Lia Chang Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala

Photo by Lia Chang

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) held its 32nd annual Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on December 12, 2011.

32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

This year’s Gala highlighted MOCA’s educational role in fostering understanding and bridging gaps between cultures and generations, while recognizing extraordinary individuals who have made substantial contributions to the legacy of Chinese Americans.

Actor BD Wong, artist and architect Maya Lin and Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Artist and architect Maya Lin, a Co-Chair of MOCA’s Board of Trustees, welcomed MOCA’s 2011 honorees, and special guests actor BD Wong, Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang, fashion designer Yeohlee and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Fashion Designer Yeohlee and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

The elegant soiree was hosted by CNBC correspondent Melissa Lee.

2011 Legacy Award honoree Pichet Ong, Mei-Mei Tuan and CNBC correspondent Melissa Lee at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

At the podium, Mayor Bloomberg said he wanted to attend the gala to personally congratulate his friend, philanthropist Oscar L. Tang, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.

Sara Judge McCalpin,President, China Institute, 2011 Lifetime Achievement honoree Oscar L. Tang and MOCA Trustee Anla Cheng, Partner, Sino-Century China Private Equity, L.L.C. at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Mayor Bloomberg introduced Ms. Lin, the architect/designer who transformed the site at 215 Centre Street in New York, a 14,000-square-foot former machine shop, into a bi-level exhibit and administrative center for the Museum of Chinese in America, a museum that celebrates the living history of the Chinese experience in America.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and artist and architect Maya Lin at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

“The move into our new home at 215 Centre Street just two years ago has inspired a burst of creative activity,” said Maya Lin, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees. “And MOCA’s success relies on our growing circle of friends who contribute their time, money, and talent to strengthen our mission.”

2011 MOCA Legacy Honorees Pichet Ong, pastry chef and author of The Sweet Spot, Dominic Ng, Chairman, President & CEO of East West Bank, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient philanthropist Oscar L. Tang & David Liu, co-founder and CEO of XO Group Inc. at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Carley Roney, Co-Founder, Chief Content Officer and Editor-in-Chief, XO Group Inc. (formerly The Knot.com) presented the Legacy Award to her husband David Liu, Co-founder and CEO of XO Group Inc.

2011 Legacy Award honoree Dominic Ng and Lulu Wang. Photo by Lia Chang

Lulu C. Wang, Chief Executive Officer of Tupelo Capital Management L.L.C., presented the Legacy Award to Dominic Ng, Chairman, President & CEO of East West Bank.

(LtoR) 2011 Legacy Award honoree Pichet Ong, celebrated pastry chef and author of The Sweet Spot with Mei-Mei Tuan at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Mei-Mei Tuan, MOCA Co-Chair and Founding Partner, Notch Partner L.L.C., presented the award to Pichet Ong, celebrated pastry chef and author of “The Sweet Spot.”

2011 Legacy Award honoree Pichet Ong and his mom at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient with co-presenters Sara Judge McCalpin and Anla Cheng at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Judge McCalpin, President, China Institute, and MOCA Trustee Anla Cheng, Partner, Sino-Century China Private Equity, L.L.C., presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to philanthropist Oscar L. Tang.

2011 MOCA Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Oscar L. Tang, his sister-in-law Jean Young and daughter Dana Tang at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Actor BD Wong and Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang, at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Actor BD Wong, just back from shooting an episode of his new television show “Awake” in LA, was at the Gala to introduce Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang. Wong raved about Hwang’s sexy and hilarious new comedy now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, and recommended that everyone go see the play which has been named 3rd in Time Magazine’s list of Top 10 Plays and Musicals. As a teaser, Chinglish stars Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes performed an excerpt from the show.

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes perform an excerpt from David Henry Hwang's new Broadway play Chinglish at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes perform an excerpt from David Henry Hwang's new Broadway play Chinglish at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes perform an excerpt from David Henry Hwang's new Broadway play Chinglish at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang, and his wife actress Kathryn Layng at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Team Chinglish cultural advisor Ken Smith, projections designer Shawn Duan and cultural advisor Joanna C. Lee at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish star Jennifer Lim and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

All proceeds go to advance MOCA’s vision and services, including the sponsorship of new exhibitions and the Trending Asian America Public Program series, the expansion of educational programs in partnership with local schools, and the preservation of the Collection and Digital MOCA.

