Pitt hiring program assistant for Japan Studies program.

The University of Pittsburgh is hiring a program assistant for its Japan Studies program.

The Program Assistant will be primarily responsible for providing administrative and programmatic support for developing community engagement programming in the field of Japan Studies. The Program Assistant will promote Japan Studies across a broad range of disciplines and languages, in engagement activities coordinated with the Asian Studies Center, other units of the University, K-16 teachers and students, local internationally engaged organizations, other major universities, community colleges and Title III/Title V- eligible institutions. The Program Assistant will work with faculty, staff, students, K-16 educators, pre-service and in-service teachers to develop outreach materials about Japan Studies. Primary duties include: 1) Cultivate connections with local community groups 2) Develop and conduct virtual Japan-related outreach programs designed for regional populations of Southwestern Pennsylvania. 3) Support Japan Studies Faculty activities 4) Organize and implement online seminars and workshops that support dialog and networking to foster a deeper understanding of Japan 5) Assist with all aspects of virtual programming including registration, video conferencing, technical troubleshooting and recording of online events. The Program Assistant will manage the scheduling, logistics, publicity, and information for a range of Japan Studies activities. The Program Assistant may also be asked to assist the Asian Studies Center with other events and programs as needed.

One year of relevant program experience Interest and some knowledge of East Asia desired and background in Japan Studies required. Proficiency in written and oral Japanese. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets

The position is categorized as Staff Administrator I.

Eddie Huang film Boogie continues in Pittsburgh, through (at least) April 8.

The Eddie Huang film Boogie, which opened in Pittsburgh on March 5, will continue here through at least April 8. From the distributor:

From acclaimed writer, producer and restaurateur Eddie Huang comes his directorial debut Boogie, the coming-of-age story of Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a basketball phenom living in Queens, New York, who dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation.

It will continue locally at Waterworks Cinema, and tickets are available online.

"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.

Fairmont Pittsburgh hiring Mandarin-speaking Food and Beverage Manager (餐饮部经理).

The Fairmont Pittsburgh hotel is hiring a Mandarin-speaking Food and Beverage Manager (餐饮部经理).

您是一个拥有大胆想法且热情的美食家吗？若您是，我们有份合适的工作正等着您！作为餐饮部经理，您将有策略性地带领团队将客户满意度提升到新的水平。

2019 Singaporean film Revenge of the Pontianak online at Pitt, April 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 2019 film Revenge of the Pontianak on April 7 as the next installment in its Malaysian Horror Series. A synopsis, from Netflix:

A wedding in a Malaysian village leaves out one guest: a scorned vampire ghost bent on settling a secret score with the groom and anyone in her way.

The onilne presentation starts at 7:00 pm.

"Finding Home: Elizabeth Miki Brina & Nadia Owusu Live," April 5 with City of Asylum.

City of Asylum presents "Finding Home: Elizabeth Miki Brina & Nadia Owusu Live" on April 5.

Tonight two debut novelists read and discuss their newest memoirs: Elizabeth Miki Brina’s debut novel Speak, Okinawa beautifully combs a lifetime of memory, love, loss, the connections that bind us to one another, and is one of the most anticipated memoirs of 2021. A searing, deeply candid story about a young woman’s journey to understand her complicated parents and her own, fraught cultural heritage. Aftershocks is a deeply felt memoir from Whiting Award–winner Nadia Owusu about the push and pull of belonging, the seismic emotional toll of family secrets, and the heart it takes to pull through. Both novelists will discuss their works exploring their common themes of migrations, identity, and feeling out of place, in a live discussion and audience Q&A.

Elizabeth Miki Brina grew up with the trappings of a typical American childhood and adolescence. Yet even though she felt almost no connection to her mother’s distant home, she also felt out of place among her peers. Elizabeth comes to recognize the shame and self-loathing that haunt both her and her mother, and attempts a form of reconciliation, not only to come to terms with the embattled dynamics of her family but also to reckon with the injustices that reverberate throughout the history of Okinawa and its people. Clear-eyed and profoundly humane, Speak, Okinawa is a startling accomplishment–a heartfelt exploration of identity, inheritance, forgiveness, and what it means to be an American. Elizabeth Miki Brina is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Bread Loaf Scholarship and a New York State Summer Writers Institute Scholarship. She currently lives and teaches in New Orleans.

The event begins at 7:00 pm and registration is required.

2020 Japanese film Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデ) in Pittsburgh, from March 30.

The 2020 Japanese film Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデ) will play in Pittsburgh on, so far, March 30, March 31, April 3, and April 4. A synopsis, from the distributor:

While writing other people’s emotions, she may have neglected her own. Violet Evergarden, the child soldier turned Auto Memory Doll, writes letters that evoke the words her clients can’t. But when a terminally ill boy requests her services for his family, her own feelings about love and loss resurface. Now she must confront her past and the death of the Major.

At this point it is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in North Hills and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

"Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing!," March 27 in Squirrel Hill.

The Answer Coalition is organizing a "Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing!" rally in Squirrel Hill on Saturday, March 27, to coincide with a National Day of Action.

The ANSWER Coalition stands in solidarity with the Asian community in the midst of the horrific, racist and misogynist massacre that took place in Atlanta on March 16th. Six Asian women were among the eight shot to death at point blank range.
The alarming rise in hate crimes over the past year correlates to an increasingly hostile U.S. foreign policy towards China. The opportunistic scapegoating of China during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the intensity by which China is deemed the enemy and adversary of the United States, has driven a widespread Sinophobic sentiment nationally. The Asian American community suffers the brunt of the hatred fomented as a weapon of war. To date, there have been 3,800 self-reported hate crimes against Asian Americans.
The mainstream media’s failure to label the Atlanta shooting as a hate crime demonstrates the gross disregard and injustice that our communities are facing. Racism is a sick symptom of a system that profits from war and violence. And to put insult to injury, the cop handling the case was found to be promoting anti-China paraphernalia.
Join us on March 27th for a national day of action demanding an end to anti-Asian racist violence, an end to violence against women and and end to white supremacy now!

It begins at 2:00 pm at the intersection of Forbes and Murray Avenues (map).

"Let the CAT out of the bag" with Pitt's Department of East Asian Languages & Litetaratures, March 26.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Langauges & Literatures will present Chinese instructor Yiting Cheng and her colloquium "Let the CAT out of the bag" on March 26.

Dr. Cheng, a Chinese language instructor at UPitt and a NYS certified court interpreter, will introduce you to a translation tool that is required by most language service providers. This took is non-language specific so long as you are interested in translation. You are invited to see how this tool works.

The event starts at 2:00 pm on Zoom.

Pitt's ASA, Crisis Relief Club, and SASA present "Discussion on East / Southeast Asian Violence" on March 25.

The Asian Student Association, Crisis Relief Club, and South Asian Student Association invite students to a Discussion on East / Southeast Asian Violence" on March 25.

ASA x CRC X SASA present a virtual healing space for students to come and discuss the prevalent and ongoing anti-Asian hate crime and violence in the United States. We will be having a round table discussion and will also provide a resource toolkit on how to support the Asian American community and be an ally.

The event runs from 9:00 to 10:00 pm on Zoom (977 7619 2019) and is open to the student community.