I’m going to start with the bottom-line:

Vietnamerica is an utterly remarkable piece of American literature. Every panel is rich with painstaking effort. On every page, GB Tran has lovingly rendered the wounds and scars of human imperfection. It is an illustrated journey that pieces together the triumphs and tragedies of three generations, laying bare the history of Tran’s family in a manner so frank it borders on the taboo.

I met GB Tran last summer in San Diego. I was walking the halls of Comic-Con and in the cacophony of Wonder Woman costumes and fully actuating lightsaber displays, a simple poster caught my girlfriend’s eye. The title leapt out from the page: Vietnamerica. And I was immediately hooked.

On the surface, the concept of Vietnamerica is simple. Gia-Bao (GB) is a young Vietnamese American, born and raised in South Carolina. He’s largely indifferent to his family’s history until he travels to Vietnam with his parents. A passion builds in him to uncover the details of the journey his grandparents and parents took, from the colonial occupations of Vietnam to the fall of Saigon.

As a Vietnamese American, I grew up knowing very little about my family’s history. My apathy as a child was reinforced by my father’s reluctance to speak on the subject.

When I received an early copy of the book some months later, I devoured it in a single sitting. This is a graphic novel that broaches the subject of family history, in a deeply personal and shockingly visual way. The backdrop of the Japanese, French, and American occupations made the personal relationships achingly stark.

The final print version is stunningly gorgeous. Tran’s art has a vitality and flow that serves the story well. There are compositions that splash across two pages, strikingly capturing scenes of occupation, war, and the frantic scramble from Saigon.

It’s not always an easy read. The material itself is heart-wrenching. The pace of events sometimes rushes by with blinding speed, and the family tree is complex and interweaving, with separations and reunions split by decades. There’s tragedy, of course, but there are also beautiful, simple moments of life – intimate moments of friendship, love, and laughter.

If you have ever felt a connection to the immigrant experience, if you are born of a generation that benefited from the bruises and blood of the one that came before, then this memoir will resonate as literature rarely does. And if this is the first time you’ve looked deeply at the story of the Vietnamese diaspora, then know that this is the sort of grand epic that begins to make sense only when told through the words of people who lived it.

I’ve already bought a copy for my father. It’s currently available on Amazon.

Last week Racebending.com contributor Erikonil presented an overview of the history of the Los Angeles based theater group, East West Players as well as touching on their continuing work developing young talent both on and off stage through community programs and educational opportunities. This week we’ll take a look at their contribution to the television show that introduced us to one of the first American animation fantasy worlds in steeped in Asian culture.

Avatar: The Last Airbender was a milestone in contemporary children’s television for many reasons. It featured a world that wasn’t just made up with the superficial trappings of various Asian cultures for the sake of tapping into the current love affair with Kung-fu. Instead, it presented itself with a strong respect for the cultures it drew inspiration from, exposing children to Chinese calligraphy, historically accurate clothing, architecture and traditions. The animation team also brought in the Media Action Network for Asian Americans to act as cultural consultants, continuing a sense of respect for the cultures they were representing. Because of this respect and cooperation, Avatar: The Last Airbender also became a showcase for voice talent for actors of East West Players.

The names that most people will know off the top of their heads will of course be Makoto “Mako” Iwamatsu and Dante Basco, the voice actors for the characters of Uncle Iroh and Prince Zuko.

Mako was a long time advocate for Asian American actors up until his death in July of 2006, not only as a spokesman, but also co founding the EWP in 1965 and acting as their artistic director.

“Generally for him it was particularly hard, because he was an immigrant…. There was the linguistic challenge, but he recognized we needed more opportunities to practice our craft.”

George Takei, 2006

Born in Kobe, Japan and coming to the US with the intention of becoming an architect, Mako found himself drawn to theater. He gained a reputation as being an actor who could pull depth to the stereotypical roles that Asian Americans were offered at the time, earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 1966 for his role as the Chinese laborer Po-han in ”The Sand Pebbles”. To younger audiences, Mako is more associated with his voice acting work, not only as Uncle Iroh, but also as the villain Aku in the critically acclaimed Samurai Jack and as Master Splinter in the 2007 film, “TMNT”.