(LtoR) MOCA Board of Trustee Co-Chairs Mei-Mei Tuan, Founding Partner, Notch Partner L.L.C. and artist and architect Maya Lin at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Paul Huang, CJ Huang Foundation and Cao O, Executive Director of AAFNY at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

American diplomat Nicholas Platt and his wife Sheila Maynard Platt at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

2011 MOCA Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Oscar L. Tang at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

About the Museum of Chinese in America
MOCA was founded in 1980 as the community-based New York Chinatown History Project, and has since grown to encompass the journeys of a wide range of Chinese American communities from around the corner and across the globe. Since late 2009, when MOCA moved into the newly designed space by Maya Lin, located at the crossroads of SoHo and Chinatown, its exhibitions, programs, and audiences have expanded considerably. This was made possible by a public-private partnership to rebuild Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11 as well as MOCA’s growing community of donors led by its Board of Trustees.

Museum of Chinese in America is located at 215 Centre Street. For further information about the Museum, please call (212) 619-4785 or online at http://www.mocanyc.org.

Actor BD Wong, at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Today, MOCA’s mission is to celebrate the living history of the Chinese experience in America, to inspire our diverse communities to contribute to America’s evolving cultural narrative and civil society, and to empower and bridge our communities across generations, ethnicities, and geography through our dynamic stories.

(L-R) Committee of 100 Members Arthur Liu, 2011 Legacy Award Honoree Dominic Ng, Maya Lin, Jenny Ming, Ted Wang, Lulu Wang, 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Oscar L. Tang, Calvin Tsao, Alice Young and Anla Cheng at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

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Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang and Lia Chang at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

Lia made her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden, and has since documented her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism as a photographer and videographer, collaborating with other artists, organizations and companies to establish their documentary photo archive and social media presence. Lia was featured as Joy in the Signature Theater Company’s revival of Sam Shepard’s 1965 Obie award winning play, Chicago directed by Joseph Chaikin at the Public Theater. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman, “As the World Turns,” “Another World,” and “New York Undercover”. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, Smartmoney.com The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Chinglish is Named in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 of the Year; Meet the Cast at Talkbacks after Select Performances in December
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos: Kathie Lee Gifford at the 2011 Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Christmas Windows Unveiling in New York
Photos: Fall Foliage at Devil’s Lake State Park
Portraits of New York Chinatown After 9/11 Featured in “Post 9/11”: Commemorative Display at Library of Congress Asian Reading Room, 8/30-9/15
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Museum of Chinese in America Programs in Jan.to Celebrate the Lunar New Year in NYC
AAJA & MOCA FREE Panel & Town Hall on covering Chinatown: “CHINATOWN, UNCOVERED”
Multimedia: AALDEF Celebrates 35 Years of Protecting and Promoting the Civil Rights of Asian Americans
Fred Korematsu, American Hero and Civil Rights Activist Dies at 86
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@backstagepasswithliachang.com

Lia Chang: Oscar L. Tang, David Liu, Dominic Ng, Pichet Ong to Receive 2011 MOCA Legacy Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on 12/12; Performances by Chinglish’s Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes, currently starring in David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway, will perform a scene from the play. Photo by Lia Chang

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), a museum that celebrates the living history of the Chinese experience in America, is having its 32nd annual Legacy Awards Gala Benefit on December 12, 2011, at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York. Hosted by CNBC Correspondent Melissa Lee, this year’s Gala highlights MOCA’s educational role in fostering understanding and bridging gaps between cultures and generations, while recognizing extraordinary individuals who have made substantial contributions to the legacy of Chinese Americans.

The festivities kick off with a cocktail party and reception at 6:30pm. MOCA will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to philanthropist Oscar L. Tang and Legacy Awards to David Liu, Co-founder and CEO of XO Group Inc.; Dominic Ng, Chairman, President & CEO of East West Bank; and Pichet Ong, celebrated pastry chef and author of The Sweet Spot, followed by dinner.

