Thick Dumpling Skin

Cinnabon Monster

Mon, 28 May 2012 07:59:51 -0700

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passionate love affair with a fatty pastry product that can be found only in airports and major shopping malls. You wouldn’t find it by its lonesome but rather in a bustling area that it can latch itself onto. This pastry is none other than Cinnabon and ever since I tasted my first one when I was 8 years old in Ann Arbor, MI, my life has never been the same since. I even wrote a love poem about it.

Now I am fully aware that Cinnabon is hardly what one would call a healthy eatery. In fact, there are no possible arguments to even justify such a claim (although I have tried to give some outrageous claims to say there is). But emotional bliss satisfaction? That is something this pastry can deliver in bundles. In some many weird ways, this product has been tied to my identity because I rely on Cinnabon during exceptionally happy/awful days or as a reward I treat myself for doing a job well done. But it was on one particular bad day that Cinnabon became so dear and close to my heart:

All throughout my life, I wear my emotions on my sleeves but it was especially tumultuous when I was young. The darkest moment I ever remember where Cinnabon saved me one time was during middle school, after being called a chink once again by fellow classmates. This time, I reacted violently and threatened to bring a gun to school if they ever made fun of me again. This was out in the public and nearly everybody in the hallway heard the outburst. My mom was immediately notified and at the end of the school day, I had a sit down with the school administration and my mom to determine whether they should suspend me. My mom made a very strong case that this would never happen again and I was fortunate to get off with a warning. Usually at this point, my mom would get so enraged at her emotionally wild son that I was very afraid of what she would do next. Now whether she was tired or an unusual touch of mercy came upon her, I find myself being taken to Briarwood Mall where she would treat me to a Cinnabon, which she knew I loved. There I sat, feeling miserable about myself, and slowly ate the product in front of me. Never has a Cinnabon tasted so good that way but it was hard to tell, since it was also slightly soggy with tears. But I felt like a better man after that and I thank mom for not slapping the crap out of me when dealing with yet another emotional outburst from her son.

This would explain why I revere Cinnabon as much as I do. My identity along with my marketing as an actor has revolved around Cinnabon and every time my friends and family pass by a Cinnabon or they see a related Cinnabon product in cereals, granola bars, or ice creams, they make sure to tell me or take a picture about it. Even the Cinnabon company is fully aware of my love for them. Heck, my Twitter handle is CinnabonMonster with a literal Cinnabon Monster as the picture.

But to most folks’ surprise, I only eat Cinnabon once every 2-3 weeks. Considering that each Cinnabon has about 800 calories, it’s not exactly ideal for an actor or even as a human being to consume this pastry product on a daily basis. The only time I consumed that much in a short period of time was on my birthday back in 2010 where I consumed three classic Cinnabons in one hour. I then passed out in a severe sugar rush & eventual crash. I don’t think my body can take that punishment right now without the risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes.

Today, I just received a Cinnabon gift card from one of my best friends. There’s a warm fuzzy feeling that comes with a gift as sweet as that. Currently, I plan to create a Cinnabon commercial so that 1) I can get a lifetime supply of it or 2) I can be their mascot. Ain’t that the dream..? :)

Edward | Los Angeles, CA | USA

Edward Hong is an actor and spoken poet. Because he wears his emotions on his sleeves, he is not only passionate in what he believes in but also one hell of a talkative, stubborn man. His demon form is the Cinnabon Monster while dancing like a maniac to raging house music.

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On Our Radar: A History of the Body

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:46:41 -0700

Aimee Suzara emailed us about an awesome theatrical project that she’s working on called “A History of the Body.” The piece has some overlap with our site, as it examines the impact of historic depictions and the exposition of Filipinos, as well as modern-day cosmetic skin whitening.

In Aimee’s words:

The goal of this piece is to bring awareness to important, yet little-known, Filipino-American history and bring healing to the often-fragmented woman of color in America. The work has been presented as works-in-progress and staged readings, and supported by the Zellerbach Foundation, Kularts, Inc, and CounterPULSE. This year, the project was selected to be developed and presented by the historic Oakland Asian Cultural Center in 2012-13, with support of The East Bay Community Foundation and the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program.

It looks like the project’s fundraising goal has eight more days to go and they’re almost there! We can’t wait to see it in person. Check it out and contribute if you can.

