Entertainment

By Mary Tablante “Growing Up Fisher” is a new comedy that premiered Feb. 23 on NBC and stars seasoned actors J.K. Simmons and Jenna Elfman. The show follows the Fisher family — dad Mel (Simmons), mom Joyce (Elfman), daughter Katie and son Henry. It is told through Henry’s perspective as he deals with his parents’ divorce and his father’s blindness …

By Aurora de Peralta Washington, DC – Indian American contributions to American culture are at the forefront in “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” an exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. The 5,000-square-foot exhibit opened on Feb 27 at the National Museum of Natural History and will run until Feb 2015. It will be the first …

By Devika Koppikar Her Chinese American upbringing in Arkansas led her to write Joy’s Discovery, a book about the art of appreciating one’s ethnic identity. Now, Dr. Jane Chu is the first Asian American nominated to head the premiere federal agency for arts appreciation, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In a written statement released by the White House, …

By Aria Danaparamita He was the first Asian American elected to Congress, yet few know his name. Raised in a small town in Punjab before Indian independence, he was inspired by the speeches of Woodrow Wilson and Abraham Lincoln and decided to set sail to America to study. It was 1920. 37 years later, he was elected to the U.S. …

By Andrew Lam Originally published in New America Media In a recent New Yorker cartoon, a dog is shown lounging by a pool and saying to a pup: “Youtube’s one thing, but cats will never make it on the big screen.” A funny commentary, surely, but in America that statement could just as easily be applied to ethnic minorities, especially …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans The 2014 Olympic Winter Games—the 22nd Winter Olympics—will run from Feb. 6 to 23 in Sochi, Russia, marking the first time the Russian Federation will host the winter games. Team USA will send several athletes, and among them there are several Asian Americans representing the country. Who are they? J.R. Celski J.R. Celski is a short track …

Vaulting through hoops, somersaulting across human bodies and hanging from silks, the Peking Acrobats will be dazzling audiences on February 26 at George Mason Performing Arts Center. The Peking Acrobats was started in 1986 by President Don Hughes and Artistic Director Ken Hai in an effort to bring Chinese culture to the West. “Our show is unique because…we at IAI …

By Jenny Chen Helen Sung didn’t plan on being a jazz musician when she started playing the piano at five years old. Sung began playing piano and as a self-described “Asian American perfectionist” she restricted her self practicing to classical pieces. “My teacher wouldn’t let me play anything else,” Sung said. That all changed in her final year as an …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans The small island nation of Jamaica, West Indies, erupted in celebration on Dec. 17, 2013, when its homegrown performer, Tessanne Chin, snagged first place in the reality singing competition show, “The Voice,” Season 5. At Half-Way Tree, a neighborhood in the capital city, Kingston, hundreds of people gathered around a large theater-like screen to see Chin win …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year in many Asian countries. The D.C. metro area will celebrate the occasion with parades, dragon dances, live musical performances, and more. This year the Lunar New Year is a 15-day event that starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year, which …

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA) held its annual “Share a Smile, Give a Toy” Toy Giveaway and Year-End Celebration on December 12, 2013 at the Old Council Chambers of One Judiciary Square. For the past seven years, OAPIA has collected and distributed 2000 toys to over 1800 District children. Toys are donated …

This month, Asian Fortune is launching its poetry series – a space for local APA poets to share their art, stories, and moments. We encourage all APA poets in the D.C. metropolitan area to submit their work. More information on monthly themes, eligibility guidelines, and prompts can be found on our website: http://www.asianfortunenews.com/poetry-submissions/ Happy writing! día ng mga patay (day …

By Jenny Chen Andrew Lam, editor-in-chief of New America Media, a nonprofit organization that advocates 3,000 ethnic news organizations in the United States, was awarded the PEN/Oakland Award for his fictional collection of short stories Birds of Paradise Lost. The book is based on the Vietnamese refugee experience. Maxine Hong Kingston wrote about Lam: “…bask in his love of language, …

By Derek Mong and Daphne Domingo Ramen is quite possibly one of the most popularized Asian dish in the Western world. Originally a Japanese noodle dish consisting of Chinese wheat noodles in broth, it has morphed into a whole cuisine. Below is a roundup of 8 top ramen restaurants in the DC area. NOOSHI (http://www.nooshidc.com) — While Nooshi might not …

By Amanda Andrei In case you haven’t noticed, it’s been David Henry Hwang season in the D.C. metro area. Pinky Swear just pulled off a successful run of Bondage this November, Theater J is staging the regional premiere of Yellow Face this January and February, and the legendary playwright himself delivered an insightful and thought-provoking lecture at the Reston’s CenterStage …

 Rosemary Lauer is a local philanthropist and founder of the non-profit Devotion to Children. She recently penned a book with Scott Beller titled Beggars or Angels about her unique experience arriving to the United States from her war-torn country, Vietnam. Below is an excerpt from her book: Chapter 1    Everything Happens for a Reason Growing up in Vietnam, I knew …

By Lisa Xia After an exhilarating day rafting the Rio Cangrejal—arguably the best white-water rafting in Honduras—we find ourselves at a small lodge in Pico Bonito National Park recovering at the bar. “Do you want to try something local?” the bartender asks. “Of course, “ I say, and I quickly find myself face-to-face to this concoction: Garifuna Giffity, homemade blend …

November marks the beginning of a season of entertaining. But oftentimes it can be hard to find a place that suits your needs in terms of size, menus, and pricing. But don’t worry! Asian Fortune has compiled the top five restaurants to hold your next event at. Here are the five, in particular order… (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Asian Fortune is …

Food Etiquette in Social Settings by: Lily Qi I know many people, in spite of years of living in the U.S., are still uncomfortable when ordering food from a menu with unfamiliar dishes or having to eat with a fork and a knife. These days, most nice social occasions have some food connections, especially during the holiday season.  Whether sharing …

By Yi Chen Photos Courtesy of Wedding Palace | GoGoGo Entertainment Washington, DC – Wedding Palace is a family comedy about weddings, the Korean way. The story centers on an international online romance between a young man from Los Angeles and a young woman from Seoul. Pressured to get married by family and friends, 29-year-old advertising executive Jason Kim (Brian …

By Vania Cao Bethesda, Md. – The 2013 Asian American Music Society (AAMS) International Competition took place on October 26th in Bethesda, Maryland. The Bethesda Presbyterian Church saw a steady stream of performers from as far as New York and Washington State, as young musical artists competed for cash prizes at their assigned competition time in the categories of Strings, …

By Yi Chen Photos courtesy of Michel Shane | Hand Picked Films Washington, DC – The Art of War, an ancient Chinese military treatise written more than 2,500 years ago, is being adapted into an epic television series for western audience. “I was doing research to see if the story has ever been told in the West and to my …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Photos by JLI The sun and cool fall weather were the bonus attractions at the 10th Annual Asian Festival, held on September 28-29 in Maryland, enticing thousands to linger leisurely on opening day and to come back the following day. The crowds enjoyed the world famous “Bamboo Orchestra” from Beijing, China, the concert featuring international star …

By Amanda L. Andrei     260. That’s the number of food trucks in the D.C. metropolitan area. Enough to put two trucks in every neighborhood of the District. Or enough to start on New Year’s Day and make it through mid-September without ever visiting one twice. Better yet, why not attend one of the many food truck festivals around the …