Asian Avenue Magazine - July 2013

asian avenue magazine

Connecting Cultures Linking Lives

July 2013 Volume 8 Issue 7

Asian-American

Priscilla Shaw has achieved success as an educator and bodybuilder by listening to the words of her Korean mother

Asian Americans practice public speaking with

NAAAP Toastmasters

Pacific Ocean Marketplace

opens new location in Aurora

restaurant peeks

Pho 79 + Sushi Mango

12203 E. Mississippi Ave. Aurora, CO 80012

Sushi and Japanese Cuisine 1028 S. Gaylord Street Denver, CO 80209 Tel: 303.744.0330 Fax: 303.715.0336

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Golden Shanghai Asian Restaurant

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1412 S. Parker Rd. A-134 Denver, CO 80231 (303) 743-7666 (303)743-9079 (303)743-8210

Dear Asian Avenue readers,

This month we celebrate two exciting occasions: the seventh anniversary of Asian Avenue magazine and the sixth annual Miss Asian American Colorado Leadership Program. This means that this issue is our 73rd edition of the magazine. We have covered such a wide range of topics over the years. And we have to thank the community for all of the support and encouragement along the way. We will be celebrating out anniversary with a casual BBQ on Tuesday, July 16. Hope to see you there!

Asian Avenue magazine has been supporting the Miss Asian American Colorado Leadership Program since it was founded in 2008. This year, ten young women have worked together for the past three months to attend leadership workshops, participate in public speaking activities and organize their own service projects. This program allows Asian American women to shine. At the Finale Show on Sunday, June 23, we will see the women showcase their individual talents and pride for their cultures. It is an enchanted evening you will not forget. We hope you will attend and support this year’s candidates.

Congratulations to this month’s Rising Star, Thong Phung, who recently received the Daniels Scholarship. He is such a motivated individual, who plans to study biology and open a clinic that provides health services to the homeless. Though Thong is only 18 years old, he is an inspiration to many. Another personal inspiration of mine is Priscilla Shaw. Priscilla is bi-racial and grew up with a Korean mom who instilled many cultural Asian values in her. One is to always work hard and push yourself to be your best. I can see how Priscilla does this in her everyday life, whether she is bodybuilding, eating healthy, teaching in Denver Public Schools, or volunteering in the community.

We hope you enjoy this month’s cover story presenting Asian-American books and novels. You may find some to be great summer reads! Lastly, exciting events took place last month, including the grand opening of Asian Pacific Development Center’s new space, United Airlines’ first flight from Denver to Tokyo and the Asian American Heroes of Colorado Awards Ceremony. Congratulations on all the great successes and celebrations we have had in our community!

Annie Guo, President Asian Avenue magazine

asian avenue magazine

staff & support

Publisher & Founder: Christina Yutai Guo President: Annie Guo Production Manager: Peter Bui Designer: C.G. Yao Staff Writer: Patricia Kaowthumrong Photographer: Trang Luong Intern: Akemi Tsutsui

advisors group

Patty Coutts, Donna LaVigne, Nestor J. Mercado, Sum C. Nguyen, Alok Sarwal, Peter Warren, John Yee, Nai-Li Yee, George N. Yoshida

contributing writers

Stephanie A. Aretz, Joie Ha, Mary Jeneverre Schultz, Brenda Velasquez

contributing photographers Curtis Eubanks, Kit Williams

on the cover

In this issue, we provide a list of Asian-American books, their authors and a brief synopsis. We hope this will encourage our readers to learn more about the Asian-American experience.

subscriptions

To subscribe, e-mail marketing@asianavenuemag azine.com. A one-year subscription is $25 for 12 issues, a two-year subscription is 40 for 24 issues.

Please make checks or money orders payable to Asian Avenue magazine. For details about special corporate or group rates, please call during business hours: Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm. Shipping and handling included.

advertising

Asian Avenue magazine offers businesses the most cost-effective way to reach consumers in the Denver/Boulder metro areas and beyond. For more information, call during business hours or e-mail us at marketing@asianavenuemagazine. com for our media kit and ad rates.

editorial

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To submit story ideas, letters to the editor, or listings for the Events Calendar, e-mail to editor@ asianavenuemagazine.com.

Asian Avenue magazine (ISSN 1932-1449) reserves all copyrights to this issue. No parts of this edition can be reproduced in any manner without written permission. The views expressed in articles are the authors’ and not necessarily those of Asian Avenue magazine. Authors may have consulting or other business relationships with the companies they discuss.

Published by Asian Avenue Magazine, Inc. P.O. Box 221748 Denver, CO 80222-1748 Tel: 303.937.6888 Fax: 303.750.8488 www.asianavenuemagazine.com

Asian Avenue magazine is in association with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

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July 2013 |President’s Note

Pho 79 | 1080 S Havana St | Aurora, CO 80012 Tel: 303-344-0752 | www.pho79aurora.com Pho 79 | 211 E County Line Rd | Littleton, CO 80122 Tel: 720-283-6683 | www.pho79littleton.com

Something for everyone!

Pho Egg Rolls Rice Plates Vietnamese Sandwiches Vermicelli Noodle Bowls Five Spices Noodle Soup Boba Drinks Beer and Wine Dessert

Visit our Littleton location!

Restaurant Peeks 16 Pho 79 welcomes pho lovers to its spacious and

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Asian-American books share the histories and experiences of Asians in the U.S.

July 2013

6 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival Features 7 Asian Avenue magazine celebrates its 7th anniversary

Spotlight 8 Bodybuilder and educator Priscilla Shaw shows

Stop by Sushi Mango to visit one of Denver’s best sushi chefs and experience his unique sushi rolls

On the Cover

Contents

modern Littleton location

a little hard work can go a long way

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On Scene Mile-high area events 18 2013 Asian American Heroes of Colorado are

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recognized at award ceremony and dim sum brunch hosted by Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network

United Airlines’ Denver-Tokyo flight takes off with a Japanese-style celebration at Denver International Airport

Opening night at Vintage Theatre is a success for Theatre Espirit Asia

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8th annual Immigrant Liberty Awards honors advocates for young immigrants Asian Pacific Development Center invites community to its new home in Aurora

Rising Star 9 Thong Phung is awarded the Daniels Scholarship

and hopes to open his own clinic one day

Inside Stories 10 Pacific Ocean Marketplace begins renovation

for Aurora location

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Speak up with NAAAP Toastmasters

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July 2013 | Table of Contents

21 National News

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22 Chinese Idiom

Going After the Trifles and Neglecting the Essential

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upcoming event 13th Colorado Dragon Boat Festival 13th Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival The region’s largest celebration of pan-Asian culture When: Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, 2013 Where: Sloan’s Lake Park, 25th Ave. & Sheridan Blvd, Denver Cost: FREE admission!

For more information, visit www.cdbf.org.

Photo by Kit Williams/Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

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July 2013 | Upcoming Event

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival celebrates its 13th year in Denver. CDBF is the largest pan-Asian festival between the Midwest and West Coast and is the premiere summertime family event in the region, attracting over 100,000 guests every year.

There will be traditional and cultural performances, educational exhibits and demonstrations on the Main Stage, Gateway to Asia area and Cultural Unity hip-hop showcase, as well as fun shopping and authentic dining at the Asian Marketplace and Taste of Asia Food Court. And of course, there will be two days of actionpacked dragon boat racing!