Better Late Than Never

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:47:00 -0700

I am a terrible person and am so late in posting about my Cornell visit! But hey, better late than never, right?

I had a wonderful time, thanks to the Asian & Asian American Center at Cornell, and I enjoyed the intimate discussion that I had with a small room of students about body image & race.

Me and some proud Cornellians, including Patricia Nguyen, the director of the center.

One of things that I talked about during my visit is the lack of resources and help for Asian Americans who are battling eating disorders. For those of you who are familiar with how we got started, it was because we couldn’t find services directly catered towards Asian Americans or people who talked about how culture and stereotypes relate to eating disorders. Many people, including those in our own community, don’t recognize it as a real problem. Or they do, but they don’t think that it happens on such a scale where direct service is warranted. This is obviously problematic.

So one of the hard questions that I was asked is how exactly then do we change that? How do we move this issue from merely having a supportive community to a point where we can get organizations the necessary funding to start incorporating this topic into their programming and offer trainings/help/support to address eating disorders?

Well, we start with stories, here. We start with personal accounts of what we’ve been through, and through our stories will come recognition that eating disorders is not just about not eating and wanting to wear nice clothes. In fact, this is how many other causes started. Before research, before stats, there has to be stories.

I always have to remind myself that change doesn’t come overnight, and since TDS has been up and running, we’ve received numerous interview requests from grad students who are writing about this exact topic for their thesis. This is assuring to myself and Lynn in many ways because this tells us that we’re not the only ones thinking critically about this topic and that in fact, there are others out there who are conducting real research on this.

So thank you Cornell, for the hard question. Maybe in the future, TDS will go on a road show and talk to different Asian American health services about the need to address body image issues and eating disorders in our community. In the mean time, readers, don’t be silence about these issues. If we choose to be passive and we choose to be quiet about the very issues that affect us, then no one will know, and frankly, no one will care if we don’t care about them ourselves, first.

- Lisa

Here’s my video interview with Mashbox on MYX TV! If you...

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:23:00 -0700

Here’s my video interview with Mashbox on MYX TV! If you DO get that channel, watch the show live and interact with their free app to find out more trivia and get a behind-the-scenes look. The episode re-airs tonight at 9 pm and tomorrow at 8 pm, PST.

- Lynn

P.S. Thanks for all your feedback on my last post - here’s my decision!

To Readers of "The Actor's Diet"

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:32:00 -0700

If you read my food blog “The Actor’s Diet,” please take a look at this afternoon’s post. Would really love your feedback.

- Lynn

On Our Radar: Aishwarya Rai's Betrayal?

Sat, 19 May 2012 10:21:00 -0700

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai has been criticized for her looks during her pregnancy, and her post-baby body is now the subject of an article entitled: “How the ‘most beautiful woman in the world’ has been accused of betraying her country for failing to lose her baby weight.”

From the DailyMail:

‘There is a glorification of motherhood in India and Indian cinema,’ he told the paper. ‘But people are confused because they don’t know whether to glorify Aishwarya in her new motherhood or lament that she is not looking like a runway model.’

What are your thoughts on post-baby weight/celebrity? Read the full article here.

Know something that should be On Our Radar? Contact us!

APA Vagina Monologues Tonight!

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:57:34 -0700

I am getting ready to head out to the Castro Theatre in San Francisco for our final rehearsal before this monumental show opens tonight at 7:30 pm. I am so proud to be a part of the show, and so proud of everyone involved (including everyone who will be sitting in the audience tonight) because we’re all taking a stance here and saying, loudly, “no” to violence against girls and women.

Even though I’ve been involved with the Vagina Monologues twice before, both in college, this is the first time that I have felt so deeply connected to the cause because we are all Asian American sisters (and brothers) who want to break the silence when it comes to our community. We are speaking about the domestic violence that happens in our homes, the sex trafficking that happens in our neighborhoods, and de-valuing of females in our society.

If you want to know why the Vagina Monologues is relevant to the topic of body images and eating disorders, read my thoughts from an earlier post here.

Watch the following PSA too because there are many more reasons why you should support this performance and The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), the advocacy organization behind this performance.

