1/5/12 Reflecting Back on 2011

BAYAN USA marching to the Oakland Port during the General Strike

Tonight, we bring you a special 2011 year-in-review show featuring:

• Eddy Zheng and youth from Community Youth Center
• Reflection on the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami with updates on the floods in Thailand and the typhoon in the Philippines
• Ellen Choy talking about the Occupy Movement, with a focus on the Bay Area
• Alex Tom of the Chinese Progressive Association, taking about Occupy, what Ed Lee’s mayoral win means to the Chinese community, and the unrest seen in Wukan, China
• Continued discrimination against the Muslim American community in New York and on the media
• An update with Anh Pham, her grand jury trial, and her response to the NDAA of 2012
• Lisa Chen of Asian Law Caucus talking about the California Dream Act and what campaigns they’ll work on in 2012
• Bernadette Ellorin of BAYAN USA looks at the issuance of the arrest warrant for former General Jovito Palparan and the calling of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to trial for human rights abuses
• Matthew Ledesma‘s commentary which challenges Manny Pacquiao‘s masculinity
• National Film Society, a new media studio co-founded by filmmakers Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco in Los Angeles
• And Irene Kao, executive director of Hyphen, talks about  independent media and its important role in challenging what the mainstream has put forth including Tiger Mom and Wesley Yang’s interpretation of Asian male-ness

Whew! Tune in!

6/9/11 Toxic Nail Salons, Deportations, and Healing

For this week:

Thanks to Making Contact, Guest Producer Pauline Bartolone and Correspondent Momo Chang take us into the toxic truth about nail salons, they talk to nail salon workers, medical experts, and policymakers on the move to safeguard workers’ health, and help salons go green.

APEX Producer Robynn Takayama explores the details and issues regarding the unique, yet universal, deportation case of Cambodian American Andrew Thi.

APEX host, R.J. Lozada brings in Hip-Hop artist, RJ Sin (pictured above), who’ll be sharing his music and information about the benefit party for Cambodian Community Development, Inc.

Community Calendar:

Youth Music Benefit for the Japan Multicultural Relief Fund
Sunday at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkeley.The Japan Multicultural Relief Fund assists underrepresented groups effected by Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. The project was conceived and organized by the Bay Area youth music duo, Bayonettes and other youth musicians! From the ages of 13-25, these young musicians are a diverse lot. Indie Rock, Jazz/Psychedelic Rock, and Folk, their cover tunes and originals will inspire you. Come support the efforts of these giving young, budding musicians while helping those in need! For more information visit their facebook event page

Laced with Tradition with Tattoo Artist Melissa Manuel
Opening Reception: Friday, June 17, 2011
(Exhibit runs June 17-August 20)
6:30-10:30pm
Join Manliatown for an evening of music, food, and body art! San Jose/Bay Area native Melissa Manuel will be present to dialogue about and share the body art which she has masterfully created. This event features live music from Dj Krucial.
Show up and show off your tattoo(s)! Find out more about Melissa Manuel at melchon.blogspot.com, and Manilatown.org

Rizal150: Bay Area Artists and Institutions Commemorate
150th Birthday of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal
The American Center of Philippine Arts (ACPA) and a collective of Bay Area Filipino American artists today announced a collaboration and exhibit to celebrate the life and legacy of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal who was born 150 years ago this June 19, 2011. The exhibit will be held at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center from June 20 to August 31 kicking off with a dinner celebration and fundraiser for the ACPA and the Filipino American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity (FACES) on Saturday, June 18. For more information to buy tickets to the dinner or to make a contribution, please go to philippinearts.org/rizal150.htm or http://rizal150.eventbrite.com/

The “spirit of Wisconsin” – working people standing up for their unions, their rights and their fair share of society’s benefits – is coming to the Bay Area on Saturday, June 18th at the 3rd Bay Area Troublemakers School at Laney College in Oakland. This School, sponsored by Labor Notes, brings together a collection of vibrant, engaged, curious and activist members of unions, worker centers, and community-based pro-labor organizations to share struggles, learn together about economic forces shaping our world, and kindle inspiration and solidarity. Workers from the Chinese Progressive Association and Filipino Community Center will be presenting workshops on the Campaign to End Wage Theft. Don’t miss it! For more information on workshops, schedules, and registration for the Troublemakers School, please go to www.labornotes.org/bayarea, call (510) 542-9436  or email schools@labornotes.org.

