AsianConnections has followed Jet Li's spectacular international film career for many years including his big break in American movies with Lethal Weapon 3. It's tough news for Jet Li fans, but he's taking his last bow in martial arts films with FEARLESS. Hear the decision from Jet himself, as he talks with Jim Ferguson about his final martial arts film. Ronnie Yu, the director FEARLESS shares his thoughts about the making of the film.

AsianConnections has followed Jet Li's spectacular international film career for many years including his big break in American movies with Lethal Weapon 3. It's tough news for Jet Li fans, but he's taking his last bow in martial arts films with FEARLESS. Hear the decision from Jet himself, as he talks with Jim Ferguson about his final martial arts film. Ronnie Yu, the director FEARLESS shares his thoughts about the making of the film.

Click here for video interview with Jet Li
Jet Speaks Out

Korean Workers Project announces overtime and record-keeping settlements for deli-grocery worker and retail store worker.

Flushing, NYThe Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and YKASECEmpowering the Korean American Community, today announced the terms of two significant settlements on behalf of Mr. Park, a deli-grocery store worker, and Mr. Lim, a retail store worker. In both cases, the Korean Workers Project secured satisfactory back wage settlements that additionally require the employers to maintain proper records of their employees hours and wages.

According to a survey AALDEF conducted with low-wage Korean immigrant workers in the New York metro area, approximately three out of four Korean immigrant workers do not receive legally-mandated overtime pay if they are entitled to it.
("Forgotten Workers," April 2006, AALDEF: www.aaldef.org/docs/KWP_2006WorkerSurvey_analysis.pdf.)

We are glad both businesses decided to take the high road by paying these workers their rightful overtime pay. In addition, the settlement enables the Korean Workers Project to work with the businesses to ensure that the businesses keep proper records, pay all wages properly, and do their part to raise workplace standards City-wide. said AALDEF Staff Attorney Steven Choi. Choi represented both Korean immigrant workers in their back wage claims for unpaid overtime and spread-of-hours wages.

Mr. Park, an immigrant from Korea and a resident of Queens, worked the 7 a.m. 7 p.m....

Thousands rally and march to demand full legalization and declare "round two" in response to a new wave of Sensenbrenner-backed attacks.

Today, the New York metropolitan-area immigrants rights movement presented its platform of demands to the nation from Union Square, and declared Round Two of its response to lawmakers failure to propose and pass a full, fair, and humane legalization bill. Marching to Times Square, more than two thousand protesters declared, No Deal! No Half-Steps, No Half-Measures! Full Legalization Now! and demanded an immediate end to detentions and deportations.

Earlier this week, New York United for Immigrant Rights (NYUIR)a coalition of more than 75 immigrant and human rights organizations in the New York metro areacalled on all communities to denounce the new wave of Sensenbrenner-backed attacks on immigrants. In September, the House passed a series of enforcement-only bills that authorized the construction of a redoubtable $6 billion border fence, and proposed to misuse state and local police to enforce civil immigration laws and shield the government from accountability for misdeeds or misapplication of immigration law, among other measures.

Local residents from Latino, Asian, Caribbean, African, Arab, labor, religious, civil rights, and human rights communities marched to Times Square, carrying a Border Wall of Remembrance and Resistance to commemorate the people who are suffering under current immigration laws, and a series of funeral coffins...

Tomb Raider 2's Terence Yin chats with Steven Joe.

Just a few years ago Terence Yin was a UC Berkeley student aspiring to become a medical consultant. Terence is now a Hong Kong movie star and a singer with 19 films, two TV dramas and a supporting role in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.

AsianConnections Steve Joe caught up with Terence, as well as Hong Kong's legendary actor Simon Yam, and star Angelina Jolie at the movie's world premiere. Click here for red carpet coverage in Hollywood by AsianConnections' Steve Joe, Marissa Becker and Mike Kai.

Steve talked with both Terence and Simon in exclusive interviews.

Click here to Steve's chat with Simon Yam
and read right here for his conversation with Terence.

Studio cameras also captured Angelina talking about the Asian influences in her life

The Paramount Pictures movie starring Angelina Jolie and Gerard Butler is the sequel to the hit Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Directed by Jan de Bont.

Steve: Terence, you come from an acting background. Can you tell us about it, and how it has influenced you?

Terence: Both my parents were actors. My mom was a famous actress in Hong Kong. My father was a famous director and actor. The fact that they were in the business never really influenced my childhood that much, basically I grew up in LA.

But, I guess in the end, it influenced me quite a bit. Because when I went back to Hong Kong to work over the summer, I met one of their friends, who is my manager now, Willie Chen. He is...

Michael C. Lin to Assume Executive Director Position at OCA

OCA is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael C. Lin will become OCA Executive Director effective December 1, 2006.

Lin has been an OCA member for over 25 years and is retiring after 30 years at the National Institutes of Health where his last position was as a Program Director responsible for nurturing and funding cutting edge research in the cardiovascular field. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College in Maryland, and has served as the Chair of the Maryland Governors Commission on Asian Pacific Americans Affairs (1998-2002).

Lin was also OCA National President from 1995 to 1998, where during his tenure OCA spearheaded a national voter registration campaign, co-sponsored by 18 other prominent national Asian Pacific American organizations. Under his leadership, OCA also convened the historic Asian Pacific American Leadership Summits, attended by the top community leaders and major civic organizations across the nation, to address issues confronting the Asian American community. He expanded OCAs education initiatives, including the highly popular internship program which provides opportunities for college students to work in the Congress, various federal agencies, non-profit organizations and at the OCA National Headquarters.

OCA is truly fortunate to have Michael accept the position of OCA Executive Director, said OCA National President Ginny Gong. His long history with OCA, at both the...