If you’re in town, come watch the performance. We have sold over 800 seats and we’re bound to pack the Castro Theatre tonight. Get your tickets here. Everyone and their mama will be there. If you’re not in town, please donate just $10 to our campaign to stop violence in our community.

Let’s put our money where our mouth is and say “NO” to violence, of any kind, against APA girls and women.

I’ll be performing for y’all tonight!

- Lisa

I really love the mission of Thick Dumpling Skin! Are you planning on reaching out to the South Asian wing of the APIA community? It would be great to see this blog truly encompass the diversity of the Asian American community!

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:50:15 -0700

Thank you so much.

And YES we definitely lack South Asian voices on this site. We would absolutely love to hear more from our South Asian brothers and sisters. Currently we’re proactively reaching out to individuals from the South Asian community to get them to share their stories. Of course, one way to help Thick Dumpling Skin grow and spread the mission of the site is through all of you sharing us with your friends and families. So if you have any friends who are South Asian who might be interested in the important topic that we’re covering, definitely put us on their radar.

Another way to do this is through tipping us off on interesting news/writings on the web. You can let us know what’s going on by contacting us.

Lastly, outreach! Readers, do you have suggestions for South Asian organizations that we can get in touch with?

Shorts

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:02:01 -0700

I used to hate my legs.

Really.

Hated them.

Hated them with a passion.

I thought my calves were oddly shaped from the years of ballet that I did, and I couldn’t stand the sight of my thighs. If you remember my story, I was called a girl with “thunder thighs” by my primary school crush. That stung and obviously stayed with me well into my teenage/college years.

Pretty much up until a few years ago, I didn’t own any shorts. Not one pair.

This all changed when I started running and training for the San Francisco half marathon, which happened two years ago. I started to appreciate my legs. I started to appreciate what they were capable of. I mean, 13 miles? That’s a hell lot of work for two legs!

Oddly enough, I started to enjoy looking at my legs. I’d study them in the mirror and admire how muscular they are. For once, I stopped cringing when looking at my knees. They’re sure not sticks, but they’re not as bad as I remembered them to be. I also kind of fell in love with running shorts! I wanted people to see how awesome my legs were when I pounded my running route.

That summer, I purchased my first pair of shorts in a LONG time. It was a pair of floral shorts. Now, I own at least five pairs of shorts. The weather in San Francisco has been gorgeous, which means that I wear them out on a regular basis. I admit, since I’m no longer training for a half marathon, the insecurities have crept back in a little, especially when I catch my reflection in the window at some shopping mall. But, I will never go back to the time when I hated my legs and wanted to hide them. My legs are unique to who I am, and I love them. They take me places, and they endure all that I put on them.

Is there a part of you that you used to hate, but love now? While you think about that, I am going to do some online shopping for my next pair of shorts, especially since it’s Monday and I need my Monday remedy.

Suggestions welcome.

- Lisa

Better late than never. Happy Mother’s Day to all the...

Sun, 13 May 2012 22:32:13 -0700

Better late than never. Happy Mother’s Day to all the fierce mothers out there!

Our mamas might not be perfect because, let’s face it, they can be our harshest critics. But, they’re also the ones teaching us the real meaning of perseverance, strength, and above all, love.

We love you for who you are moms, and we hope that you love us the same way.

Happy Sunday! That thing you’ve wanted to do for a while?...

Sun, 13 May 2012 10:01:00 -0700

Happy Sunday!

That thing you’ve wanted to do for a while? Yeah that thing. Go do it!

Eat What You Want Day

Fri, 11 May 2012 13:15:00 -0700

Yes, it’s true - “Eat What You Want Day” is here, and it is in fact, today - May 11th.

As somebody who struggled with binge eating for many years, I remember a lot of “last suppers” before going back on diets. Part of what helped me overcome that constant roller coaster is that I now eat whatever I want every single day. Some days it’s Caviar and Foie Gras. Some days it’s a Vegan Kale Salad. Some days it’s 35 cupcakes. Those of you who read “The Actor’s Diet” already know that eating whatever I want all the time means a lot of days, I crave only this:

The truth is, we don’t need a national holiday or anyone else to tell us we can eat whatever we want. If you’re struggling with body and food issues, think about an Eat What You Want Month. Or maybe a year. I’m getting close to Day 1500 right about now.

