Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Here is a link that provides the history of the event:

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month May 2005: In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important anniversaries: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (May 10, 1869). In 1992, Congress expanded the 10-day observance to a month-long celebration. Per a 1997 Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific islander racial category was separated into two different categories: "Asian" and "native Hawaiian or other Pacific islander."

PBS is running some shows on the subject:

PBS TO OFFER SPECIAL PROGRAMMING FOR MAY 2005 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: In honor of APA Heritage Month, PBS is proud to present a number of programs on topics ranging from Filipino American soldiers who became General Douglas MacArthur's secret weapons in World War II to the dance stories of the Pacific Islands to a fascinating portrait of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos. Reflecting the diversity of ethnicities, experiences and regions with a breadth that can't be found anywhere else, these compelling programs examine the rich history, cultural contributions and distinguished heritage of Asian Pacific Americans.

(Thanks asa from APC!)

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Beautiful China

News

Dim Sum Under Assault: A report by the Hong Kong government suggesting that eating many kinds of dim sum regularly may be bad for your health is threatening to overshadow whatever else might be worrying the people of this city. [NYT: reg. req'd]

Opinion—China's Selective Memory: Ever since June 4, 1989, when the world's cameras embarrassed the Chinese government by recording the slaughter of unarmed protesters in Beijing, spring has been a sensitive period in Chinese politics. [NYT: reg. req'd]

Ripping Off Good Reads in China: The five-volume "Executive Ability" book series is a classic in Chinese business and management circles. Collectively, it has sold more than 2 million copies in the last two years. Top universities and public libraries in China keep multiple copies on hand. It's also a big fake.

Fantasies inspire Chinese gamers: Ancient warlords and dragons that breathe fireballs loom large in China's online fantasy games. And the virtual world is sometimes taking precedence over the real one for the growing band of online gamers.

Local Story

Eagle Scout project grows into successful adoption foundation: I met Matt, resplendent in his Boys Scouts of America uniform, when he was guest speaker at my son's recent BSA Court of Honor. Yes, the Boy Scouts are alive and well in Beijing. The boys do all the same things as their American counterparts, but instead of camping at Anawana, they sleep in the shadow of the Great Wall.

Zheng He Trail

If you are looking to get out of the house and have an extra $1500 laying around, check out the Zheng He Trail tour.

An enchanting experience beckons you, blending history and holiday in Malaysia & Singapore. To commemorate the 600th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the legendary Chinese voyager, Admiral Zheng He, the Association of Zheng He Studies London, invites you on an exciting 12-day adventure to the Far East on the exclusive ZHENG HE TRAIL.

It looks like it will be an authentic re-creation of the Trail, even replicating such details as allowing you to choose between 4- and 5-star hotels. :-)

Popular Items

Since I started this blog in 2003, I've tried to list items that may be of interest to China-adoptive families. This is a list of what's been most popular:

Mulan Special Edition (DVD)

Big Bird in China (DVD)

China's Lost Girls

Adoption...the Songs you Love

Chinese Lullabies

Just Add One Chinese Sister

Ruby's Wish

News

The Feng Shui Kingdom: When building the new entrance to Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney executives decided to shift the angle of the front gate by 12 degrees. They did so after consulting a feng shui specialist, who said the change would ensure prosperity for the park. Disney also put a bend in the walkway from the train station to the gate, to make sure the flow of positive energy, or chi, did not slip past the entrance and out to the China Sea. [NYT, free reg. req.]

China and Japan Leaders Pledge to Improve Relations: The leaders of Japan and China pledged to improve ties Saturday after weeks of escalating disputes, easing tension but not resolving some critical problems besieging relations between East Asia's big powers. [NYT, free reg. req.]

A Hundred Cellphones Bloom, and Chinese Take to the Streets: For several weeks as the protests grew larger and more unruly, China banned almost all coverage in the state media. It hardly mattered. An underground conversation was raging via e-mail, text message and instant online messaging that inflamed public opinion and served as an organizing tool for protesters. [NYT, free reg. req.]

Local Story

Family's adoption story spans the world, Web: After 15 years of marriage and two sons, Rebecca says, she and her husband, an executive with Volvo, had good lives and good jobs. But they felt something was missing -- namely, a daughter.

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.