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is thrilled to announce the winners of our 6th Annual Image Contest!

Congratulations to Nicole Aubol of Greeley, whose image was chosen by judges as the one that best graphically captured the spirit of the festival! “My inspiration for this design was to take ideas from traditional Asian design and colors and incorporate them into my design,” she wrote about her submission.

Nicole is a graphic design student at Aims Community College in Greeley. “I have been designing and doing photography for the past three years, either for school or for personal pleasure,” she says. “My goal with every design or photograph is for it to speak to each individual person that views it differently.”

Nicole will receive the first-place cash prize of $300, and her winning design will be used in the 2013 CDBF poster and merchandise.

lets celebrate Asian Avenue magazine’s birthday

7th

On behalf of Asian Avenue magazine, we would like to thank our readers and supporters for another exciting year!

In the month of July, we celebrate our seventh anniversary and reminsce on the great people we have met and stories we have covered. Our very first issue in July 2006 featured the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival— the festival is now celebrating its 13th year!

Our writers have researched and uncovered a variety of topics. Here is a look at the cover stories we featured this past year.

Our 2012 Cover Stories: • January: New Year Celebrations • February: Asian Wedding Traditions • March: Asian Religions, Temples and Churches • April: Asian Health - Common Health Problems and Tips to Stay Healthy • May: 2012 Asian American Heroes od Colorado • June: Best Asian Places to Travel • July: 2012 Miss Asian American Colorado, Stephanie Vi Nghiem • August: Professional Leadership and Management Tips - Why Asians Do Not Achieve High Management Positions • September: Bizarre Asian Foods • October: Denver-Narita United Airlines Flights • November: Asian-American Singles Issue • December: Best of 2012

Our 2013 Cover Stories: • January: Parenting - Preserving Culture Through the Generations • February: Lunar New Year - Celebrations and Traditions • March: The Hmong-American Experience • April: The Art of Japanese Tea • May: 2013 Asian American Heroes of Colorado • June: Burmese and Bhutanese Refugees Resettle in Colorado • July: Asian-American Literature Next month, we will feature this year’s Miss Asian American Colorado winner. In September, our cover story will highlight the Nan Desu Kan anime convention which is the largest in our Rocky Mountain region. In October, we will delve into video games and trends in the gaming industry.

Our November and December issues have become annual favorites. We will again feature young Asian-American singles in Denver. And then poll the community for our Best of 2013 issue at the end of the year.

Thank you for continuing to pick us up and let us inform you about Asian-American news, culture, lifestyle, and everyone’s favorite—food.

Asian Avenue magazine is a community magazine dedicated to serving and giving back to our Asian-American population.

Cheers to seven more years!

You are invited!

Asian Avenue magazine’s 7th Anniversary BBQ Celebration!

We hope you will come celebrate with us at a fun, casual BBQ!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Cook Park 7100 Cherry Creek S Dr. Denver, CO 80224 (Between Monaco Pkwy & Quebec St) Cost: $10 to eat!

Join us for hamburgers, hot dogs, Asian food, fun outdoor activities, and cake!

RSVP to: asianavemag@gmail.com by Monday, July 15, 2013.

asian avenue magazine

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P Priscilla Shaw does it all.

Patricia Kaowthumrong Asian Avenue magazine

“

Priscilla Shaw credits her competitive edge and desire to fulfill cultural expectations for her multitude of achievements. The Korean American has worked in education for nearly 20 years and is a top five national body building competitor.

Shaw, who moved to Denver from Texas in 1996, works at Denver Public Schools as a Leading Effective Academic Practice (LEAP) Peer Observer. Shaw was a teacher for 14 years, a principal of a K-12 Ku’pik Eskimo school in Bush, Alaska for two years and an assistant principal at an elementary school in Brighton for one year.

Shaw says growing up in a family where her father was in the army and her mother was a first-generation Korean taught her to work hard and strive to be smart and successful.

“My mom grew up when there was one Korea before the war,” Shaw says.

“She was 13 when the war broke out and came to the U.S. in the 1950s, so her traditions are very Asian.”

Shaw became Colorado’s first National Board Certified Teacher in early adolescent/young adult music in 2002. A seasoned vocal and instrumental music instructor, Shaw’s choir students have performed at the Sydney Opera House, The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, and all throughout Denver for dignitaries and at special events, according to Denver Public Schools.

Shaw says her mother would always offer her advice passed down from her grandmother.

“My grandmother would tell her all the time, ‘In order for you to get ahead, you work while other people sleep,’” Shaw says. “So that’s kind of in me. Where I lack in skill or knowledge, I make up in tenacity or time— it may take me longer, but I’m going

to get there.”

Priscilla is the youngest of six siblings. She has also been influenced by the work ethic of her oldest sister, Hon. Judy P. Draper, who was born in Seoul and currently serves as Honorary Consul to Korea for the State of Missouri.

Shaw currently serves as the director of Frequency Chorus, an allmale urban youth chorus and the Denver MountainAires Barbershop Chorus. She is also the Chair for the DPS Asian Education Advisory Council (AEAC).

“You’re going to get paid for the amount of information you know,” Shaw says. “If you want to have choices in life, you have to know more than the person next to you. You have to know something that they don’t know.”

In addition to her achievements in the education system, Shaw has been a body builder for eight years and won the Natural Colorado Overall Master’s title in 2008. She decided to pursue the sport after accompanying a friend to a body building competition. Within a year of attending her first competition as a spectator, Shaw was ready for her first show.

“I just got hooked,” Shaw says. “And the rest is history.”

Shaw also enjoys playing on the Asian Tennis League and volunteering with the Korean Heritage Camp.

Shaw is also a sponsored athlete.

When she was featured as a “Featured Athlete” by Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in Highlands Ranch in 2011, Shaw offered advice to her fellow competitors.

“First, keep balance in your life,” she says. “You need to keep your stress levels down. Make sure you incorporate things into your life that keep you sane and bring you joy.”

Where I lack in skill or knowledge, I make up in tenacity or time – it may take me longer, but I’m going to get there.

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July 2013 | Spotlight

Dinner at Han Kang Korean Restaurant:Yoon Lee, Jinny Kim, Priscilla Shaw, Chun Ki-won (AEAC Keynote Speaker), Peter Lee

Rising Star: Daniels Scholar Thong Phung aspires YLA members volunteer for the Summer Art Market

Hinkley’s Senior Celebration Night

to support community through ethical medicine At the age of 18, Thong Phung has already gained hands-on learning experience for a career as an ethically-driven internal medicine doctor. Practicing basic surgery techniques in a Biomedical Innovations course within the Aurora LIGHTS program (leading high school students into health careers) and a participant in the UCD Pre-Collegiate Health Careers program, Phung has completed coursework in pharmacy, nursing and public health, earning the 2012 Outstanding Student Award.

“I’ve seen doctors mistreat patients so that they keep coming back and pay more money,” relates Phung, whose ethical esteem was rewarded with the Better Business Bureau Student of Integrity Scholarship presented by Mayor Hancock. Phung dreams of an upright career fueled by compassion-a dream inspired by internal medicine doctor John Wu, a Denver practitioner who received a 2010 Compassionate Doctor Recognition award.