Highlights of the evening include a special presentation of Tony Award-winner David Henry Hwang’s new Broadway play Chinglish, featuring Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes, which is currently playing at the Longacre Theatre.

All proceeds go to advance MOCA’s vision and services, including the sponsorship of new exhibitions and the Trending Asian America Public Program series, the expansion of educational programs in partnership with local schools, and the preservation of Collection and Digital MOCA. “The move into our new home at 215 Centre Street just two years ago has inspired a burst of creative activity,” said Maya Lin, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees. “And MOCA’s success relies on our growing circle of friends who contribute their time, money, and talent to strengthen our mission.”

This year’s Gala Co-Chairs include Anla Cheng, Partner of Sino-Century China Private Equity, LLC; Kevin D. Eng, Co-founder of Columbus Hill Capital Management LP; Lulu C. Wang, CEO of Tupelo Capital Management LLC; and Theodore T. Wang, Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Past honorees and presenters have included, among others: the Chao Family; Steven Chen, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Youtube; Tan Dun, Academy Award-winning composer; Ang Lee, Academy Award-winning director; Anita Lo, celebrity chef; T.C Hsu, Former President of The Starr Foundation; David Henry Hwang, Tony Award-winning playwright; I.M. Pei, world-renown architect; and Christine A. Poon, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors and Worldwide Chairman of Pharmaceuticals Group, Johnson & Johnson.

About Museum of Chinese in America
MOCA was founded in 1980 as the community-based New York Chinatown History Project, and has since grown to encompass the journeys of a wide range of Chinese American communities from around the corner and across the globe. Since late 2009, when MOCA moved into the newly designed space by Maya Lin, located at the crossroads of SoHo and Chinatown, their exhibitions, programs, and audiences have expanded considerably. This was made possible by a unique public-private partnership involving efforts to rebuild Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11 as well as MOCA’s growing community of donors led by its Board of Trustees.

Today, MOCA’s mission is to celebrate the living history of the Chinese experience in America, to inspire our diverse communities to contribute to America’s evolving cultural narrative and civil society, and to empower and bridge our communities across generations, ethnicities, and geography through our dynamic stories.

To reserve tickets or tables, call Terry Cooper at the 2011 MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Headquarters, (212) 997-0100 x238, or online at www.mocanyc.org/support_ moca/legacy_dinner.

Museum of Chinese in America is located at 215 Centre Street. For further information about the Museum, please call (212) 619-4785 or online at www.mocanyc.org.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Playwright David Henry Hwang Reading and Book Signing at The Drama Book Shop on 12/15
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos: Kathie Lee Gifford at the 2011 Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Christmas Windows Unveiling in New York
Photos: Fall Foliage at Devil’s Lake State Park
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim, Leigh Silverman, Samuel L. Jackson, Kenny Leon, David Ives, Douglas Carter Beane and More at The Drama Desk & Fordham University Theatre Program’s “Anatomy of a Breakout” Panel
Photos: Backstage with the Cast of Chinglish and David Henry Hwang at the Longacre Theatre
Portraits of New York Chinatown After 9/11 Featured in “Post 9/11”: Commemorative Display at Library of Congress Asian Reading Room, 8/30-9/15
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Lia Chang Theater Portfolio at Library of Congress Features Photos of Thom Sesma’s Makeup Transformation as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas, Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East Starring BD Wong, David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, and Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s Bakwas Bumbug! on View Through August 2
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling</a.
OCA Awards Gala Photos: David Henry Hwang, Tamlyn Tomita, BD Wong, Dr. Bobby Fong & Tammy Duckworth
Dr. Bobby Fong, BD Wong & Honorable L. Tammy Duckworth to Receive Awards at National OCA Convention in NY on 8/6
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
Reverend Jesse Jackson & Beau Sia slated for 1st Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration at UC Berkeley
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Museum of Chinese in America Programs in Jan.to Celebrate the Lunar New Year in NYC
Sesame Street’s Alan Muraoka & Friends celebrate Lunar New Year at Metropolitan Museum of Art
AAJA & MOCA FREE Panel & Town Hall on covering Chinatown: “CHINATOWN, UNCOVERED”
Multimedia: AALDEF Celebrates 35 Years of Protecting and Promoting the Civil Rights of Asian Americans
Fred Korematsu, American Hero and Civil Rights Activist Dies at 86
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Subscribe to Backstage Pass with Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

2011 Asian American International Film Festival Kicks Off with John Sayles’ AMIGO on 8/10 in NY; AAIFF’11 Lineup, 8/10-14

The 34th Annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), presented by Asian CineVision (ACV) from August 10-14, 2011, kicks off on Wednesday, August 10th, with the New York Premiere of John Sayles’ AMIGO, which chronicles the forgotten events of the Philippine-American war in 1900. The cast of AMIGO features Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt, Yul Vasquez, DJ Qualls and Arthur Acuna.