- Lynn

On Our Radar: KoreAm Highlights Eating Disorders

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:01:31 -0700

The following column about eating disorders in the Asian American community, written by Dr. Esther Oh, is published in the May 2012 issue of KoreAm!

Three points for breaking the silence!

When was the last time you saw a plus-size Asian woman in a movie?

A magazine? A TV show? Chances are you probably haven’t. What we’re used to seeing are the petite ones, a sign that our culture has an obsession with being thin. While the Western world has Weight Watchers, some Asian women turn to extreme diet fads— strong Chinese herbal drinks, ultrasonic liposuction and even swallowing parasites. It’s important to keep our weight in check, but has our fixation on thinness gotten out of control?

What’s considered “average” in America can often be seen as “large” in Asia. I’ve heard from multiple women who wear a small here in the States, but have to go up a size or even two when they’re shopping in Asian countries. Here, they’re considered fit; there, they’re called fat.

With this type of mindset, it’s no surprise that eating disorders are on the rise. Nearly 24 million Americans suffer from one, but it’s unclear how many Asian Americans are affected because many don’t seek treatment. Often they don’t believe they have a problem or the stigma against mental health problems prevents them from seeking help. First off, an eating disorder is not just when someone starves him/herself. People who eat too much to the point of causing physical or mental harm can also have one. It’s most common among women, but there’s been an increase in the number of men being diagnosed. For men, the focus is on muscularity and definition in their bodies rather than weight loss.

Check out the rest of the article here.

Know something that should be On Our Radar? Contact us!

I’ve been fighting a pretty severe cold the last few days,...

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:01:00 -0700

I’ve been fighting a pretty severe cold the last few days, so this image pretty much sums up how I’ve been feeling!

Anyway, just a quick note to say that I hope you guys are all having a much better Monday than me. Take care of yourselves and listen to your body! I am completely guilty of being a bad listener, especially when I decided to, ahem, not bring an umbrella with me to rainy New York & Boston.

It’s often difficult to be able to use one word to sum up how you feel. But, even if you don’t know how exactly you’re feeling, as the picture illustrates, you always know roughly how good you feel. So, if you need to take a walk, go somewhere and be alone, or just sit quietly with some hot tea, do it.

Happy Monday!

- Lisa

On Our Radar: Kuttin Kandi

Fri, 04 May 2012 07:58:00 -0700

Jason Sperber shared this Colorlines article with us on our Facebook Page, and we’re glad that he did because it was a powerful article on Kuttin Kandi, a Hip-Hop activist and DJ. An influential figure in the Hip-Hop space, DJ Kuttin Kandi was “the first woman to reach the DMC USA Finals and a founding member of the all-female Anomolies crew, the Queens-bred Filipina turntablist has shared the stage with legends (Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa), big kids (MC Lyte, LL Cool J) and period contemporaries (Jay-Z, dead prez, Immortal Technique). In addition to beat juggling and competition-judging, she writes revealing poems, lectures regularly, does grassroots organizing and serves as a mentor and educator at the UC San Diego Women’s Center. She’s also spearheading a compilation album, The Womyn’s Hip-Hop Movement, co-writing a book about Filipino-Americans in hip-hop culture, and she proudly represents the 5th Platoon crew, Guerrilla Words and R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop (Representing Education, Activism & Community Through Hip Hop).”

At the moment, though, DJ Kuttin Kandi, also known by friends and family as Candice Custodio-Tan, is fighting a critical heart disease. She has been documenting her experience through this process on Facebook, and here’s an excerpt from the article.

In one of your “Notes of a Revolutionary Patient” entries, “Oppression is Trauma,” you describe how doctors have made your weight the central issue without asking your key questions about your mental health, past eating disorders or other relevant factors. How did you recognize that bias was a factor?

I realized I was receiving biased medical care the moment they didn’t ask me what work I have done and haven’t done to “be healthy.” The moment they told me, “You need to lose weight” without asking my personal health journey, I knew they were judging me. They didn’t look at me as though I was a person; they just looked at my pounds. If weight is the issue, okay fine—let’s discuss the weight [and] what got me here. But i think it’s more than just weight. For any patient, doctors need to know the details. I know that there’s a whole herstory about me. I’ve [suffered] a range of mostly invisible disabilities including depression, bulimia and binge-eating/compulsive disorder. In my 30s I was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder, agoraphobia, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, bipolar disorder and severe allergies that require two shots a week for three years. I also have an Auditory Processing Disorder, which I occasionally reframe as a different learning style. Doctors need to take their time explaining things to people; many people have different learning styles.