The voice of Prince Zuko, Dante Basco, is known to many by one name. Rufio. 1991′s “Hook” saw Basco as the leader of the Lost Boys, a role that secured him a place in pop culture and one that seems to be making a resurgence in part to fans of Prince Zuko taking a closer look at his voice actors work. He’s also lent his voice to another cartoon featuring an Asian American lead in Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long. Not simply an actor, Basco is also a poet, dancer and rapper, bringing all these skills when he performs.

The current artistic director for the EWP, Tim Dang preformed the role of Yan Rha in book 3 episode “The Southern Raiders”. Dang is a prolific voice actor, working on several series including Batman Beyond, The Wild Thornberrys and Jackie Chan Adventures . This year will mark his 17th year as the Producing Artistic Director with the EWP and he has overseen some of the largest growth the group has ever seen, overseeing it’s transition from it’s 99 seat black box theater to it’s new 240 seat house in the David Henry Hwang Theatre. He’s taken the group through critically acclaimed productions of Sweeny Todd and Pippen and is himself an award winning director. Be sure to check out Racebending.com’s interview with Tim Dang!

George Takei has name recognition that crosses generations and fandoms. In Avatar: The Last Airbender’s book 1, he voiced the Warden in the episode “Imprisoned.” His claim to fame though, is originating the role of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek, a character who was one of the first positive reoccuring roles for an Asian American at the time while also breaking the mold for how Asians were portrayed. The swashbuckling Sulu was created to be the antithesis to the stereotype of the unemotional, inscrutable Asian often seen at the time. Aside from acting, Takei has also been involved in politics, being California’s alternate the Democratic National Convention in 1972 and serving seven years on the board of directors for the Southern California Rapid Transit District where he helped plan the Los Angeles subway system. He’s worked steadily in television, film and as a voice actor through the years and as of 2005 has added gay activist to his resume when he came out in October of that year. He and husband Brad Altman have been active in the LGBT community as well as the Asian American community where the two of them donated their winnings from The Newlywed Game to the Japanese American National Meuseam.

James Hong is a founding member of the EWP and two time Avatar: The Last Airbender voice actor, proving the vocals for Mayor Tong in the Book 2 episode “Avatar Day” and as an Air Nomad in “The Storm.” His acting career started as a part time gig where he acted on his days off from his job as a road engeneer for the city of Los Angeles. Some of his earlest work was dubbing imported Asian films such as “Godzilla, King of the Monsters!” and “The Human Vapor.” His live action resume streaches over 500 roles on both television and big screen and include “Big Trouble in Little China,” Kung Fu, Big Bang Theory, Friends and The West Wing. His list of voice acting credits includes Ping in “Kung Fu Panda,” Chowder, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! and Jackie Chan Adventures among several others.

Daniel Dae Kim is most famous for his role as Jin-Soo Kwon on the hit show Lost, but to those of the Avatar inclination, he’s the voice of the overly ambitious General Fong in book 2 episode “The Avatar State.” Working steadily, he’s been in films such as “The Cave,” the television adaption of The Andromada Strain, Charmed and Angel. Other voice acting work includes the video games like Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Saints Row 2 and as the Metron in Justice League Unlimited. He’s currently signed to play Chin Ho Kelly in the television remake of Hawaii Five-O.

Lauren Tom is an Obie Award winning actress who has worked on stage, screen and as a voice actress, preforming in Avatar: The Last Airbender as everyones brainwashed tour guide Joo Dee in book 2′s Ba Sing Se story arch and as Amy Wong in Futurama. Getting into acting at a young age (17 when she joined a touring production of A Chorus Line), she cites being introverted because of teasing about her Chinese heritage as the reason she began acting. When she began working in films, she landed small roles until a guest spot on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson led to her being cast in the critically acclaimed “The Joy Luck Club” as Lena St.Clair. While her live action work has slowed in recent years, she’s had an upswing as a voice actress. She’s worked on several shows including Kim Possible, Legion of Superheroes, American Dragon: Jake Long, Codename: Kids Next Door and The Replacements.