Over 70 films from 16 countries will be featured including 6 New York Premieres, 8 East Coast Premieres, and 3 which will be making their U.S. Premieres at AAIFF’11. AAIFF screenings will be at Clearview Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street; at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), 215 Centre Street; and Maysles Cinemas, 343 Lenox Avenue in New York.

On Thursday, August 11th, AAIFF is presenting a LGBTQ themed film line-up, in collaboration with community partners from the LGBTQ community, featuring the non-traditional romantic comedy WHEN HAINAN MEETS TEOCHEW, directed by Yew Kwang Han, and TALES OF THE WARIA, a documentary about the transgender community in Indonesia directed by Kathy Huang.

The Festival’s Centerpiece Presentation Stephanie Guager’s SAIGON ELECTRIC delves into lives of hip-hop dancers in Vietnam’s capital, and will screen on Saturday, August 13th. AAIFF will close with Christine Yoo’s WEDDING PALACE, a light hearted comedy featuring Brian Tee, Hye-jeong Kang, Bobby Lee and Margaret Cho.

Other highlights at the Festival include the New York Premiere of award-winning director Ramona Diaz’s new documentary film THE LEARNING, which follows four Filipino women teaching inner city kids in Baltimore.

AAIFF is the nation’s longest-running festival of its kind and a leading showcase for the best in independent Asian and Asian American film and video.

AAIFF’11 FILMS
AMIGO – Dir. John Sayles | Starring Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt, Yul Vasquez, DJ Qualls, Arthur Acuna | USA
Caught in the murderous crossfire of the Philippine-American war, mayor Rafael (Joel Torre) falls under pressure to collaborate when American troops garrison his village. Meanwhile, his brother Simón (Ronnie Lazaro), head of the local guerillas, regards collaboration as treason. The fate of a nation unfolds in this lucid, compelling portrait of the turbulent times.

ANNA MAY WONG: IN HER OWN WORDS – Dir. Yunah Hong | Starring Doan Ly | USA
Transcending the silent era into sound film, the legendary Anna May Wong co-starred with the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Douglas Fairbanks. The first Chinese American movie star is captured through rich archival footage, interviews with studio colleagues, commentary by filmmakers, scholars and re-enactments of her letters and diary by actress Doan Ly.

ENFORCING THE SILENCE – Dir. Tony Nguyen | USA
Thirty years after the unsolved murder of Lam Duong, Vietnamese American journalists remain the largest group of immigrant reporters killed on US soil. Friends of Lam, federal investigators, and journalists speak out about the risks that Vietnamese Americans face for exercising their first amendment rights.

THE LEARNING – Dir. Ramona Diaz | USA
Award-winning director Ramona Diaz (IMELDA) follows four Filipino women (Dorotea, Grace, Angel and Rhea) on a challenging and emotional journey as they leave their homeland and loved ones to teach at inner city Baltimore schools. Each woman tells a unique yet universal tale of the lives of overseas Filipino workers around the world.

LIVING IN SEDUCED CIRCUMSTANCES – Dir. Ian Gamazon | USA
A young pregnant woman seeks revenge on a man who has done her wrong. In a secluded forest, she begins a series of games—each more twisted than the last—designed to make him confess his sins. A mix of mystery and psychological thriller, Filipino-American director Ian Gamazon warps and challenges viewers’ expectations, leading to a haunting climax.

THE LULU SESSIONS – Dir. S. Casper Wong | USA
More affectionately known as LuLu, the unconventional Dr. Louise Nutter—boisterous, dedicated, and master of profanity—finds out she has the very illness she researches: breast cancer. Best friend and filmmaker S. Casper Wong captures her last 15 months on video as they embark on LuLu’s last and most enlightening adventure.