As a member of the Asian Pacific Development Center Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) and a previous LIGHTS President, Phung has developed leadership skills along with ethical values, delivering community service in homeless shelters. With the help of his tutor, Mrs. Jean, Phung transcended the language barrier and received the Daniels Scholarship with which he plans to enroll in CU-Denver then transfer to Johns Hopkins for a bachelor’s degree in Biology and finally open a clinic extending services to the homeless.

When not studying, Phung exercises his musical talent as a pianist-a pursuit he began at the age of three in Vietnam, showing promise as the youngest first-place winner in a competition. After arriving in the U.S. with his parents in 2008, only child Phung

BBB Torch Awards 2012 with Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock

Brenda Velasquez

For Asian Avenue magazine

took a hiatus until day care owner and pianist Nobuko Flynn encouraged him to revisit his art. Phung joined Hinkley High’s jazz and marching bands, using music as a conduit for building emotional connections with his audience.

Born of a businessman and housewife, Phung owes his success to the support of his parents, his grandfather-a retired lieutenant colonel for the South Vietnamese army-and grandmother: “Without them, I would not be able to become as successful of a person today.”

Phung will continue cultivating experience this summer, shadowing Dr. Wu; afterwards, he will apply for a teaching assistant position at University of Colorado Hospital.

about thong phung School: William C. Hinkley High Hometown: Aurora, CO

Involvements: Youth Leadership Academy (YLA), an Asian Pacific Development Center youth group program funded by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association; Aurora LIGHTS program; IB Program; National Honor Society; Environmental Club; Hinkley jazz and marching bands Quote you live by: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”- Gandhi Three words that describe you: Thinker; Hard-worker; Inspiring Hobbies/interests: Piano; Swimming Dream job: Internal medicine doctor asian avenue magazine

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Pacific Ocean Marketplace to open in Aurora Leasing business space in shopping center

The long-awaited Pacific Ocean Marketplace in Aurora has commenced its renovation and expansion. This will be the third Pacific Ocean supermarket outlet in Colorado with two other locations in Denver and Broomfield.

By Christmas of this year, the renovation project that will take over a vacant Albertsons space is expected to be complete and the supermarket open for business.

The development project costs more than $9 million. This will be the largest Pacific Ocean supermarket in Colorado, located at 12203 E. Mississippi Avenue in Aurora. The entire mall strip is 100,000 square feet, nearly twice as large as its Denver location. The large area for the supermarket itself is also unprecedented at 54,000 square feet.

The remaining 46,000 square feet will be available for businesses and shops to lease. A design plan of the Mississippi Avenue Plaza will soon be in place for public viewing.

This is a special interview with the Pacific Ocean Marketplace Chairman Trong Lam. Asian Avenue: Congratulations on your new location, Mr. Lam. Chairman Lam: Thank you for your interest in this project. We are grateful for all the patrons that love our supermarket. We thank the local government, departments, banks, and Aurora Square for discussing and supporting the development of the supermarket in Aurora.

Asian Avenue: How will the new location be different?

Chairman Lam: The Aurora supermarket will be our biggest location. We will operate with a 37,500-square-foot supermarket for dry foods area. In comparison to the Denver and Broomfield Square shopping centers, the Aurora location will increase 16,500 square feet of space for merchandise, gifts, and household utensils. People who go to the supermarket buy almost all their daily necessities such as

Pacific Ocean Marketplace Soon to be Colorado’s largest Asian supermarket

Anticipated Grand Opening in December 2013!

12203 E. Mississippi Ave. | Aurora, CO 80012 Space for Rent Contact: Trong Lam at 720-394-5668 Steve Liang at 303-410-8168

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June 2013 | Inside Story

food. We are excited to meet the needs of all our shoppers. Second, the market has a large area for a seafood tank pool. In addition to lobster, crab, tilapia, and oysters, we will add more live seafood such as fresh shrimp and fish, in order to supply for our customers who like to eat seafood as well as upscale restaurants’ needs.

Asian Avenue: How do businesses lease the available space?

Chairman Lam: For rental shops, Lin, there are rental areas 800 feet up to 20,000 feet. We will also have secretarial answering services and shared conference rooms for rent. Sizes range from 240 feet to 400 feet. The space is especially suitable for business professionals.

The larger the area, the cheaper the rent per foot. We welcome all professional brokers to bring tenants to visit. We will pay for professional brokerages. There will also be someone to take care of the rental property, maintenance and management of the shopping center. They will facilitate communication with the tenants to provide better service. We welcome large banquet-style restaurants, snack shops and fine restaurants. Mall tenants will provide heating, cooling and electricity through the water for the shops, which will save a lot of start-up costs.

Asian Avenue: What kind of businesses would be best?

Chairman Lam: We particularly welcome restaurants for Korean barbecue, Japanese sushi, Vietnamese or Thai, or any Asian cuisine.

Other food-related businesses are fast food, sandwiches, or cold drinks. The mall area is also suitable for banks, telephone or electrical maintenance, beauty and fashion. Professional specialty shops such as wedding photography, leisure, gold and silver jewelry are also appropriate. Interested parties are welcome to visit the mall in Aurora or to inquire about the lease. Please call: Trong Lam at 720-394-5668, 303-936-4845 or Steve Liang at 303-410-8168.

Xiao Liang, NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters officer, won the 2013 District 26,Toastmasters Table Topics Contest, making him the champion of the entire district region. He was the only Asian American to compete.

Ivo Yueh is awarded Best Evaluator at a NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters Meeting on May 5, 2013.

Face your fear and join NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters to improve public speaking skills Mary Jeneverre Schultz Twitter: @Jeneverre

Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Every meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop for participants to develop and hone their leadership and speaking skills in a non-pressure atmosphere.

We meet twice a month, every first and third Sunday, downtown in Sakura Square. We are a dedicated group aimed at improving our leadership and speaking skills. We love seeing new faces at our meetings and encourage anyone seeking the same goals or want to network, come check us out! It is free for newcomers and we always have refreshments. www.naaaplead.toastmastersclubs.org

From left:Table Topics second place winner George Wine, Contestmaster Gigi Solante de Gala, first place winner Xiao Liang, and Denver Division Governor Deborah Frauenfelder.

T

he fear of public speaking is one of the top five fears of Americans, right up there with snakes, moving away from home and getting fired from a job.

Fear of public speaking is common. Anticipation of getting in front of a crowd, large or small, causes physical and psychological symptoms in them. Many people lose sleep the night before their speaking engagement. Others sweat, tremble, and even vomit or faint because of their fear of public speaking.

“I joined toastmasters to overcome two specific hurdles; fear of public speaking, and fear of not taking risks,” said Xiao Liang, who recently won first place at the regional competition in table topics, an impromptu speech with no rehearsal.

“Toastmasters gave me a platform to hone my speaking skills. The toastmasters mentality, and its friendly and invigorating club culture, offered a great platform to help me reach my goals through speech.”

The NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters, which started with 20 members back in February 2012, is sponsored by the NAAAP organization, and has a focus on Asian-Americans. “Although there are many “corporate clubs” that are sponsored by companies, NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters has broader appeal because it helps build and strengthen the Asian and Asian American community in Denver,” said Curtis Eubanks, vice Photos by Curtis Eubanks

president of education of the NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters.

