Washington, DC – “Pages of Beauty and Madness” explores the rich history of Japanese literature — from classic novels to modern manga — through film adaptations from Japan, Korea, Cambodia and France. These classic and critically acclaimed film adaptations are precious and rarely seen since their original release in the cinema. Three films will be offered free of charge at …

by Suchi Rudra In the last 20 years, the Sapa region and town in northwest Vietnam has grown to become an attractive tourist destination due to its large and lively market. But in the southeast corner of Prague, the Czech Republic’s cobblestoned capital city, another market also by the name of Sapa is drawing much attention from locals and expats …

Asian Fortune asked for candidates running in the Virginia general elections to write about how they will reach out to the Asian American community. We received essays from State Senator Mark Herring (D), who is running for Attorney General against State Senator Mark Obenshain (R), House Delegate Jim LeMunyon (R) running for re-election, and Patrice Winter (R) who is also …

By Tamara Treichel When American-born Chinese (ABC) Rachel Chu is invited by her boyfriend Nick Young to visit his family in Singapore for the summer, Rachel is delighted, believing that rest and relaxation await her under the palm trees. However, little does Rachel know that Nick belongs to one of Asia’s richest families, “whose lives revolve around making money, spending …

By Suchi Rudra Fresh from four years at the University of Toronto, Daniel Yuta Nakayama stood at a crossroad in his life. He had plans to head to Japan on an ice hockey scholarship. But the young Japanese Canadian made a decision that changed everything. Daniel became DJ Baby Yu, and a musical hobby turned into what has become an …

By Vania Cao The socioeconomic characteristics and health status of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) can vary greatly by ethnic or racial subgroups. AAPIs represent over 30 countries and communicate with over a hundred different dialects or languages, yet due to the small size of the AAPI demographic as a percentage of the entire US population, AAPIs have historically …

By Ngoc Nguyen Originally published on September 15 on www.newamericamedia.org SAN JOSE — After his eighth round of chemo, Trai Nguyen is exhausted, his body ravaged. The 60-year-old has a rare and aggressive form of cancer that he believes resulted from his contact with the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. His doctors believe his cancer may now be …

By Amanda Andrei As summer transitions to fall, our diets also shift with the seasons. This is the season for savory crockpot stews, warm baked goods, and soon enough, holiday treats. But before summer completely ends, many people turn to canning, pickling, and fermentation to preserve their favorite summer produce for the cooler months ahead. Granted, those of us who …

By Andrew Lam Nina Davuluri is the first Indian-American to hold the title of Miss America and it should be something for all Americans to celebrate. Her story, after all, is one of the more optimistic news about immigration in recent times. Alas, it’s a victory marred by waves of racist backlash in social media. Davuluri is called a “terrorist,” …

By Whitney Pipkin My face was still ringed with sweat when Chef Erik Bruner-Yang stopped by to see how we liked the first course. It was a traditional Khmer papaya salad called Bok Lahong, paired with an equally adventurous Taiwanese pig’s blood cake. “Spicy,” I said of the salad, which I still couldn’t stop eating, “but the cake helps.” He …

  Robert Sarvis isn’t sure whether he’s the first Asian American to run for Virginia governor, but if he wins this November, he’d be the first to hold the office. Sarvis, of Annandale, Va., is the third-party candidate in the Virginia governor’s race. Born and raised in Fairfax County, Sarvis, 37, is Chinese-American. His wife, Astrid, is a pediatrician who …

By Tamara Treichel   Rockville, Md. – The Muslim religion has always been treated as a sort of stepchild by Montgomery County’s Public Schools (MCPS) – the public school calendar only observes Judeo-Christian holidays such as Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover. MCPS stays open on the two annual Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and …

BAPS Charities, a national charitable organization organized a comprehensive Health Fair and Children’s Health & Safety Day (CHASD) on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Beltsville, MD. 57 volunteer physicians, pharmacists, dentists and other health care professionals joined forces with 85 paramedics to provide free medical services to over 740 members of the community. Asian …

Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova and Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity sponsored on September 21 the official launch of the book project by Vy Nguyen (center), “Second Generation Vietnamese Americans: A Comparative Perspective.” The book will be Volume 3A of the historical research series of the Fairfax County Asian American History Project (FCAAHP), officially launched in 2008 by Chairman Bulova. Vy …

Congratulations to the newly crowned 2013 Miss Vietnam DC, Vicenta Tran! Miss Vicenta Tran is a recent recipient of the 2013 MAUVSA’s Future Award, recognized for her dedication and achievements in the Vietnamese Student Association at George Mason University as a past Culture Show Director and dance member of GMU’s dance team, Family Matters. She sets an example that MAUVSA …

By Yi Chen  Founded in 2003, the DC Shorts Film Festival was created by DC-based filmmaker, Jon Gann. Frustrated that many festivals were focused on money and sponsors and not films and filmmakers, he decided to start his own event, focusing on the form he loves – shorts. “For me, it’s about connections,” said Gann. “I try to program the …

Feature documentary LINSANITY tells the story of Jeremy Lin’s life from his childhood in Palo Alto, CA to his rise with the New York Knicks. It’s a story about many things – hope and inspiration; family and faith; perseverance and hard work. The film will be released on October 4 nationwide in cities including Washington, D.C., NewYork, Los Angeles, Boston, and …

By Tamara Treichel   Think Frank Abagnale’s life in Catch Me If You Can is exciting, full of shape-shifting, danger, suspense and a sprinkling of romance? Then compare Wong Chin Foo’s life. Wong Chin Foo (1847-1898) was a real man with the flair of a Chinese American trickster hero, and he is brought back to life in Scott D. Seligman’s …

By Suchi Rudra   Since Sarah Shabbir became a U.S. Foreign Service Officer at the age of 23 back in 2005, she’s already been posted overseas twice, first based in Abu Dhabi for two years as Vice Consul at the American Embassy, and then 2 years in Hong Kong, where she was Consul at the U.S. Consulate General. Asian Fortune …

By Suchi Rudra Strolling with her parents down the boardwalk in Atlantic City, 10-year-old Mary Kong-DeVito experienced her first love—food love, that is. After swallowing the first raw oyster of her life, Mary begged her father to order more, and eventually gulped down 2 or 3 dozen that afternoon. “I think something clicked that day. All I’d ever eaten before …

By Jenny Chen When Gene Yang was a child, he would sneak to the local comic book store in Cupertino, Ca. by asking his mother to drop him off at the library, walking 10 minutes to the comic book store, and then hiding his comic books in huge tomes from the library so that his mother would never suspect that …

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAulliffe is running for Governor in the state of Virginia against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Asian Fortune reached out to the Cuccinelli campaign for an op-ed essay but received no response at time of press. All those for political office in 2013 are welcome to send an op-ed essay about your platform for the …

By Michelle Phipps Evans It was a warm Saturday on Aug. 24, 2013, the day that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On Aug. 28, 1963, the vision of one man, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was delivered so eloquently that his speech ranks among the most memorable in history. King’s …