"Hatsune Miku, DTM, and Niconico: Exploring Media Ecosystems in Contemporary Japan and Beyond," March 31 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Keisuke Yamada and "Hatsune Miku, DTM, and Niconico: Exploring Media Ecosystems in Contemporary Japan and Beyond" on March 31.

In the virtual presentation, Dr. Yamada discusses the Vocaloid and DTM (desktop music) phenomena through the lenses of media and fan studies, looking at online social media platforms, the new technology for composing, and fans of the Vocaloid character. He provides a sense of how interactive new media and an empowered fan base combine to engage in the creation processes and enhance the circulation of Vocaloid works. The question of how today’s DTM culture expands in scale hinges upon such lively collaborations and interconnections, not just between individuals, but also among individuals, technologies, and distribution infrastructures.

The talk starts at 6:30 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

"Salon Conversation with Cathy Park Hong," March 24 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Carnegie Mellon University's Miller Institute for Creative Art will present "Salon Conversation with Cathy Park Hong" on March 24.

Questions for Cathy Park Hong can be emailed in advance of the event at miller-ica@andrew.cmu.edu

This conversation between facilitator Dana Bishop-Root and writer Cathy Park Hong, will continue the Miller ICA salon series of conversations with individuals who imagine and actualize possibility on the other side of the pandemic portal.

Cathy Park Hong’s book of creative nonfiction, Minor Feelings, was published in Spring 2020 by One World/Random House (US) and Profile Books (UK). Minor Feelings is a ruthlessly honest, emotionally charged, and utterly original exploration of Asian American consciousness and the struggle to be human. The book has garnered praise from literary legends such as Claudia Rankine who said, “Cathy Park Hong’s brilliant, penetrating and unforgettable Minor Feelings is what was missing on our shelf of classics....To read this book is to become more human.”

Cathy Park Hong is also the author of poetry collections Engine Empire, published in 2012 by W.W. Norton, Dance Dance Revolution, chosen by Adrienne Rich for the Barnard Women Poets Prize, and Translating Mo'um. Hong is the recipient of the Windham-Campbell Prize, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Her prose and poetry have been published in the New York Times, New Republic, the Guardian, Paris Review, Poetry, and elsewhere. She is the poetry editor of the New Republic and is a full professor at Rutgers-Newark University.

Dana Bishop-Root lives in gratitude, is guided by relationships, listening deep and expansive possibilities with an ever present commitment to justice. She is the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Carnegie Museum of Art, a founding member of General Sisters, Transformazium and a huge advocate for the Braddock Carnegie Library Association.

The online event runs from 7:30 to 8:30 pm and registration is required.

UPPDA Coffee Hour: Addressing Anti-Asian Racism at Pitt, March 26.

The University of Pittsburgh Post Doctoral Association (UPPDA) will host "UPPDA Coffee Hour: Addressing Anti-Asian Racism at Pitt" on March 26.

At the University of Pittsburgh, we are dedicated towards supporting Asian postdocs and faculty during this difficult time. UPPDA will be hosting a Coffee Hour this Friday, March 26th at 5PM, dedicated to addressing anti-Asian racism at Pittsburgh and in our society. Daniel Jacobson López, Chair of Diversity and Inclusion, will be available to respond to any inquiries and communications regarding this imperative matter. Daniel is a trained anti-bias facilitator with the Anti-Defamation League and Licensed Social Worker.

The onilne event runs from 5:00 to 6:00 pm and advance registration is required.

"Pittsburgh Rally for Solidarity," March 24 on Flagstaff Hill.

"Pittsburgh Rally for Solidarity" is scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, starting at Flagstaff Hill and moving to Schenley Plaza in Oakland.

Meet at Flagstaff Hill (Across from Phipps Conservatory) 3:00pm
3:00pm Sign Making
4:00pm Rally Begins
4:15pm Speakers
4:45pm March to Schenley Plaza
(8 mins of silence for the 8 victims)
5:30pm Closing Remarks

Community members in Allegheny County: join us in solidarity with organizers from marginalized communities as we continue their legacies and uphold their work. Violence against Asian/Asian Americans is not new, and it is rooted in the same state-sanctioned sources of harm that impact all of our communities, including racism, xenophobia, sexism, police, white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy.

"Between Poetry and Performance: Turning Emotion into Visual Metaphor with Danny Cho," March 29.

Looking ahead to next March, the City of Asylum presents "Turning Emotion into Visual Metaphor with Danny Cho" as part of its Between Poetry and Performance series on March 29.

