http://www.asianweek.com/2008/12/09/blasian-perspective-discovering-my-african-roots/

In a few more hours you will vote. With the people running for office and the issues vying for approval stacked the way they are, your vote will contribute to a sea change in our social and political lives. For us, in a few hours we will know whether all that hard work and energy by so many people paid off and we defeated Proposition 8. We were part of a single focus effort to defeat that proposition and it was an eye opener. We thought we knew a little bit about politics. Belinda ran for office once, John helped, and we helped others run for office and supported other political issues. Nothing we have ever done, however, prepared us for this campaign. Continue reading…

Saturday Belinda came home with little voice left. She had been to a “No on Proposition 8″ rally at the De Anza College in Cupertino. As election day grows near, work to defeat that proposition grows frantic. And so does the opposition’s work grow frantic. Both sides are making their case with last minute television blitzes. The money spent so far is astounding. According to an Associated Press report, over $60 million has been contributed from all 50 states and 20 foreign countries. You read that right: 20 foreign countries. All this to sway 10% of the voters, the other 90% has already made up their minds. Even if California occupies a position as a bell-weather state for social issues, what is happening with and around Proposition 8 is so far beyond the norm that the only conclusion can be that a large nerve has been touched. Continue reading…

Please check out my latest column at

http://www.asianweek.com/2008/10/09/blasian-musician-explores-both-sides-of-his-roots/

and share with your friends and acquainances.

Best,

SRC

We are back from a vacation of several destinations, one of them Lake Tahoe. On the way out, we stopped at the Farmer’s Market at South Lake Tahoe’s American Legion Hall parking lot. Stepping out of the car, we noticed that the American flag was not quite hoisted to the top of its tall flagpole. John turned to one of the two old gentlemen who directs parking and said: “Somebody should tell whomever to raise the flag a bit more.” Angry eyes, tense face, snarled reply: “I did. He is one of them Asians. I wish he’d go back home and leave my flag alone!” Continue reading…

Having survived a hot August in San Francisco, I am now ready to broach - actually, drop a hint - about my next column. I will be detailing my kudos for another BlAsian work of fiction: “Honey Flava” an anthology presented by the legendary Zane. My support for a certain BlAsian Baby garnering your vote in the American Baby magazine cover contest will also be detailed. Of course, there will be more so be sure to read my column in the September 12, 2008 issue of Asian Week.

Sam

After running around Denver like a chicken with my head cut off and getting four hours of sleep a night for the past three days I finally got to walk into Mile High Invesco Field where Sen. Barack Obama would accept the Presidential nomination. I’ve watched events like these on T.V. for years, but actually getting the chance to be a person there, present and part of history — is a whole new level of surreal existence.

Continue reading…

It should come as no surprise that we are against Proposition 8, the proposition that would add an amendment to California’s constitution eliminating the right of same sex couples to marry. We are active in efforts to bring about its defeat. One the one side are those who passionately believe that marriage is a sacrament only for a man and a woman. We are on the side that believes that marriage is a sacrament of love regardless of sex and gender. The two sides are roughly equal in number, but about 16% of the electorate remains undecided. The battle for votes, or souls, is squarely directed at those undecided, the movable middle. Continue reading…

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If a family has a gay son but refuses to talk about it, is he still gay? Denial is still very much a reaction to news that a family member is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. No matter how many times we encounter it, and we even blogged about this before, this ostrich like behavior never ceases to amaze. We most recently encountered it again while planning our annual banquet for this coming Saturday. Continue reading…

“What is in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.”

You may remember from Lit. 101 Juliet’s famous words that made Romeo reject his family name. We don’t take a backseat to anyone in our admiration of Shakespeare, but here he was wrong, just ask any Asian or Pacific Islander who has been called “gook,” “chink,” “slant-eye,” “flip,” or any of the other slurs others use to refer to us. What to call someone or something is important because names come attached with meaning.

Continue reading…