4/21/11 Japan’s Nuclear Power and Ethnic Minorities, Plus Emcee Senbei

Tonight, we offer a critical look at what is happening in Japan.

We talk with Hiroshi Fukurai, a professor at UC Santa Cruz in Sociology. He’s originally from Sendai, the epicenter of the monstrous 9.0 earthquake last month, and where many of his family still reside. He talks with us about the nuclear power system in Japan, the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s heavy hand on the media, and Japan’s recent passage of an internet surveillance act.

Also, Haruki Eda with the Japan Multicultural Relief Fund talks with us about an overlooked population in Japan, the ethnic minorities. We explore how they have fared through the disaster and what  some of the challenges have been accessing relief aid. To make donations, visit www.jprn.org.

For National Poetry Month, we welcome poet and emcee, Colin Masashi Ehara, aka “Senbei.”

And finally, Jason Jong talks with us about We Are One Island, a Japan relief concert and auction taking place at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center this Saturday. Performers include Senbei, Purple Moon Dance Project, and Dirty Boots, among others and it will be emceed by Kara Tsuboi with the Oakland A’s.

Community Calendar
Fundraiser for Second Harvest Japan: On Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m., 21 artists contribute their artworks for sale to raise funds for disaster relief efforts by Japan’s first and largest food bank, Second Harvest Japan. The lively fundraiser will be at Manilatown Heritage Foundation, 868 Kearny Street, San Francisco.

Record Release for Kawika Alfiche: Later that evening at 7 p.m., Hawaiian musician Kawika Alfiche performs at his record release party in South San Francisco. Kale’a, his second album, includes heartwarming eclectic music that will take you on an enchanting journey of love. Intramuros Music Hall, 101 Brentwood Dr, South San Francisco. Cover charge $10.00. CD’s will be available at a special price this evening only. Call to rsvp 650-588-1091.

We Are One Island: An evening of honoring, remembrance and hope, We Are One Island will be emcee’d by Kara Tsuboi (Oakland A’s). Offerings from the stage include performances by Marina Fukushima (Kunst-Stoff), Purple Moon Dance Project, Shirley Muramoto and Brian Wong, Michael Sasaki, Maze Daiko, RyuQ Murasaki Daiko, Asian Crisis, Sushi Cal Band, Dirty Boots, and Hip-Hop/Spoken Word artist, Coli “Senbei” Ehara.  A silent auction will feature selected, original works by many well-known folks from the API arts community.

Asian Law Caucus Dinner: The Asian Law Caucus holds their 39th Anniversary Dinner on April 29 at the Marriot Marquis in San Francisco. Show your support for the nationa’s first legal and civil rights organization serving low-income Asian Pacific American communities.

Join Us: Apex is calling on you! Do you want to be part of a dynamic team of reporters, activists, and DJs? Join our crew. We’re also looking for independent Asian American musicians to share your tunes with us. Give us your beats, your demos, your experimentations. Email us at apexexpress@kpfa.org

11/11/10 Mr. Hyphen, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Acoustic Karaoke!

We’re tuning our vocal chords and channeling our inner rockstar on tonight’s show (which will be delivered largely in song).

RJ Lozada covers the fifth year of Hyphen Magazine’s illustrious Mr. Hyphen Pageant and this year’s winner, Kyle Chu, who was crowned last weekend in San Francisco.

We highlight a benefit for the indigenous communities of Bangladesh, a country that has been rocked by the recent flaring up of decades old ethnic tensions.

Eloise dives into the benefits of everyday herbs and cooks with Daniel Eng from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and interviews him on his first book, Cooking With Chinese Herbs: A Guide for Students of Chinese Medicine.