The benefits of public speaking allow participants and club members: • Articulation of speech • Confidence in speaking • Networking among other professionals and peers “Often times in Asian culture, we are raised with quietness, safety, and stability in mind. As a result, we are stereotyped as timid and unvocal.

I wanted to break away from this mold and show our communities that Asian Americans can passionately speak, take risks to inspire, and succeed,” Liang said.

“Toastmasters offer an environment where members consistently challenge and sharpen you to become a better speaker, and ultimately a better leader. I wanted to embrace those challenges because they are risks that greatly drive personal growth.”

Eubanks echoed this sentiment of safe environment. “Benefits are the chance to speak (both prepared speeches and impromptu speeches) in front of a safe, caring audience,” he said. “The more you speak, the less nervous you feel.”

Interested in learning more about NAAAP LEAD Toastmasters, join Mary Jeneverre Schultz and her club members at the bi-monthly Sunday meetings at Sakura Square.

Visit www.naaaplead.toastmastersclubs.org for more information. asian avenue magazine

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Asian-American Books Japanese-American internment. Hmong refugees.

Female empowerment. Lost identities.

Common themes in Asian-American literature include stories of immigration and acculturation, struggles with identity and language barriers, and of course, family influences and pressures. This list only begins to scratch the surface of outstanding Asian-American reads. Thank you to our readers who recommended books.

For a more complete list of recommended books, visit: www.goodreads.com/genres/asian-american

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The Classic Asian-American Novel The Joy Luck Club (1989) - By Amy Tan

The New Outrageously Funny Read Crazy Rich Asians (2013) - By kevin kwan

The Joy Luck Club is a best-selling novel written by Amy Tan. In 1993, the novel was adapted into a feature film directed by Wayne Wang.

Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who’s “saying” the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money.

“To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable.” Forty years later the stories and history continue.

With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties.

Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.

Kevin Kwan was born and raised in Singapore. He currently lives in Manhattan. Crazy Rich Asians is his first novel. It became available for sale recently on June 11, 2013.

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry.

What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the ‘it girl’ of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick’s formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry.

Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

July 2013 | Cover Story

A Book Asian Americans (Sadly) Relate To I LOVE Yous are for white people (2009) - By lac su As a young child, Lac Su made a harrowing escape from the Communists in Vietnam. With a price on his father’s head, Lac, with his family, was forced to immigrate in 1979 to seedy West Los Angeles where squalid living conditions and a cultural fabric that refused to thread them in effectively squashed their American Dream.

Lac’s search for love and acceptance amid poverty—not to mention the psychological turmoil created by a harsh and unrelenting father— turned his young life into a comedy of errors and led him to a dangerous gang experience that threatened to tear his life apart.

Heart-wrenching, irreverent, and ultimately uplifting, I Love Yous Are for White People is memoir at its most affecting, depicting the struggles that countless individuals have faced in their quest to belong and that even more have endured in pursuit of a father’s fleeting affection.

A Novella, Turn Novel, Turn Movie The Namesake (2003) - By jhumpa lahiri

The Namesake is Jhumpa Lahiri’s first novel. It was originally a novella published in The New Yorker and was later expanded to a full length novel.

In The Namesake, Lahiri enriches the themes that made her collection an international bestseller: the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and, most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations.

The Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans. On the heels of their arranged wedding, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. An engineer by training, Ashoke adapts far less warily than his wife, who resists all things American and pines for her family.

When their son is born, the task of naming him betrays the vexed results of bringing old ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer by his Indian parents in memory of a catastrophe years before, Gogol Ganguli knows only that he suffers the burden of his heritage as well as his odd, antic name. Lahiri brings great empathy to Gogol as he stumbles along the first-generation path, strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs.

A Graphic Novel With A Twist American Born Chinese (2006) - By Gene Luen Yang American Born Chinese is a 2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature, the winner of the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New, an Eisner Award nominee for Best Coloring and a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children’s Book of the Year.

A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax.

A Fresh Female Chinese-American Voice Girl in Translation (2010) - By Jean Kwok

When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings.

Disguising the more difficult truths of her life like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family’s future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition. Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles.

Through Kimberly’s story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about.

Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant-a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.

The Korean-American Man of Two Worlds native speaker (1996) - By Chang-rae Lee

Native Speaker is the debut novel from critically-acclaimed and New York Times–bestselling author Chang-rae Lee. In Native Speaker, author Chang-rae Lee introduces readers to Henry Park. Park has spent his entire life trying to become a true American—a native speaker. But even as the essence of his adopted country continues to elude him, his Korean heritage seems to drift further and further away.

Park’s harsh Korean upbringing has taught him to hide his emotions, to remember everything he learns, and most of all to feel an overwhelming sense of alienation. In other words, it has shaped him as a natural spy. But the very attributes that help him to excel in his profession put a strain on his marriage to his American wife and stand in the way of his coming to terms with his young son’s death. When he is assigned to spy on a rising Korean-American politician, his very identity is tested, and he must figure out who he is amid not only the conflicts within himself but also within the ethnic and political tensions of the New York City streets. Native Speaker is a story of cultural alienation. It is about fathers and sons, about the desire to connect with the world rather than stand apart from it, about loyalty and betrayal, about the alien in all of us and who we finally are. asian avenue magazine

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The True Story of Taiwanese Food Personality And Owner Of Baohaus Eddie Huang Fresh off the boat: a memoir (2013) - By eddie huang Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir is an autobiography by American food personality Eddie Huang. The national best selling book relates Huang’s early life and rise in the food celebrity scene in New York, and his relationship with his Asian background.

Eddie Huang is the thirty-year-old proprietor of Baohaus—the hot East Village hangout where foodies, stoners, and students come to stuff their faces with delicious Taiwanese street food late into the night—and one of the food world’s brightest and most controversial young stars. But before he created the perfect home for himself in a small patch of downtown New York, Eddie wandered the American wilderness looking for a place to call his own.

Eddie grew up in theme-park America, on a could-be-anywhere cul-de-sac in suburban Orlando, raised by a wild family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) hustlers and hysterics from Taiwan. While his father improbably launched a series of successful seafood and steak restaurants, Eddie burned his way through American culture, defying every “model minority” stereotype along the way. He obsessed over football, fought the all-American boys who called him a chink, partied like a gremlin, sold drugs with his crew, and idolized Tupac. His anchor through it all was food—from making Southern ribs with the Haitian cooks in his dad’s restaurant to preparing traditional meals in his mother’s kitchen to haunting the midnight markets of Taipei when he was shipped off to the homeland.

After misadventures as an unlikely lawyer, street fashion renegade, and stand-up comic, Eddie finally threw everything he loved—past and present, family and food—into his own restaurant, bringing together a legacy stretching back to China and the shards of global culture he’d melded into his own identity.

Funny, raw, and moving, and told in an irrepressibly alive and original voice, Fresh Off the Boat recasts the immigrant’s story for the twenty-first century. It’s a story of food, family, and the forging of a new notion of what it means to be American.

A Hmong-American Child’s Medical Struggles The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1997) - By Anne Fadiman

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This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current Interest, and the Salon Book Award.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down explores the clash between a small county hospital in California and a refugee family from Laos over the care of Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy. Lia’s parents and her doctors both wanted what was best for Lia, but the lack of understanding between them led to tragedy.

