jose Antonio Vargas of Define American, and Simone Wu of Choice Hotels International, Inc., Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer at Columbia University and Juju Chang, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News Nightline at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s (AALDEF) 2013 Justice in Action Awards held at PIER 60 Chelsea Piers in New York on February 19, 2013. Photo by Lia Chang

Juju Chang, Emmy Award-winning...

UPDATE:

We received alot of positive feedback to our posting of Guy Kawasaki's Spring, 2013 talk at the UC Berkeley Startup Competition (Bplan).

The former chief evangelist of Apple and co-founder of Garage Technology Ventures is such a good speaker that you wanted to hear more of him.  He was the keynote speaker at the first Donald W. Reynolds Governor's Cup Business Plan Competition at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond in 2005, and its timeless. 

You can click on the top blue headline to the full story and his video or click here. In his keynote, "The Art of the Start" he gives insight into the characteristics that make a successful start-up.

His first test is, "Are you making "meaning?"  He finds that the start-ups which have the highest chance of success are created by people who have a mission. He says they want to make "meaning" and not money. He feels the entrepreneurs who more often succeed are those who want to change the world. They want to make the world a better place, to improve the quality of life, to right a wrong, to fix something and change it to make it better, or they want to prevent the end of something good. 

He urged his audience of students to be "Prototypers" not typists. He was referring to entrepreneurs who create things, or develop something, versus those who merely write a business plan with a mission statement. 

Kawasaki says, "Get going." "As an entrepreneur - Think different. Don't look...

Have you heard this before? “Love or Business, you have to choose.” The message is direct - you have to decide what you value more, something/one you love or your work/business. Actually, there is a more factual statement – Love is Good Business.

February is the month of love. A great deal of thought and energy will be spent on expressions of love, usually for a romantic partner. The truth in the old axiom, Love makes the World Go Round, applies to all aspects of life, not only to romantic love. When you are doing what you love, you are going to be more successful in it, and you will also be happier and at peace. It’s only natural.

“I don’t think I have ever worked in my life, because work to me means that you are really doing something you don’t like.”

John Kluge, multibillionaire founder of Metromedia

            How do you harness the immense power of love in your business? You’ve guessed it – love what you do. Wait, you say, I work for money, I don’t love my work. Or, I used to like my job but over the years it’s gotten boring; now I am doing it because I can’t think of what else I can do to earn a living. Uh oh, we need to talk. It is highly unlikely that you are going to be able to excel in your business if you are just going through the motions. Equally if not more important, your quality of life is reduced because you are spending many of your waking hours at something which gives you...