And LIVE! in the studio we have Lou and Lenny from the League of Pogi Gentlemen (not to be confused with the League of PANGIT Gentlemen) for some acoustic karaoke, talk-story, and ukulele mojo. Come sing a-long with your hosts, Eloise and RJ!

9/2/10 Grace Lee Boggs and the First Voice Apprenticeship

Listen:

We bring you a panel discussion with Grace Lee Boggs and Immanuel Wallerstein in discussion at the US Social Forum in Detroit, which brought together more than 15,000 social justice activists from across the United States. Immanuel Wallersten and Grace Lee Boggs were on a panel moderated by Scott Kurashige talking about the state of the world, capitalism, and building a new system that is more sustainable and just.

We also discuss media activism and the power of telling our stories. Participants of the KPFA First Voice Apprenticeship Program join us to talk about the skills that they are learning through this dynamic training program.

7/15/10 Apex Recaps the USSF in Detroit

Photo provided by National Radio Project

Listen:

We talk with organizers from the Chinese Progressive Association, Asian Immigrant Women Advocates, and Making Contact about their experiences at the USSF in Detroit. How are these organizations building on the momentum of the forum in the Bay Area?

We also honor and highlight excerpts from legendary Grace Lee Boggs.

7/1/10 US Social Forum and the Fight for Broadband Access

Listen:

Welcome to APEX Express! Happy July!

On tonight’s show you’ll hear the first in a series of report backs from the U.S. Social Forum held last week in Detroit. In studio will be Ellen Choy, a core organizer with the Mobilization for Climate Justice West, and Jasmin Thana, a longtime organizer in the Bay Area.

We also have a special excerpt ‘teaser’ from the U.S. Social Forum. We were on the ground getting the sound, so you’re hearing it first!

Also included is an interview with Betty Yu, Network Coordinator of the Media Action Grassroots Network, on broadband internet as a public utility, the need for a non-discriminatory internet, the fight for communication rights in D.C. and how this impacts our communities.

4/8/10 Art in Storefronts Chinatown and Women Making Airwaves for Peace in Mysore, India

Listen:

Luis Cancel, the director of cultural affairs at the San Francisco Arts Commission, and Abby Chen, program director at the Chinese Culture Center join us to discuss the soon-to-be-launched “Art in Storefronts” program in Chinatown. This program will bring art installations to vacant storefronts and started last year in four neighborhoods around San Francisco: Central Market, the Tenderloin, Bayview, and the Mission districts.

Also, we speak with Preeti Mangala Shekar from Apex Express about her experience and reflections on a recent community radio camp held in Mysore, India. This camp was a training forum for women in community radio in various countries in Asia-Pacific including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Fiji, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

1/28/10 South Korea, Labor rights, US militarism

This week on Apex Express, we explore the threat to media freedom in South Korea, labor rights in Asian countries and organizing against US militarism in Asian countries.

On tonight’s show, hosts Preeti Shekar and Amit Pendyal talk with Tammy KoRobinson about the threat to media democracy under the new right regime in South Korea. We also feature an interview discussion with Sanjiv Pandita, labor rights activist and organizer with the Asia Monitor Resource Centre, a labor rights group based in Hong Kong. And, Women for Genuine Security is an organization based on justice and respect for others across national boundaries, Deborah Lee and Erica Benton join us to talk about WGS’s mission and programs.

Listen:

1/21/10 Angel Island, Apprenticeship Program, Utada

This week on Apex Express, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of Angel Island’s immigration station.

On January 21, 1910, 200 Chinese immigrants were shipped from the Chinese Detention Shed located at First and Brannan Street in San Francisco to open the Angel Island Immigration Station. About 500,000 immigrants passed through the island from 1910 to 1940.  Apex will bring you highlights of the commemoration ceremony which will be held at 10 A.M. at the Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco.

Also, we talk about the legacy of the KPFA Apprenticeship Program, a broadcast training program that has been bringing women and people of color into KPFA for over 25 years!  Tune in and learn how to connect to the stories of your community and be heard!

And win tickets to the SOLD OUT Utada show at the Filmore on January 24!

Listen:

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