Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki’s induction into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2023 enshrined his reputation as a giant in the history of AANHPIs, but that legacy had long been established over his long and colorful career. Rocky Aoki was a legend on many fronts. His main claim to fame was as the founder of Benihana, the restaurant chain that began with...
Forgotten history remembered: I took a Digital Storytelling class through StoryCenter that was held at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver, and this is the story I produced as a result. The focus on Hiroshima and Nagasaki have obscured in history, the months of firebombings and air raids on dozens of Japanese cities in 1945 before the atomic bombs were dropped....
I get it. I understand. Traveling to someplace you’ve never been, where the culture and language is foreign to you, can be challenging. I know lots of Americans–including some Japanese Americans–who’ve either been hesitant to go to Japan, or who’ve gone and struggled to adjust to the oddly familiar, yet unfamiliar, sights, sounds, tastes and culture. It can be discombobulating. That’s...
Even if you haven’t seen the opera, most people know the title “Madama Butterfly,” Giacomo Puccini’s famous work which debuted in 1904. More people today are probably familiar with “Miss Saigon,” the gaudy but popular Broadway musical based on “Butterfly” that takes the same plotline as “Butterfly”—American soldier stationed in Asia falls in love with a local woman, and returns...
Maybe not surprisingly, I’ve been a stickler for “authenticity” in food—especially Japanese food. I was born in Japan, and I’ve loved Japanese food all my life. I even wrote a book about the history of Japanese food in America, Tabemasho! Let’s Eat! I’m a foodie who takes #foodporn shots of many of my meals. I love all cuisines and seek out...
I had a blast talking to John Daub, a YouTube creator who runs several "Only in Japan" channels. He's lived in Japan for decades, and lives with his wife and son in Tokyo. He travels throughout Japan finding fascinating stories and telling them like a journalist, doing research and putting the subject of his videos into context for viewers. https://youtu.be/Zi1KdqWrnEc ...
We are in a moment. An important moment for Asian American Pacific Islander and Desi representation in American pop culture. The film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” received 11 Academy Award nominations, in categories including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, TWO Best Supporting Actresses, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The Internet, and especially the YouTube universe, is awash...
It’s been a long, sometimes lonely three years since COVID-19 arrived in the world and changed all our lives. For many of us, this holiday season may be the first since the pandemic shutdowns when we’ll be traveling to visit family once again, and dining with them. (Of course, we didn't know a historic deep freeze would disrupt nationwide travel...
Perspectives on Asian-American culture through the lens of identity, history, and experience
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“A must-read book that will delight you with its humor and amuse you with its insights; for non-Asian, a must-read book if you’re curious about what makes Japanese Americans tick.”
— John Tateishi, National Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
