DISGRASIAN™

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Annabel Park

Name: Annabel Park

Age: 41

Hails from: Silver Spring, Maryland

Occupation: Filmmaker, Founder of Coffee Party USA

Known for: Partying down. In a moment of frustration, Park posted a Facebook status update rejecting the “disproportionally effective” actions of the Tea Party movement. She wrote, “We should just start our own party, call it the Coffee Party or the Smoothie Party—anything but Tea.”

For many people that would be a fleeting statement, followed naturally by something like, “Annabel Park is looking forward to a great weekend!”

Instead, the “Coffee Party” idea took root, and with the aid of Park’s producing partner Eric Byler, grew and grew and grew. No longer just a clever phrase, the Coffee Party has become a movement of its very own–one that does not attack government officials or constituents but the mishandled American political system. The Coffee Party’s Facebook page now boasts over 160,000 fans and the official site presents a bright call to action, asking Americans from all political leanings to calmy organize, debate, speak up, support candidates… civic engagement without all the petty fighting.

Through their online venues, the Party launched its first National Coffee Day last Saturday, which included meetings in over 350 coffee shops in 44 states. See photos on their Flickr page or video below:

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Annabel Park

Filed under: American Government, Annabel Park, Being Nice, Broken Systems, Coffee Houses, Coffee Shops, Cups of Joe, Eric Byler, Facebook, Filmmakers, Grassroots Movement, National Coffee Day, Party Founders, Petty Fighting, Polarization is So Over, Politics, Rants, Talking Like Civilized People, Tea Party Conventions, The Coffee Party, Viral Internet Trends

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Liu “The Invisible Man” Bolin

"Individual rights often disappear amid the roaring sound of the government's will."

Name: Liu Bolin

Age: 38

Hails from: Beijing, China

Occupation: Visual Artist

Known for: Appearing to disappear. China Daily just did a feature on Liu, a Chinese performance artist who camouflages himself into everyday surroundings for photographs using an awe-inspiring combination of paint and patience. Liu has created over 80 “invisible” works since 2006 and has been featured in museums across Europe and the US–one of the few modern Chinese artists to be recognized by the worldwide art market.

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Liu “The Invisible Man” Bolin

Filed under: Artists, Awesome, Beijing, China, Chinese Artists, Chinese Government, Enclaves, Expression, Liu Bolin, Performance Art, Rebels, The Chinese Government, The Invisible Man, Visual Artists

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Maya Lin

Name: Maya Lin

Age: 50

Hails from: NYC

Occupation: Artist, Architect

Known for: Making visual impact. Early success. Lasting Impressions.

Lin was among the 19 artists honored by President Obama on Thursday with the National Medal of Arts. The minimalist artist, who grew up amidst mostly white folks in Ohio and “didn’t realize [she] was Chinese” until her twenties, also designed the Museum of Chinese in America, which opened in NYC last September.

But what’s next for Lin? “What’s Missing?“–her new multimedia exhibit depicting our planet in peril, which will debut at MOCA on Earth Day, April 22. The accompanying site will also Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Maya Lin

Filed under: Architects, Artists, Brilliant Ladies, Chinese-Americans, Earth--We Have A Problem, Legends, Maya Lin, MOCA, Multimedia, Museum of Chinese In America, National Medal of Arts, President Barack Obama, The Art World, Vietnam Memorial, Visual Art, What's Missing?

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Apolo Anton “What Seven Medals?” Ohno

Name:

Age: 27

Hails from: Seattle, WA

Occupation: Olympic short-track speed skater

Known for: Championship bling. After winning his seventh Olympic medal on Saturday night, becoming the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time. Proving that the time-tested technique of Hardass Asian Parenting, via single father Yuki, can pay off in spades. Showcasing excellent hip control. Somehow being extremely hot despite a chronic case of chin pubes.

Apolo’s name was derived from the Greek words “Ap,” (“steer away from”) and “lo,” Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Apolo Anton “What Seven Medals?” Ohno

Filed under: 2010 Olympics, 7 Olympic Medals, Apolo Anton Ohno, Apolo Anton Ohno Most Decorated Winter Olympian, Asians and Speed Skating, Awesomeness, Champions, Chin Pubes, Dancing With the Stars, Everybody Loves a Winner, Excellence, Hardass Asian Dads, Hardass Asian Parenting, Olympians, Seattle, Seven Olympic Medals, Speed Skating, the Olympics, Vancouver Olympics, Vancouver Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics, Yuki Ohno

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! J.R. Celski

Name: J.R. Celski

Age: 19

Ethnicity: Filipino and Polish

Hails from: Federal Way, WA

Occupation: Olympic short-track speed skater

Known for: Making an astonishing comeback at the 2010 Winter Games by winning bronze in the 1500, after crashing at the Olympic Trials five months before, cutting open his left leg to the bone with his skate, and missing his femoral artery by one inch. Having a Hardass Asian Mama who believed in him, who raced out onto the ice after his accident and told him when he thought his Olympic Dream was over: “No, it’s not over, J.R. You’re going to be fine.” Becoming the sport’s heir apparent to Apolo Anton Ohno, who took silver in the 1500 to tie Bonnie Blair’s record of most medals won (six) at a Winter Olympics.