Through miscommunications about medical dosages and parental refusal to give certain medicines due to mistrust and misunderstandings, and the inability of the doctors to develop more empathy with the traditional Hmong lifestyle or try to learn more about the Hmong culture, Lia’s condition worsens. The dichotomy between the Hmong’s perceived spiritual factors and the Americans’ perceived scientific factors comprises the overall theme of the book.

The book is written in a unique style, with every other chapter returning to Lia’s story and the chapters in-between discussing broader themes of Hmong culture, customs, and history; American involvement in and responsibility for the war in Laos; and the many problems of immigration, especially assimilation and discrimination. While particularly sympathetic to the Hmong, Fadiman presents the situation from the perspectives of both the doctors and the family. An example of medical anthropology, the book has been cited by medical journals and lecturers as an argument for greater cultural competence, and often assigned to medical, pharmaceutic, and anthropological students in the U.S. July 2013 | Cover Story

A Historical Novel of the Asian-American Experience Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People (2001) By Helen Zia

Helen Zia is an American journalist and scholar who has covered Asian American communities and social and political movements for decades. She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants.

This groundbreaking book traces the transformation of Asian Americans from a few small, disconnected, and largely invisible ethnic groups into a self-identified racial group that is influencing every aspect of American society. It explores the events that shocked Asian Americans into motion and shaped a new consciousness. Zia writes as a personal witness to the dramatic changes involving Asian Americans.

A Must-Read for Young Adult Literature (Ages 12 and up) A Step From HEaven (2003) - By An Na

A Step From Heaven is the first novel by An Na, published in 2001 by Front Street Press. It won the 2002 Michael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association.

When Young Ju is four years old, she learns that her family is leaving their small fishing village in Korea to live in Mi Gook. Young Ju has heard enough about Mi Gook to be sure the place they are moving to is paradise, that she and her family are going to heaven.

After flying through the sky for a long time, Young Ju finds out that Mi Gook is actually a regular earthly place called America. And it doesn’t feel at all like heaven. Young Ju’s parents struggle with several low-paying jobs, handicapped by their language barrier. A Step From Heaven follows Young’s life from the age of 4 all the way up until she is ready for college, as we watch her change from a hopeful girl into a hardened young adult.

A Story of Japanese-American Internment No-No Boy (1979) - By John Okada Set in 1946 in Seattle, Washington and written in the voice of an omniscient narrator who frequently blends into the voice of the protagonist, No-No Boy is about one JapaneseAmerican in the aftermath of the Japanese-American internment during World War II. Ichiro Yamada, former undergraduate at the University of Washington, returns home after two years in internment camp and two years in federal prison to the Japanese-American neighborhood south of downtown, where he wrestles with finding his place in society in the face of despising his parents and suffering occasional ostracism from his own community.

During the war, the government extended the offer to enlist to young male internees en masse. Few of them refused, and those who did were despised by many in the JapaneseAmerican community, who bestowed on them the name “no-no boys”.

A Collection of Female-Inspired Stories The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts (1989) - By Maxine Hong kingston

The Woman Warrior has been reported by the Modern Language Association as the most commonly taught text in modern university education. It has also won the National Book Critics Circle Award and has been named one of Time Magazine’s top nonfiction books of the 1970s.

A Chinese American woman tells of the Chinese myths, family stories and events of her California childhood that have shaped her identity.

Throughout the five chapters of The Woman Warrior, Kingston blends autobiography with old Chinese folktales.

What results is a complex portrayal of the 20th Century experiences of Chinese-Americans living in the U.S in the shadow of the Chinese Revolution.

Several themes that arise in the novel include: silence (both gendered and racially constituted); necessity for speech; the discovery of voice; the construction of identity and the search for self-realization; the mother-daughter relationship and the conflicts that it engenders; memory; acculturation and biculturalism; and cultural alienation.

A Slice of American History Told By Three Young Americans The Red Kimono: A Novel (2013) - By Jan morrill

In 1941, racial tensions are rising in the California community where nine year-old Sachiko Kimura and her seventeenyear-old brother, Nobu, live. Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor, people are angry, and one afternoon, Sachiko and Nobu witness three teenage boys taunting and beating their father in the park. Sachiko especially remembers Terrence Harris, the boy with dark skin and hazel eyes, and Nobu cannot believe the boys capable of such violence toward his father are actually his friends.

What Sachiko and Nobu do not know is that Terrence’s family had received a telegram that morning with news that Terrence’s father was killed at Pearl Harbor. Desperate to escape his pain, Terrence rushes from his home and runs into two high-school friends who convince him to find a Japanese man and get revenge. They do not know the man they attacked is Sachiko and Nobu’s father.

In the months that follow, Terrence is convicted of his crime and Sachiko and Nobu are sent to an internment camp in Arkansas. While behind bars and barbed wire, each of the three young people will go through dramatic changes. One will learn acceptance.

One will remain imprisoned by resentment, and one will seek a path to forgiveness.

The Inspiring Journey of Two Indian Brothers Brotherhood: Dharma, Destiny, and the American Dream (2013) - By Deepak Chopra and Sanjiv Chopra In Brotherhood, Deepak and Sanjiv Chopra reveal the story of their personal struggles and triumphs as doctors, immigrants, and brothers. They were born in the ferment of liberated India after 1947, as an age-old culture was reinventing its future. For the young, this meant looking to the West.

The Chopra brothers were among the most eager and ambitious of the new generation. In the 1970s, they each emigrated to the United States to make a new life. Both faced tough obstacles: While Deepak encountered resistance from Western-trained doctors over the mind-body connection, Sanjiv struggled to reconcile the beliefs of his birthplace with those of his new home.

Eventually, each brother became convinced that America was the right place to build a life, and the Chopras went on to great achievements—Deepak as a global spiritual teacher and best-selling author, Sanjiv as a world-renowned medical expert and professor at Harvard Medical School.

Travel Back To The Early 1800s Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans (1998) - By Ronald Takaki

In an extraordinary blend of narrative history, personal recollection, and oral testimony, Ronald Takaki presents a sweeping history of Asian Americans.

Most came to America and Hawaii with hopes and dreams of a better life. Many did not find it.

Takaki writes of the Chinese who laid tracks for the transcontinental railroad, of plantation laborers in the canefields of Hawaii, of “picture brides” marrying strangers in the hope of becoming part of the American dream.

He tells stories of Japanese Americans behind the barbed wire of U.S. internment camps during World War II, Hmong refugees tragically unable to adjust to Wisconsin’s alien climate & culture, & Asian American students stigmatized by the stereotype of the “model minority.”

This is a powerful & moving work that will resonate for all Americans, who together make up a nation of immigrants from other shores. asian avenue magazine

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211 E. County Line Road Littleton, CO 80122 HOURS Tel: 720.283.6683 Sun - Thur: 10am to 9pm www.pho79littleton.com Fri - Sat: 10am to 9:30pm

Joie Ha For Asian Avenue magazine

Pho - Vietnamese Noodle Soup

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July 2013 | Restaurant Peek

Pho - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup Large $8.45 | Med $7.45 | Small $6.95 Rare Steak | Meatballs | Flank | Tripe Tendon | Well Done Brisket | Shrimp Chicken | Veggie

SPECIALTIES Seafood Pho $8.95 Pho served with imitation crab meat, crab meatballs, shrimp, crab legs, and shrimp meatballs.