Participants will bring a poem and we’ll reflect on what emotion each part of the poem emits. Then, according to the emotions, animator Danny Cho will lead participants in creating a series of illustrations that represent these emotions and help ideate how to animate them.

This interactive workshop is open to all. The workshop will be held on Zoom, and space is limited. Participants should have a poem to work with, writing utensils, headphones, and an internet connection. Participants will receive the meeting link in a reminder email in the days preceding this workshop. There is no cost to attend.

Danny Cho is a designer who wants to create wholesome giggles and awe. 2D and 3D motion graphics are his main medium of choice. He has created motion works for branded experiences, explaining concepts for a machine learning algorithm, and is currently leading the motion team for Lunar Gala, a student-led annual fashion show held at CMU. Graduating from CMU as a Bachelor of Design with a minor in Human Computer Interaction in May 2021.

Between Poetry and Performance is a virtual workshop series curated by Paloma Sierra, Emerging Poet Laureate of Allegheny County. The series invites writers of all experience levels to reimagine poetry through theater and film. How can these two mediums help us reclaim our voices, speak our minds, and connect with others? How do we push our words into motion, and thrust poetry towards action?

THe event runs from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Food delivery service Hungry Panda hiring Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for Pittsburgh area.

Hungry Panda is hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for the Pittsburgh area. As PennsylvAsia noted last summer, more Chinese delivery options, like Fantuan and Chowbus, are making their way to Pittsburgh.

About us

HungryPanda is a Chinese food delivery platform established in the UK, which has covered the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada. It aims to build the most professional Chinese food delivery platform overseas for international students and overseas Chinese. The company has 60+ offices and branches around the world, with more than 600 employees.

"'Authors and Anecdotes' Book Club: Featuring Adrienne Su," April 8 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh will host Adrienne Su in an upcoming installment of its "Authors and Anecdotes" series on April 8.

Join this week's featured author, Adrienne Su, in our virtual book club series, “Authors and Anecdotes”, as she discusses her book, Peach State.

Peach State has its origins in Atlanta, Georgia, the author’s hometown and an emblematic city of the New South, a name that reflects the American region’s invigoration in recent decades by immigration and a spirit of reinvention. Focused mainly on food and cooking, these poems explore the city’s transformation from the mid-twentieth century to today, as seen and shaped by Chinese Americans. Often employing forms—sonnet, villanelle, sestina, palindrome, ghazal, rhymed stanzas—they also mirror the constant negotiation with tradition that marks both immigrant and Southern experience.

Click HERE to be directed to the University of Pittsburgh Press website to learn more about Peach State. Purchasing options for the book is available on this site, and it can also be purchased at any independent bookstore of your choice. (While we encourage you to read the books ahead of time it is not a requirement to participate in the series.)

Join us as we not only discuss her book, but also dive into Su's personal literature collection, her favorite readings, and participate in a live Q&A!

The free event starts at 12:00 pm and registration is required.

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) organizing COVID vaccine sign-ups for local seniors, offers Korean-language support.

The local branch of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) is organizing COVID vaccine sign-ups for local Korean speakers 65 and older, as well as those 16 to 64 who qualify, in addition to providing support for Chinese-speakers.

Candlelight Vigil Remembering Atlanta Victims, March 21 downtown.

Welcoming Pittsburgh, Governor Wolf's Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and Casa San José will host a Candlelight Vigil Remembering Atlanta Victims on March 21. It will start at 6:30 pm at the City County Building, 414 Grant Street (map).

Join us for a candlelight vigil in honor of the 8 victims of the shooting in Atlanta GA on March 16.
Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33
Paul Andre Michels, 54
Xiaojie Tan, 49
Daoyou Feng, 44
Soon Chung Park, 74
Hyun Jung Grant, 51
Suncha Kim, 69
Yong Ae Yue, 63
Stand together against hate, and condemn violence against Asian Americans.
When: Sunday, March 21. Gather at 6:30, speakers will begin at 7.
Where: steps of the City County Building (at portico) 414 Grant St.
Masks required. Bring your own posters. Please practice social distancing.
This event is co-hosted by the Pittsburgh UCA, local AAPI leaders, and Welcoming Pittsburgh. Welcoming Pittsburgh is an immigrant and refugee inclusion initiative for the City of Pittsburgh

2020 Korean-American film Minari remains in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 25.

The 2020 Korean-American film Minari, which opened in Pittsburgh on February 11, will remain here through at least March 25. A synopsis, from the distributor:

A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

It will continue at numerous local theaters, including the AMC Loews Waterfront, Waterworks Cinemas, Cranberry Cinemas, and the Cinemark in Robison. Tickets are available online.