Love the sight of cabbages getting smashed by wayward benders? Then you love the soulful wailing of James Sie, professional voice actor and voice of the ever put upon Cabbage Merchant! Sie has provided the voices for numerous characters including another Avatar character, Oyaji from “The Warriors of Kyoshi.” While he has done live action work on shows such as ER and Charmed, most of his work is with his voice. He provided the voice of the animated Jackie Chan and the villain Shendu in Jackie Chan Adventures, had reoccurring roles on King of the Hill and Justice League Unlimited. He’s also worked in video games including Fing Fang Foom and Radioactive Man in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Metal Gear Solid 4:Guns of the Patriots and in Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, he voiced lead character Dennis Isenberg,

Sab Shimono has the distinction of providing the voices for one of the nicest and one of the sneakiest characters in Avatar, those being Aang’s mentor Monk Gyatso and Toph’s would be teacher, Master Yu. He’s also provided the voices for Uncle Chan in Jackie Chan Adventures, Justice League Unlimited and in the movie “Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword.” A prolific stage actor, Shimono has worked both on and off Broadway with actors such as Angela Lansbury. In the realm of big screen films, he’s been in the acclaimed drama “Come See Paradise” that deals with the treatment of Japanese Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor and in several Asian American independent films such as 2008′s “The Sensei” and 2009′s “Americanese.”

Takayo Fischer is the voice of Princess Azula’s mentors, Lo and Li. The daughter of Japanese immigrants, she and her family were part of the massive relocation of Japanese Americans following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and she spent time both in the Jerome and Rohwer Internment Camps before moving to Chicago, Illinois. There, she attended Rollins College. She’s worked both as an award winning stage actress, in independent films and big budget movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “The Pursuit of Happiness.”

East West Players is a wealth of talent, truly putting forth many voices that tell of the Asian American experience. They tell of hardship, discrimination, triumph and cultural pride while still proudly embracing what it is to be American. Avatar: The Last Airbender was a way for many to participate in something that educated, entertained and brought an often-exploited set of cultures to people in a respectful way.

In April 2008, after learning about the casting of the The Last Airbender film adaptation, East West Players sent a letter to the production expressing their concerns and asking for a meeting. The letter explains that “a golden opportunity was lost to cast ethnically Asian actors to play the lead roles in this Asian-inspired story.” Unfortunately, their concerns were never addressed.

“To further cultural understanding between the East and West by employing the dual Oriental and American heritages of the East-West Players.”

That was the statement of purpose of Los Angeles based theater group, East West Players when they formed over three decades ago. Known as the premiere Asian American theater organization, they not only give Asian and Pacific Americans opportunities that they might not otherwise find, but they also involved heavily in numerous workshops to help young actors hone their skills through numerous art education programs.

East West Players was formed in 1965 with nine members that included well known and respected actors such as Mako and James Hong. At the time, it was a way for them to preform and cope with discrimination that many Asian American actors had to face on a day to day basis as well as in the professional arena of stage and film. From those beginnings, it has blossomed to a theater company that works with over six hundred people annually and who’s members have gone on to Oscar and Tony winning careers and whos alumni includes such names as Pat Morita, George Takei, John Cho, Dante Basco, Amy Hill, Alec Mapa and Freda Foh Shen.

Bridging the divide is the goal of the EWP and they do this by presenting performances that tell stories of the Asian Pacific experience. To accomplish this they’ve put on productions of theater staples such as Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters and Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeny Todd, original shows such as Christmas in Camp II (a show conceptualized by Mako and written by Dom Magwili, Mako and Keone Young) and adaption of traditional Asian Pacific stories and theater traditions like Ernest Harada’s Monkey and Karen Yamashita’s O-Men: An American Kabuki. With productions that range from drama to comedy and a catalog of shows that has both American classics as well as continually adapting new material, the EWP has an audience that consists not only of Asian Americans, but also a growing number of non Asians who now make up close to half of their audience. This in itself is a testament not only to the talent that the EWP develops and fosters, but also to the stories that they tell.

While not as high-profile as film or television roles, theater both on- and off-Broadway is a ripe training ground for young actors who might not otherwise fit the current “look” that Hollywood seeks.