Appetizers Vietnamese Summer Rolls (2) $3.95 Seaweed Salad $3.95 Vietnamese Sandwich $4.45

Rice Combination Plate $8.95 Combination of grilled pork, beef, shrimp, and Vietnamese egg rolls served with rice, carrots, cilantro, lettuce, and cucumbers.

menu.

Bun Dac Biet - Combination Vermicelli Bowl

Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, first originated in Northern Vietnam in the 1900s as a result of the innovation and imagination of Vietnamese chefs. During the French colonization, western beef was introduced to the people. However, the French only used certain parts of the meat, and threw away the rest. Surprised at the wastefulness, the Vietnamese began simmering the remaining pieces into a broth, experimenting with different spices. Ultimately, after countless times of trial and error, Pho was created. After the Vietnam war, the recipe began to spread, becoming popular in South Vietnam and eventually in America.

Pho 79 in Littleton aims to bring a taste of Vietnam to its area. With its closely guarded secret recipe, it boasts a unique taste special to its brand. The broth is brewed overnight to bring out the rich flavors, and is constantly checked for freshness and taste. The manager, Ivy Ha, aims to provide healthy and tasteful Vietnamese food to Littleton, as well as support local organizations on their philanthropic pursuits. Pho 79 stands as a restaurant dedicated to spreading authentic Vietnamese culture and cuisine, while striving to be an upstanding business dedicated to building its community. It opened in March of 2012 and has a sister Pho 79 restaurant that has been serving the Aurora community for 12 years.

The restaurant not only has a slew of options to include in the pho bowl, it also offers a specialties menu with more popular Vietnamese favorites. We enjoyed the Five Spices Noodle Soup (Bun Bo Hue) made of rice noodle in a spicy lemon grass broth with steamed pork, beef brisket, flank, tendon, and chopped pork feet. This spicy dish goes perfectly with Pho 79’s boba drink or milk tea—and you have dozens of sweet flavors to choose from! The Seafood Pho (Pho Do Bien) is also a special soup entree served with rice noodle, imitation crab meat, crab meatballs, shrimp, crab legs, and shrimp meatballs.

In addition to the soup bowls, Pho 79 prepared the Combination Vermicelli Bowl (Bun Dac Biet), which is a mixture of shredded lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts, mint leaves and cilantro. And the best part, the bowl was topped with white rice vermicelli and a combination of grilled shrimp, pork, beef, and egg rolls.

The space at Pho 79 is larger than most pho eateries which is great for large families or groups of friends. It is perfect for any celebration or event because the restaurant also offers alcoholic beverages and invites patrons to enjoy its daily happy hour.

3624 Highlands Ranch Parkway, #203 Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Tel: 720.348.0773 www.sushi-mango.com

HOURS Mon - Thur: 11am to 9pm Fri - Sat: 11am to 10pm Closed Sunday

With more than 15 years of experience in Japanese cuisine under his belt, head chef Ray Huy Hoang has taken the top recipes he has learned and reinvented them to make the very best sushi concoctions at Sushi Mango.

The newly opened restaurant sits in the space of a former sushi establishment, but after a full remodel and a renaming, its doors opened as Sushi Mango. Why mango?

Because mangos are ‘fresh’. They represent what is new and original, the kind of food served at Sushi Mango. Hoang said, “We use mangos to make a lot of different things. We cook with it, it’s healthy, and it’s a cool and new name!”

Hoang has worked as the head chef in wellknown restaurants including: Hapa Sushi, John Holly’s Asian Bistro, Volcano Asian Cuisine, Okinawa Sushi, Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, and Taigun Japanese French Cuisine. He has lived in Denver for more than 30 years. During this time, he has gained invaluable experience working in numerous sushi restaurants, but his dream was always to open his own. Taking his learnings, he has added his personal flair into the items on his menu.

Hoang has a particular talent for the

presentation of sushi. He appreciates the delicate and colorful art of raw fish so much that he was even invited to design “naked sushi” at the Denver Art Museum—in which he skillfully placed an array of sashimi around human models laying down as sushi bars.

Sushi Mango provides traditional Japanese dishes, like bento boxes and yakisoba noodles, as well as fusion items. The sushi bar is located in an upscale area with little to no other sushi offerings around. Patrons love the casual and modern environment and enjoy the everyday happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Just thinking back to our visit to Sushi Mango makes my mouth water. The sushi rolls prepared

by Hoang were indeed delicious. The mango roll, filled with shrimp tempura and crab, was covered with a fresh and sweet slice of mango.

The bungee roll contained cucumber and avocado topped with baked salmon and yellowtail plus my favorite, cream cheese. We devoured the layers of spicy tuna and wasabi infused rice found in the Ahi Tuna Tower, tasting its cool freshness. The high-quality sushi was impressive and made the entire experience enjoyable. The first bite tasted as great as the last.

Annie Guo Asian Avenue magazine

menu.

Bento Box $9.95 Teriyaki salmon, teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken, shrimp, sushi or sashimi served with vegetable tempura, miso soup or house salad and steamed rice Chicken Katsu $10.95 Deep fried breaded chicken served with house sauce Diver Scallops $12.95 Big scallops pan seared with Asian guacamole Sashimi Deluxe $21.95 16 pieces chef-selected sashimi Mango Roll $8.95 Shrimp tempura, crab, mango and avocado Rising Sun Roll $9.25 Crab, avocado, baked salmon and dynamite sauce

Bungee Roll - cucumber, cream cheese, avocado topped with baked salmon and yellowtail

Ahi Tuna Tower - Layers of spicy tuna, crab, avocado and wasabi infused rice

West Coast Roll $9.95 Fried oyster, shrimp, avocado and mango asian avenue magazine

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Sixth Annual Asian American Heroes of Colorado Awards Ceremony

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Jie Zheng and Tim Higashide

Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (CACEN) recognized the 2013 Asian American Heroes of Colorado on Saturday, June 1 at Kings Land Chinese Seafood.

Hosting the awards ceremony was Fox 31’s Chris Jose. He welcomed Executive Director of CACEN, Annie Guo, to share a few words about the history of the awards. Celebrating its fifth year, the recipients were nominated by members of the community then selected by a committee of representatives from a dozen Asian-American organizations.

Rachael Outman presented a letter from Senator Mark Udall’s Office congratulat-

Left to Right: Christina Yutai Guo, Angela Cho, Dr. Suegie Park, Nai-Li Yee, Rachael Outman

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July 2013 | On Scene

Left to Right: Chris Jose, Namita Khanna-Nariani, Pam Sweetser and Rachael Outman

ing this year’s heroes. Following the dim sum brunch, the 2012 Miss Asian American Colorado, Stephanie Vi Nghiem, performed “Hero”, a song that proclaims there is a hero within each person.

The 2013 Asian American Heroes of Colorado were then presented a plaque and gift from Isle Casino. Peggy Moore introduced the first recipient, Clarence Low, who was unable to attend the ceremony. She accepted the award on his behalf and the audience watched a recorded acceptance speech from Low. Pam Sweetser, who nominated 2013 Asian American Hero Namita Khanna Nariani, in-

Chris Jose and Joie Ha

troduced Nariani to the stage, sharing stories from Heritage Camps of Adoptive Families.

Then Tim Higashide welcomed his mentor Jie Zheng to receive the award.