Talk about how systemic racism has shaped your own medical care.

Well, the simple fact that the health care industry is not [generally] educated in social justice, power, privilege and oppression* is* systemic racism. Any healthcare space treating people of different races, classes and genders need to be educated about systems of oppression. The better informed they are about the challenges that different people of multiple identities face, the better they are going to be able to understand the needs of that person.

For example, if a doctor knew what struggles a Pinay like me faces, [he or she] would know that Filipino adults are 70 percent more likely to be obese in comparison to the rest of the Asian population. They would also know that in the U.S., 15.93 percent of Asian-American women have contemplated suicide in their lifetime and that there is a rise of depression amongst Filipino Americans. … They would understand cultural norms and know that there is a thing called “hiya” in where we don’t bring shame to our families by seeking something like mental healthcare.

How does sexual violence factor in?

It is important to understand that the sexual violence of womyn of color in itself already shows the intersection of sexism and racism. In general, sexual violence has always been a way to dehumanize womyn, just as racism is used to disempower people of color overall. So the sexual violence against womyn of color is a combo of racism and sexism. These intersected isms, along with [negative] stereotypes increase the vulnerability of different womyn of color.

For young(er) women of color embarking on multilayered careers like yours—one that involves male-dominated competition, art, travel, teaching and speaking about often unpopular topics—are there any self-protective steps you can suggest?

It is important that when we give so much of ourselves to our careers, to our activism, to our communities that we are grounded. I’m surprised I have lasted this long, going the way I was going. I feel I’m already a pretty grounded person; I’ve been able to maintain my morals and values but yet I still fell sick.

What I have been learning as of recently, is to really be balanced. Sometimes, we think we’re okay, that we are invincible and that we can keep on going. But the truth is, we might not really be. We need to listen to our bodies, our minds, our souls and our hearts. I need to do a better job of listening to my whole me. … If we can be honest [with] ourselves, be open and vulnerable in knowing that it’s okay to make mistakes, to see our own imperfections and still love ourselves, we will then be stronger for the long run—for a real revolution.

Read the piece in its entirety here.

“The better informed [doctors] are about the challenges that different people of multiple identities face, the better they are going to be able to understand the needs of that person” really spoke to us. One of the main reasons why this site was founded was because there was that lack of context, and there was the lack of understanding that Asian Americans can and do have eating disorders. Being skinny is not in our genes like many people believe it is.

Our hope is that one day, Thick Dumpling Skin will be used as a resource for people in the medical profession to understand a side of complexity of eating disorders that might not have been considered before.

Thank you Candice for your bravery and strength.

Know something that should be On Our Radar? Contact us!

Thick and Burned Dumpling Skin

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:00:54 -0700

I recently discovered this blog through Angry Asian Man and yeah, I will admit, I only clicked on the link because I can’t turn down anything dumpling-related.

What I found though, was a community of Asian and Asian Americans who I felt were brave enough to bring up issues in the Asian community that no one ever talks about. And again, I’m going to be honest, I’m here for the food.

I’m here for the food and the company. I love food. I look at food porn every day. I also love to look at “thinspo” and herein lays the problem. I am obsessed with food, but I am obsessed with being skinny.

As a little kid, I was overweight. I had high cholesterol and so my doctor told my parents that I needed to change my diet or I’d have problems later on in life. After this stern warning, my parents did what every Asian parent does when a woman who doesn’t understand the culture tells them how to raise their kid: they ignored her. 15 years later, I am sitting here, in my apartment at school, and I am not overweight and I don’t have high cholesterol. Instead, I am constantly harassed by my parents whose greeting upon calling me is always, “have you eaten yet?”

I grew out of my chubbiness as I got older but that didn’t stop me from reducing my intake in middle and high school. I made sure to skip breakfast and lunch. I gave up drinking things like high-calorie smoothies, juices, and sodas. However, I never stopped obsessing scrolling through page after page of thinspo of skinny girls with skinny legs in artificially edited lighting photos.