MY HEART BEATS – Dir. EunHee Huh | Starring Dong-sook You | South Korea
In a desperate attempt to revitalize her monotonous life, Juri, a lonely English professor in her mid-30s, has decided to break into the porn industry. With the help of an estranged friend and porn producer, Juri is eventually cast in her first film. Now she must re-evaluate what it is that keeps her heart beating.

MY WEDDING AND OTHER SECRETS – Dir. Roseanne Liang | Starring Michele Ang, Kenneth Tsang & Pei-Pei Cheng | New Zealand
Love knows no boundaries… unless you are a New Zealand-born Chinese woman trying to convince your traditional Hong Kong parents to let you marry your Caucasian boyfriend. Emily struggles to hide her forbidden relationship but discovers that, unlike in the movies, love cannot thrive on optimism alone.

THE PIANO IN A FACTORY – Dir. Zhang Meng | Starring Qian-yuan Wang | China
Chen is in a nasty custody battle with his estranged wife. A man of little means, he struggles to obtain a piano to convince his daughter to stay with him. The harsh reality of his desolate life is intriguingly juxtaposed with the quaint score and dreamlike scenes.

RAKENROL – Dir. Quark Henares | Starring Jason Abalos, Glaiza de Castro & Matet de Leon |The Philippines
Odie and Irene are die-hard rock fans, so it’s no surprise when they decide to form a band. Teaming with a former rocker and an angry drummer, they become Hapipaks. To the Hapipakers, rock isn’t just a genre of music, but a lifestyle, as each tackles his or her personal challenges with what they learn on the stage.

RESIDENT ALIENS – Dir. Ross Tuttle | USA
After calling the US home for decades, former Cambodian refugees are deported for criminal offenses back to Cambodia, a motherland now foreign to them. This documentary follows three returnees as they struggle to survive with few language and job skills, and find redemption through their new lives.

SAIGON ELECTRIC – Dir. Stephane Gauger | Starring Van Trang & Quynh Hoa | USA/Vietnam
In the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, Mai a traditional ribbon dancer from the countryside meets tough street dancer Kim and soon becomes captivated by the city’s vibrant underground hip-hop scene. Representing the struggles of Vietnamese youth culture, this energetic film showcases bold, fresh talent with dynamic choreography and heartfelt narrative.

STRAWBERRY CLIFF – Dir. Chris Chow | Starring Leslie-Anne Huff, Anthony Chaput & Eason Chan | Hong Kong
Kate possesses the power to predict death, and makes a pact with Jason, who is predicted to die; he will send a signal from beyond the grave to prove there is an afterlife. Shortly after Jason’s death, Kate receives a mysterious phone call. Does an afterlife really exist?

TALES OF THE WARIA – Dir. Kathy Huang | USA
In Indonesia, there lives a unique community of men who live openly as women. Known as Warias, these individuals must balance issues of identity, intimacy, and their Islamic faith. In this eye-opening documentary, four Warias tell the tales of their search for companionship and belonging.

WEDDING PALACE – Dir. Christine Yoo | Starring Brian Tee, Hye-jeong Kang, Bobby Lee & Margaret Cho | USA/South Korea
Jason is a 29-year-old advertising executive who must get married before his thirtieth birthday to avoid an ancient family curse. While on a business trip in Seoul, he meets Na-Young seems on track for the couple’s wedding—until Na-Young’s arrival in the U.S. falls short of expectation. Can true love overcome all obstacles?

WHEN HAINAN MEETS TEOCHEW – Dir. Yew Kwang Han | Singapore
An argument over a missing bra results in Ms. Teochew, a “womanly” man, having to move in with Hainan-boy, a “manly” woman. Not your typical romance, the unusual pair grows closer as they face an angry landlord, an estranged father, a sickly mother, and a crazy ex-girlfriend. Could this be the start of a beautiful relationship?

WHEN LOVE COMES – Dir. Tso Chi Chang | Starring Yijie Li | Taiwan
Lai-Chun is a free spirited young girl who must cope with her dysfunctional polygamous family. An unexpected pregnancy and the sudden collapse of her father’s health shift the balance of power at home. Lai-Chun begins to see her family in a new light as painful memories and profound regrets emerge.