Angela Cho was introduced by her nominator, Suegie Park. And the Aspiring Hero Award was presented to Joie Ha, introduced by her sorority sister Lena Chhay. Lastly, the audience came to their feet while applauding for the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Kimiko Side, who has truly devoted a lifetime to serving others. Side was introduced

by Calvin Hada, President of Japanese American Association of Colorado.

Calvin Hada and Kimiko Side

Top: 2013 recipients - Kimiko Side, Angela Cho, Namita Khanna-Nariani, Jie Zheng, and Joie Ha.

United Denver-Tokyo flight takes off Annie Guo Asian Avenue magazine

United Airlines celebrates with cake in Concourse B.

United Airlines launched international service on the 787 Dreamliner with the inaugural flight from the airline’s hub in Denver to Tokyo-Narita International Airport on Monday, June 10. The daily flight marks the Mile High City’s first nonstop connection to Asia, a highly anticipated milestone in Denver’s history.

“This new nonstop flight will be a gateway into Colorado for Japan and other Asian countries,” said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The celebration opened with a Shinto prayer. Gov. John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver International Airport manager of aviation Kim Day, along with several United Airlines executives spoke to those gathered on the concourse.

Sushi Sasa’s Wayne Conwell prepares sushi rolls for the guests.

United Airlines 787 Dreamliner leaves Denver International Airport for Tokyo-Narita International Airport for the first time on Monday, June 10, 2013.

Theatre Espirit Asia opens the stage for Asian Americans Theatre Espirit Asia’s (TEA) inaugural season opened on Thursday, May 30 at the Vintage Theatre in Aurora with two one-person productions. Both double cast, each performer brings a unique take on the character they are portraying.

“Dust Storm,” which features Peter Trinh and Dale Li, follows a young Japanese-American male who was imprisoned in an internment camp during World War II. Michelle Hurtubise and Maria Cheng star in “Spirit & Sworded Treks,” a play about the struggles of a Chinese-American woman working to maintain a spiritual path. A third show, “99 Histories,” will open October 24.

TEA was founded by Tria Xiong and Maria Cheng while acting together in a production of The Joy Luck Club. For more information, visit www.theatre-esprit-asia.org.

Peter Trinh receives a standing ovation for his performance of “Dust Storm” during opening night.

Co-founders of TEA Maria Cheng and Tria Xiong welcome the audience.

asian avenue magazine

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Advocates for Young Immigrants Honored In honor of those who serve the young immigrant community, the 8th annual Immigrant Liberty Awards, were held at Denver’s Assumption of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The May 16, 2013 event benefitted the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), a local, non-profit organization that provides pro bono legal services to adults and children in immigration detention.

The yearly event is hosted by the Colorado chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a national immigration law bar association, and is sponsored by many invaluable organizations, individuals, and law firms, including Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, Elkind Alterman Harston PC, Ogeltree Deakins, and Stern & Curray LLC. The theme, “Dare to Dream,” honored inspiring and courageous individuals who have worked tirelessly to create equitable opportunities for education and advancement to immigrant youth.

Master of Ceremonies, Judge Kerry S. Hada, Denver County Court, welcomed the 330 guests to a catered dinner, silent auction, musical entertainment, and a performance

by Boulder Taiko.

The moving awards ceremony honored Senator Mike Johnston, for his work towards the Colorado ASSET bill, which provides instate college tuition to qualifying undocumented immigrants; Alex Alvarado, a young man from Mexico, who founded Asociación de Jóvenes Unidos; and Marketa Zubkova, a Czech Republic immigrant who dedicates her time to immigration reform, and is President of Inmigrantes Unidos de Gunnison.

Recipient of the annual Pro Bono Service Award, attorney Kimberly Baker Medina, a driving force behind Fuerza Latina, was honored for her commitment to providing pro bono legal representation for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program. Also honored was RMIAN Executive Director, Mekela Goehring, for her ten years of service.

APDC invites community to its new home

Denver Taiko performs at the APDC open house

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July 2013 | On Scene

Stephanie A. Aretz Attorney, Aretz & Heise Immigration

Christine Wanifuchi, Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan and Rudolph Lie cut the ribbon

Honoree Senator Mike Johnston accepts his award

Master of Ceremonies Judge Kerry S. Hada, Denver County Court speaks at the ceremony

Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) opened its doors to the community on Friday, June 14. Its open house celebration brought hundreds of attendees to its new location at 1537 Alton Street in Aurora.

The event began with welcome speeches by Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, APDC founder and retired psychologist Rudolph Lie and attorney Byeongsook Seo who has been working on the Capital Campaign organizing funds for the new community center.

APDC’s CEO Christine Wanifuchi, shared her excitement with the crowd as she prepared for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu performed a fantastic lion dance and Denver Taiko captivated the audience with their drums. Food from various cultures were also provided making this one of the most exciting events in the history of Colorado’s Asian community. For more information, visit www.apdc.org.

Best High Schools in Colorado

National News

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Senate immigration bill clears first hurdle and debate begins

he U.S. Senate voted 82 to 15 to proceed with overhauling the nation’s immigration laws and begin weeks of debate on a comprehensive immigration bill put forward in the Upper House.

Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a sponsor of the bill and a member of the Gang of Eight who drafted the legislation, said the overwhelming vote starts the measure off on the right foot, “We readily admit this bill is not perfect and can be improved,” Schumer said,

Indian-American teen wins spelling title

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n Indian-American teenager from New York has overcome a competition of 11 million children from eight countries, and a dread of German-derived words to win a highly popular spelling competition.

Arvind Mahankali correctly spelled the word, “knaidel”, a type of dumpling better known as matzah ball, emerging as champion of the 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee in the state of Maryland.

He took home $30,000 in cash prize and $2,500 US savings bond along with a huge cup-shaped trophy.

adding that fixing the current system allows illegal immigrants to join American society on “our terms.”

Critics have cast the bill off, arguing that it is not tough on border security. To that, the senator has said, “If you have a better way, tell us.”

Immigration reform is a priority for both parties in Washington and so far is one example of bipartisanship this year on major legislation in a sharply divided Congress.

here are 83 Colorado schools ranked in 2013 among the U.S. News Best High Schools. Colorado tests students via state assessments that cover math, reading, writing and science. Colorado has programs to help homeless students, create drug-free schools and promote nutrition education.

Top 10 Ranked CO Schools: ● Peak to Peak Charter School 800 Merlin Dr, Lafayette, CO 80026 ● Ridgeview Classical Schools 1800 S. Lemay Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525 ● The Vanguard School 1832 S. Wahsatch, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 ● Telluride High School 725 W. Colorado Ave, Telluride, CO 81435 ● D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School 10359 W. Nassau Ave, Denver, CO 80235 ● Denver Center for International Studies 574 W. 6th Ave, Denver, CO 80204 ● Fairview High School 1515 Greenbriar Blvd, Boulder, CO 80305 ● Denver School of the Arts 7111 Montview Blvd, Denver, CO 80220 ● Denver School of Science and Technology 2000 Valencia St, Denver, CO 80235 ● Cherry Creek High School 9300 E. Union Ave, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 For more information, visit www.usnews. com/education/best-high-schools/colorado.