And you’re probably wondering, “well, seeing as you’re skinny, why are you still so obsessed with being skinny?”

Well. There is a simple explanation to that - skinny is all I have. I mean sure, I’ve got an irreplaceable and incredibly loving family, the best friends, and I trust in God. I’ve got a 4.0 and I’m starting medical school in a year. But the thing is, skinny is all I have for someone to judge me physically.

We talk a lot about loving yourself and loving your body, but we never talk about loving your skin. Loving your skin, no matter how scarred, how dark, or how acne-cursed.

And that, everyone, is the reason why I am so obsessed with being skinny. It’s all I have going for me. When I meet an older auntie, they always comment on how skinny I am and then lament how dark my skin is and how I’d be so much more attractive if I’d just “stay out of the sun more.”

Everyone can judge the BS out of me for my schooling, my behaviors, and my attitudes. They can tell me that I’ve got a big nose or small eyes. They can tell me I’m ugly cause my skin is dark but they can NEVER tell me that I’m fat. Do you see why it’s so important?

The issues in the Asian community regarding body image shouldn’t be solely concentrated on body size. There are so many factors that contribute to the development of unhealthy self-perceptions. It makes us uncomfortable, so we don’t talk about it. We’re not taught to talk about it. But this blog, this wonderful blog, has opened up so many doors so simultaneously, that I wonder why it’s not out there, everywhere, all over the Internet. We, as young Asian adults, need to see this.

Anonymous

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Shameless Plug: APA Vagina Monologues

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:03:00 -0700

I can’t remember when I first heard about the Vagina Monologues or learned about a magnificent woman named Eve Ensler. All I remember is getting involved with V-Day back in college and I got to perform a piece called “My Vagina is My Village.” The piece broke my heart. I felt so torn up inside because the piece was about one woman’s experience with war trauma and rape. I knew that as I was performing the piece on stage, the words that I was saying were most likely happening to someone out there in the world. Even today.

I often read about how we as human beings, in the face of problems, decide to do nothing not because we don’t care, but because we don’t know how to even start tackling the problem at hand. I get that. How do you begin to end violence against girls and women in the world?

Well, I do it by doing what I can, and I hope you can too.

On Thursday, May 17th, I’ll be performing in the Vagina Monologues again. This time, I’ll be doing “I Was There in the Room” at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. The piece is about birth. I would love if you can come and see this powerful production. If you can’t, please consider donating at least $25 so you can be a part of this global movement.

If you have never heard of the Vagina Monologues or seen it in action, it’s a theatrical performance that profiles the intimate stories of women impacted by sexual assault, war, and pain, but also lifts celebratory perspectives on sexual self-discovery, empowerment, and love.

For this specific performance, all proceeds benefit the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, the nation’s only multi-issue women’s organization in the country for Asian Pacific American women and girls.

Now, some of you may wonder, what does violence against women have to do with body image issues & eating disorders? Simple. When women are subjected to violence of any form, we’re being treated as less than human beings, period. This is similar to the way many body image issues & eating disorders originate; we internalize those less-than-human feelings, through things we see or hear, and treat our bodies as objects of affection. In some ways, I believe that if we could just stop violence against women, we could get rid of a lot of body image & eating disorder issues that women go through because then, women will never be told that she is any less than her full glory.

In order to build up the confidence of women in the world, we need to teach that violence against women in ANY form in unacceptable.

Quick Facts:

Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women compose the largest segment of persons trafficked into the United States. A combined 47% of trafficked persons in the U.S. are forced into domestic servitude, agriculture labor, sweatshop factories, hotel work and servile marriages and 46% persons are forced into sex work.

Immigrant API women are at higher risk for domestic violence. Compared to the general U.S. population, the domestic violence rate for a foreign-born woman married to a U.S. citizen is three times higher

APIs have the lowest utilization of certain preventive medical services and some of the highest uninsurance rates. Without job-protected paid sick days or family-supporting wages, workers forgo these services to the detriment of their long-term health and financial stability.

And if you’re still not convinced, maybe this PSA will get you to come on board as a donor!

Stay angry, stay hungry, and let’s change the world one step at a time!