Shorts Program: NEVER STOP BELIEVING
DREAM GIVER – Dir. Tyler Carter | USA
HENRY’S GLASSES – dir. Brendan Uegama | Canada
SOSEFINA – Dir. Tresa Ponnor | Australia
SAENG-IL – Dir. Jennifer Suhr | USA
BALLET OF UNHATCHED CHICKS – Dir. Shaun Seong-Young Kim | USA
BOYS & GIRLS – Dir. Chris Tipton King | USA
HEART – Dir. Erick Oh | USA
LUNCHTIME – Dir. Keo Woolford | USA
PLAY – Dir. Johnny Ma | USA
TOP SPIN – Dirs. Sara Newens & Mina T. Son. | USA

Shorts Program: LOVE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
PRESCOTT PLACE – Dir. Peilin Kuo | USA
TU & EU – Dir. Edward Shieh | USA
SCUMBAG, PERVERT AND THE GIRL IN BETWEEN – Dir. Bruce Hwang Chen | USA, Taiwan
HITOMI – Dir. Manu Du Smet | Netherlands
GRANT STREET SHAVING CO. – Dir. Payal Sethi | USA
HOTEL 66 – Dir. Antony Chen | UK

Shorts Program: TIGER DADS
CROSSING SALWEEN – Dir. Brian O’Malley | Ireland
A SCENE AT THE SEA – Dir. Jaehee Lee | South Korea
FATAKRA – Dir. Soham Mehta | USA
MASALA MAMA – Dir. Michael Kam | Singapore
GRANDPA’S WET DREAM – Dir. Chihiro Amemiya | Japan
GRAVEHEART – Dir. Yin Jill Lei | China

Shorts Program: A DAY LESS ORDINARY
ONLY MEAL OF THE DAY – Dir. Shang Sing Gou | Thailand, Taiwan
CANOPY CROSSINGS – Dir. Gary Young | Thailand
I WANT TO BE A DESI – Dir. Allan Tong | Canada
V SOMETHING – Dir. Asako Ushio | USA
CLOSED – Dirs. Christopher Zou & Alex Chin | USA
THE POTENTIAL WIVES OF NORMAN MAO – Dir. Derek Nguyen | USA
AFTERSHOCK – Dir. George Billard | USA
ROOM #11 – Dir. Mansee Kong | USA

Shorts Program: FYBY: AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER
THE LAND IS STALE – Dir. Gabriel Ho | USA
THIS IS THE STORY OF THE GIRL I LOVE – Dir. Christopher Zou | USA
WHERE’S MY BROTHER – Dir. Chang Xin Ye | Taiwan
MEDIA – Dir. Woojin Kang | USA
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW – Dir. Brian Brennan | USA
MUSICAL WARRIOR – Dir. Angel Gatus | USA
BREAKING EXPECTATIONS – Dir. Kevin Tran | USA
A SUSHI LOVE STORY – Dir. Mike Blaney | USA
MY COUNTRY IS TIBET – Dir. Namgyal Wangchuk Trichen Lhagyari | USA
MY NORMAL FAMILY LIFE – Dir. Jonathan Cheng | USA

Shorts Program: CUNY Shorts
COLORS, JOURNEY OF A DANCER – MASAMI ISHIBASHI – Dir. Yee K. Lam | USA
HOME – Dir. Seimi Kim | USA
TEACHING OUTSIDE THE BOX – Dir. Katharine Filardi | USA
CLUB FIZZ – Dir. Yosuke Hosoi | USA
PAPER CRANES – Dir. Solim Lee | USA
MY PIANO LIFE – Dir. Jiayi Wang | USA

Shorts Program: QUATTRO HONG KONG 2
PURPLE – Dir. Brillante Mendoza | Hong Kong
OPEN VERDICT – Dir. Yuhang Ho | Hong Kong
M HOTEL – Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Hong Kong
13 MINUTES IN THE LIVES OF… – Dir. Stanley Kwan | Hong Kong