South Asian American Designers with Strong Ties to Home Make Their Mark Photo illustration

by BoF

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group of South Asian American designers, hailing from India and Nepal, have leveraged their close ties to home to help build their brands and businesses. As first generation immigrants, the designers have created their own fashion labels.

Prabal Gurung, winner of the 2011 CFDA Swarovski award for womenswear and a favorite of Michelle Obama, was raised in Kath-

mandu, Nepal. Bibhu Mohapatra, an Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award-winner, hails from Odisha, a state on the east coast of India. Red carpet favorite Naeem Khan, who dressed Mrs. Obama for her virtual Oscar appearance, was born in Mumbai. And newly anointed CFDA members Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia were raised, respectively, in Mumbai and New Delhi. asian avenue magazine

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Going After the Trifles and Neglecting the Essential

Meaning reversing the order of importance and priority

捨本逐末 King Xiangwang of the state of Qi sent an envoy with a letter to offer greetings to the Queen Mother of Zhao. The Queen Mother took the letter. But before opening it she asked the envoy, “How is the harvest in your country this year? Are the people living and working in peace and happiness? How is the King?”

On hearing her questions, the envoy appeared displeased. “I have been sent by the king to offer greetings to the Queen Mother,” said he. “Your Majesty should have asked after the King first. And yet Your Majesty first asked about the harvest and the livelihood of the people. Is this not deliberately slighting the King?”

The Queen Mother explained to him: “Think. If there is no good harvest, where will the people be? If there are no people, where will the King be? Going after the trifles and neglecting the essential.

That was what happened in the past. Was that normal?”

- Anecdotes of the Warring States

America’s Only Downtown Theme & Water Park

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July 2013 | Chinese Idiom

Calligraphy by Harrison X. Tu, Confucius Classroom in Denver

Professional Media Production hand-crafted for up-and-coming Music Artists

www.solanemedia.com | (720) 239-2061

ASIAN CUISINE Volcano Asian Cuisine 10440 E. Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80112 Tel: 303-662-8111 | www.volcanoasiancuisine.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

SUPERMARKET M Mart 2000 S. Havana St. Aurora, CO 80014 Tel: 303-695-4803

Jaya Asian Grill 1699 S. Colorado Blvd. #B Denver, CO 80222 Tel: 303-757-7887 | www.jayagrill.com

Star Kitchen Seafood Restaurant 2917 W. Mississippi Ave.Denver, CO 80219 Tel: 303-936-0089 | www.starkitchendenver.com

Pacific Ocean Market Place 6600 W. 120th Ave. Broomfield, CO 80020 Tel: 303-410-8168

John Holly’s Asian Bistro 2422 S. Downing St. Denver, CO 80210 Tel: 303-722-8686

JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Pacific Ocean International Supermarket 2200 W. Alameda Ave. #2B Denver, CO 80223 Tel: 303-936-4845

Japon Sushi and Japanese Cuisine 1028 S. Gaylord St. Denver, CO 80209 Tel: 303-744-0330 | www.japonsushi.com

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Celestial Bakery, Deli & BBQ 333 S. Federal Blvd. #128 Denver, CO 80219 Tel: 303-936-2339

Sumo Sushi - All You Can Eat Sushi 2353 S. Havana St. | Aurora, CO 80014 Tel: 303-695-7787

Pho Ta 2200 W. Alameda Ave. #38 Denver, CO 80223 Tel: 303-922-7888 | www.photausa.com

Vinh Xuong Bakery 2370 W. Alameda Ave. #15 Denver, CO 80223 Tel: 303-922-0999

KOREAN RESTAURANT

Pho Mai 6765 W 120th Ave. Broomfield, CO 80020 Tel: 303-466-6346 | www.phomairestaurant.com

BAKERY

BOBA/CAFE

Seoul Korean BBQ Restaurant 2080 S. Havana St. Aurora, CO 80014 Tel: 303-632-7576 | www.seoulkoreanbbq.com

Lollicup 1589 S Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80222 Tel: 303-504-6022 | www.lollicupdenver.com

Seoul BBQ & Sushi 2 311 West 104th Ave. Northglenn, CO 80234 Tel: 303-280-3888

CHINESE RESTAURANT

SPA/MASSAGE

China Taipei Chinese Restaurant 8100 S. Quebec St. #B-14 Centennial, CO 80112 Tel: 303-773-0155

Vogue Day Spa 2760 S. Havana St. #OP Aurora, CO 80014 Tel: 303-752-6606 | www.voguespa2.com

Empress Seafood Dim Sum Restaurant 2825 W. Alameda Ave. Denver, CO 80219

Tel: 303-922-2822

HYL Massage 3945 E. 120th Ave. #B Thornton, CO 80233 Tel: 720-929-2222

Red Coral Restaurant 1591 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80222 Tel: 303-758-7610

Min’s Massage 2200 W Alameda Ave. Denver, CO 80223 Tel: 303-936-6265

Make your search for a dream home a reality!

Get the best Denver real estate advice available, see a better property search, find homes quicker, and attain market knowledge and statistics of neighborhoods Tony Touch | Real Estate Agent Porchlight Real Estate Group Tel: 303.905.2830 E-mail: tony@porchlightgroup.com Web: www.ttregroup.com

YOUR SOURCE FOR SUSHI-GRADE FISH FOR OVER

Humble table, wise fare

By Venerable Master Hsing Yun

A smile is the most beautiful color in the world; praise is the best sound in the world.

Miracle Touch

Massage & Reflexology 30 min Foot Massage $15 30 min Back Massage $20 60 min Foot & Back Massage $25 60 min Back Massage$35 Our massages soothe aches and relax your body. Restore balance and rejuvenate your energy at an affordable price!

Mon - Sun: 10am to 10pm 1004 S. Federal Blvd. Denver, CO 80219 Tel: 303-936-3888

SINCE 1944

PACIFIC MERCANTILE COMPANY

65 YEARS

Fine Asian Foods & Gifts

www.pacificeastwest.com

Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00AM - 6:00PM, Sunday 9:00AM - 2:00PM 1925 Lawrence Street, Denver, CO 80202 | Phone:303-295-0293 | FAX:303-295-2753

HYL Health-Youth-Life Foot and Body Massage

Foot Massage 60 min $25 Full Body Oil Massage 60 min $30 Deep Tissue Massage 60 min $39.99

and MORE!

720.929.2222 www.HYL-MASSAGE.com

3945-B East 120th Ave. • Thornton, CO 80233 • Mission Trace Shopping Center

Expires: 07/13/2013

Open 7 days a week • Appointments/Walk-Ins Welcome

All-You-Can-Eat

CrAb lEgs

Seven Nights A Week At Calypso’s Buffet ®

Biggest and best in Black Hawk Sunday through Thursday 3:30pm to 10:00pm

Friday and Saturday 3:30pm to 11:00pm

buY OnE, gEt OnE FrEE buFFEt

Offer valid through July 31, 2013.

Offer is not valid on 7/4 – 7/7/13.

Please have offer validated at the player’s club or cashier services. Must be 21 and have a player’s card to redeem.

401 Main Street • Black Hawk, CO 80422 1-800-THE-ISLE (843-4753) • www.theisleblackhawk.com © 2013 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Must be 21 and have a IsleOne ® card. Not valid with any other offer.

Valid only at Isle Black Hawk. Gratuity is not included. Limit of one coupon per person per day.

Management reserves all rights. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.

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