On that note…

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! J.R. Celski

Filed under: 2010 Winter Olympics, Apolo Anton Ohno, Apolo Anton Ohno Most Decorated Winter Olympian, Apolo Anton Ohno Ties Bonnie Blair, Asians and Speed Skating, Comebacks, Hardass Asian Moms, Hardass Asian Mothers, J.R. Celski, J.R. Celski Bronze 1500, Vancouver Winter Olympics

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Daniel Dae Kim

Name: Daniel Dae Kim aka DDK aka our Jen’s boyfriend

Occupation: Actor, Restaurant Owner

Hails from: Hawaii via Pennsylvania (via South Korea)

Known for: Making us quiver with love tingles. We like the way he votes, the way he eats, the way he drives (kidding), ooooooohlala obviously the way he looks–and of course, how brilliantly he acts. Praise be the person who finalized DDK’s deal as a principal in CBS’s Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Daniel Dae Kim

Filed under: Boyfriends, Carrie Ann Inaba Beautiful, CBS, Daniel Dae Kim, Daniel Dae Kim Lead Hawaii Five-O, DDK, Hawaii, Hawaii Five-O, Hot Bodies, Hotness, Lost

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! David Suzuki

Name: David Suzuki

Age: 73

Hails from: Vancouver, Canada

Occupation: Academe, Environmental Activist

Known for: Making TV science fun and accessible, and saying loudly to the world: “CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, FUCKERS” (in his own words). He doesn’t preach without practice–the David Suzuki Foundation has implemented a carbon neutral program, buying carbon offsets when action can’t cover it all. He also rocks a wicked grin and a bitchin’ beard–what’s not to love?

CNN’s Eco Solutions just produced a short, adorable feature on Suzuki’s method. (Listen: if you hate animals, forests, an emphasis on sustainable living, personality accountability and this planet, you’ll definitely hate the guy. If not, you’re probably an Avatar freak and Suzuki is your hero.) Take a gander!

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! David Suzuki

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AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Mirai Nagasu

Many Asian American athletes shined over the weekend in the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships–including 10-year old prodigy Nathan Chen who won gold in the Novice division, and siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani who won the junior ice dancing competition.

But the country’s attention (and the Championships’ official site) seems focused on the enigmatic Mirai Nagasu, who took home an improbable silver in the women’s competition, falling just short of the solid-but-flairless Rachel Flatt.

Name: Mirai Nagasu

Age: 16

Hails from:

Occupation: Student, American figure skater

Known for: Flash and surprises. Though she didn’t fancy herself an Olympic contender and hoped mostly to show her potential for the future, Nagasu competed beautifully in the Spokane, WA figure skating National Championships last week, nabbing a coveted ticket to the Olympic Games. She may not have bested the gold medal winner with numbers, despite a near-flawless final performance, but Nagasu quickly became a people’s favorite and proved one very important point: The future is now.

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Mirai Nagasu

Filed under: 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Amazing Teens, Competitions, Figure Skating, Flair, Mirai Nagasu, Nathan Chen, National Championships, Olympics, Rachel Flatt, Spokane, Teenagers, the Olympics

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Debra Suh

As you know, we’ve had the pleasure of joining hundreds of AAPI community members in a campaign to raise money for the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, an organization that provides very necessary resources for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. One of the benefits of getting involved with CPAF was meeting its extraordinary Executive Director, Debra Suh, a lawyer who has been working with the organization for over a decade.

Debra Suh, Executive Director of the Center for the Pacific Asian Family

Name: Debra Suh

Hails from: Los Angeles

Occupation: Executive Director of the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, a non-profit organization recognized nationally for its pioneering work in domestic violence and sexual assault in the Los Angeles Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community.

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Debra Suh

Filed under: Awesome Ladies, California Budget Crisis, Center For the Pacific Asian Family, Chase Community Giving Contest, CPAF, Debra Suh, Debrah Suh Executive Director CPAF, Do-Gooders, Domestic Violence, Heroines, Legal Aid, PSAs, Sexual Assault

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Ha Jin

Name: Ha Jin

Hails from: Boston, MA (born in Liaoning, China)

Occupation: Writer

Ha Jin

Known for: Telling the stories that no one else does (or can). Jin has published five novels, three books of poetry, and multiple collections of short stories–allowing him to stack up a gobsmacking collection of literary honors, from the National Book Award to the PEN/Faulkner Award.

The author just released a new story collection, A Good Fall, which explores Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Ha Jin

Filed under: Authors, Awards, Boston, China, Chinese-Americans, Great Writers, Ha Jin, National Book Award, PEN Faulkner Award, Professors, Short Stories, Story Collections, Storytellers, Writers

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Samsung Engineering & Construction of Korea

The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa (formerly known as Burj Dubai, only just renamed for the Abu Dhabi ruler and country’s president, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan), was unveiled today in Dubai.

Size matters

Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Samsung Engineering & Construction of Korea

Filed under: Big Buildings, Construction, Dubai, Excess, Georgio Armani, Global Financial Crisis, Samsung, Samsung Engineering & Construction, Size Matters, World's Tallest Building

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Jeremy Lin

Name: Jeremy Lin

Hails from: Boston, MA (via Palo Alto, CA)

Occupation: College senior, Basketball player for Harvard University

Jeremy Lin Knows How To Win

Filed under: Asian Basketball Players, Bests, Bright Young Things, College Basketball, ESPN, Everybody Loves a Winner, firsts, Hardass Asian Parenting, Harvard, Jeremy Lin, Pigeonholes, The Suzuki Method