- Lisa

p.s. Lynn also performed in the Vagina Monologues back in 2008 for the Center for the Pacific Asian Family. That makes both of us vagina warriors!

Check out these amazing images. We love how people are now given...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:01:08 -0700

Credit: Eva Kolenko

Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times

Credit: Eldad Rafaeli

Check out these amazing images. We love how people are now given the opportunity to self-express through prosthetics, and more importantly, prosthetics are teaching all of us, and redefining, what it means to be beautiful.

good:

These are incredible.

latimes:

Prosthetics get the personal touch: Synthetic legs have become a medium for self-expression, thanks to customization made possible by sophisticated technology. It’s a bold melding of modern science and fashion statement.

Wow.

LA Asian Pacific Film Festival

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:22:00 -0700

Are you frustrated by the lack of faces that look like yours at the theater and on TV? If you’re in Los Angeles and want to see diverse, accurate portrayals of Asians in media, check out LAAPFF, running from May 10th to 20th!

With over 189 films and videos, filmmaker panels and seminars, plus parties and presentations - you don’t want to miss this year’s lineup.

Here’s Thick Dumpling Skin co-founder Lynn Chen with Festival Director Shinae Yoon at the Launch Party:

Make sure to catch one of Lynn’s movies if you’re in town - she’s in five of them - and let us know what you think.

On Our Radar: Nicki Sun

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:01:05 -0700

We recently read Nicki’s blog post about what it’s like to work in entertainment as an Asian female, and felt compelled to share her empowering message. As you can probably guess, and also know from Lynn’s previous posts, that working in entertainment & media is not only hard, but it’s extra hard for Asian Americans and especially females. There’s a notion of what “sells” and on the daily, women are being asked to compromise who they are.

If you don’t know Nicki, she is a self-made multimedia host, producer, and entertainer. This lady does it all! Lisa was honored to have been a finalist along with her for the San Francisco Asian Pacific Heritage “Emerging Leader” Award last year, and we have been admiring her from afar for being such a great role model in our community.

Michelle Phan (makeup teacher and spokesperson for Lancome) and Nicki, two inspiring Asian American females at FAWN, Michelle’s new YouTube channel launch.

I am not the “model-type” and second of all, I am already surrounded by the societal standards of mainstream (aka “White”) beauty. I’ve had to endure comments working on commercials where they’ve wanted me to wear lower cut tops or boost my cup size to be more “Britney Spears” or more “exotic” like (Yes, these were actual terms used to describe to me what they wanted). I’ve had to endure comments in which every male I interview…apparently “we banged” afterwards. I’ve also had to endure moments when I produce events by myself and the organization is shocked when I, a female, am powering the equipment and calling the shots–to which my reward at succeeding is seeing their shocked faces as if I just slapped them across the Fo’ Head.

I know in sharing my thoughts, I put myself in a very vulnerable position. I do not mean to make you feel like I’m being political or taking all of my sociology classes and throwing it in your face either. Let me also be clear that I am not a “man-hater”. However, I feel that there are far too many women in this world afraid of sticking up for themselves or staying true to themselves for the fear of being called a bitch, stupid, or useless. And this is why I’m standing my ground and sharing my experiences with you. This is the reason why I started my own channel–so NO ONE can tell me who to be or how to do it. Thanks to social media and YouTube, I am able to share my videos with anyone I want without a gatekeeper telling me “it won’t sell” or “it’s not trashy” enough. I can choose stories I WANT to do, or highlight GOOD in our community, and not just because I was assigned to do it. I created this channel because I LOVE personally connecting with people and I CARE to put their stories and important causes out there–it’s not about the hits. It’s not about “I got the story, so now I’m done with you”. I truly care about each person I’ve ever interviewed or collaborated with, so that’s why most of the time the people I interview end up becoming amazing friends.

Media can eat you alive, and I’m just trying to hold onto my values as much as I can so I never lose myself. Since the first day trying to pursue a career as a host, my #1 goal has been to never sell out. Many of you might be thinking that I’m in the wrong field, but I’m here to show other young women that you don’t have to be a “reply girl” or put other women down to get ahead (Thanks to NewMediaRockstars and David So for bringing those videos to my attention).

You can be positive, uplifting, and truly empower your viewers.

We absolutely agree. Read the original post here.

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