Currently performing the role of Eddie in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia is Raymond Lee, a Korean American actor who has made an impression in his Broadway debut. He first got into performing while studying pre-med chemistry at Northwestern University. However, he decided to switch majors and was eventually accepted into the Musical Theatre Certificate Program. He came to a national audience when he preformed in the NBC talent contest Fame in 2003.

I landed the role of Eddie through a series of auditions as well. They had originally seen me for the show when I first moved to New York in 2004 but I guess timing worked best for me two years later. My agents, Nicolosi & Co, have always worked so diligently to get me seen for all sorts of parts and not just Asian specific roles, and the fact that they were able to get me into the round of auditions that allowed me to book the role of Eddie just shows how awesome they are.

Not just performing, Lee has also produced and directed performances for the Mamma Mia cast to perform in the annual Easter Bonnet show for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fundraiser.

He is just beginning to branch out into film work, he has been both in 2008′s Ghost Town and the independent film The Mikado Project.

NBC’s Fame is still his highest profile television role, although he did make a YouTube video as an audition for the hit TV show GLEE.

“We always wanted to have a diversity of voices because one of the things we tried to point out is that there isn’t just necessarily one Asian-American experience,…There are a multitude of Asian-American experiences.”
Keith Chow, education and outreach editor for Secret Identities

“I am not Asian American and at the conclusion of this book I couldn’t tell you what it feels like to be Asian American. I can say that I have a deeper understanding of the struggles and the identity issues that many Asian Americans must deal with – whether it’s once in their lives or on a daily basis. This work of fiction contains not just grains of truth but deep insights into how it is to live as an Asian American. Like any good work of fiction in any genre it consistently encourages the reader to think about others, to put themselves in the position of someone else and see that the fictional other, while they have their differences, are still more similar to us than not. If that reader has gone through similar struggles in their own lives this work offers an ally in this fictional world that they can relate to their own entirely nonfictional existence. Isn’t that why we engage with all of these words and drawings in the first place? That is a powerful thing.”

Spotlight on Comics

Tour Dates for the Secret Identities educational series. Check them out or submit your own school!

If there is ever a TV or movie version of ‘Chew,’ he’s got exactly the right intensity for the part and is this great mix of engaging and appealing and likable, while being a little unlikable at the same time—just like Tony Chu, who’s a guy a lot of other characters in the book regard as kind of a dick. At least, that’s what his own brother thinks. And his partner.”

The stories in CHEW are whodunit murder mysteries with Tony being forced to eat and taste everything from disgusting corner store coffee to eating part of a serial killer to find out where the killer has hidden the rest of his victims. And while the origins of the Cibopaths has not been reveled, we’re assured that we’re going to have many more adventures from this up and coming reluctant crime-solving foodie.

American Samoa is 6,000 miles away and has a population of about 63,000. It’s about twenty six square miles and has as its main industries a tuna cannery, public workers and small private businesses. They now, however, may have one more.

Creating NFL football players.

The most visible Samoan player in the NFL is Troy Polamalu, born in 1981 in California to Samoan parents. The Pittsburgh Steelers all-pro safety started his football career as a hybrid player and became the first All-American safety for the University of Southern California since 1989. While still at college, he also earned All-American honors from groups such as ESPN and The Sporting News.

In 2003 he was drafted by the Steelers, who had made an aggressive bid for him citing their belief that he would significantly improve their defensive line. He’s played for the team ever since. His contract was extended until 2011 and he’s now the highest payed defensive player in the team’s history.

While he has lived in the United States his entire life, Paloamalu still lives by the values that permeate through Samoan culture. He is known as a man who lives a humble lifestyle, preferring to spend time with his family rather than hanging out with teammates. He also keeps his hair long, which is customary among men in Samoan culture.

Palomalu has become something of a spokesman for the growing number of Samoans in the NFL, a growing number of determined young men who bring their traditions and determination to a game they’ve adopted as their own.

American Samoa: Football Island at CBS news

Talented players from tiny American Samoa are changing the face of football

Steelers trade for higher first-round pick, select Southern California defensive back