Shorts Program: SUITE SUITE CHINATOWN
OVERTURE – Dirs. Howie Shia & Lillian Chan | Canada
LIPSYNC – Dirs. Howie Shia & Lillian Chan | Canada
PRETTY LUCKY – Dir. Serena Lee | Canada
AUNTIE – Dir. Heather Keung | Canada
UNCLES – Dir. Heather Keung | Canada
ELIZABETH STREET – Dir. Lesley Loksi Chan | Canada
PLASTIC FUTURE – Dir. Aram Siu Wai Collier | Canada
HOW TO PARTY – Dir. Joyce Wong | Canada
THE WARRIORS OF QIUGANG – Dir. Ruby Yang | USA

Check out www.aaiff.org/2011 for more information on how to order and pick up tickets.
There are no refunds and no exchanges. All tickets are general admission. Ticketholders must arrive 15 minutes prior to show time. Late ticketholders will not be guaranteed seating. All programs are subject to change, please check www.aaiff.org/2011 or call 212.989.0017 for changes and updates.

About Asian CineVision
The annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) is produced by Asian CineVision (ACV), a nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video. http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Ed Lin, Tina Chen, Ron Nakahara and Cindy Cheung Star in The Potential Wives of Norman Mao which screens during the 2011 AAIFF at Clearview Chelsea on August 12 & 13
Japan Cuts 2011: The New York Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema at Japan Society, 7/7-7/22
Meshach Taylor on Wendy Williams Show on May 17
11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival Winners: Sthaniya Sambaad, Aparna Sen, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Bhopali
Photos: Samrat Chakrabarti, Soham Mehta and Shiva Shankar Bajpai at the New York Indian Film Festival
Click here for Film Articles Archive.
Photos: Rick Shiomi Checks out Performing Arts Playwrights Series in the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection of Library of Congress; Attends “Asian American Plays for a New Generation” Book Signing in NY
Lia Chang Theater Portfolio at Library of Congress Features Photos of Thom Sesma’s Makeup Transformation as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas, Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East Starring BD Wong, David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, and Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s Bakwas Bumbug!
Photos:Alexander McQueen:Savage Beauty Extends at Met through 8/7, Met Mondays w/ McQueen begin 6/6
Photos: Christmas in June w/ Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s “Bakwas Bumbug” at The Wild Project in NY-6/26
Photos: André De Shields leads the cast of Charles Smith’s Knock Me A Kiss at The National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC, 8/2-8/4
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway & John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
My portrait of “New York actor Thom Sesma’s Makeup Transformation into Scar in The Lion King” on view in HHC’s New York City: IN FOCUS, Vol. 2- 7/14
Photos: Phylicia Rashad, Michael McElroy, Marva Hicks in Broadway Inspirational Voices “Wondrous Grace” Concert in NY
Photos: Playwright David Henry Hwang in rehearsal at the Goodman Theatre for World Premiere of Chinglish
Photos: Willie Reale, Frances McDormand, Lewis Black, Bela Fleck, Renee Goldsberry, Duncan Sheik, Lisa Benavides, Abigail Washburn, Tim Blake Nelson at The 52nd Street Project Benefit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang: Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) Programs in January to Celebrate the Lunar New Year in New York

Dragon in Chinese New Year Parade in New York Chinatown Photo by Lia Chang

From the Lunar New Year Festival Family Day, filled with activities like noodle-making and lion dancing, to hip new programs like Decoding the Chinese Almanac’s Predictions for 2011 with the authors of The Pocket Almanac, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) celebrates the Lunar New Year in its beautiful new facilities at 215 Centre Street (between Grand and Howard Sts) in New York.

LUNAR NEW YEAR PROGRAMS at MOCA:
Preparing for the New Year Walking Tour
Lunar New Year is the liveliest and most important celebration in Chinese culture and Chinatown is the place to experience it! MOCA’s walking tour takes visitors through Chinatown to learn about holiday traditions and customs observed by Chinese households. Witness how the neighborhood transforms itself in preparation for the New Year and discover the characteristics that make this holiday unique. Tours are rain or shine, so dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes.

Sat, Jan 22 from 1:00 pm –2:30pm
Sun, Jan 23 from 1:00 pm –2:30pm
Sat, Jan 29 from 1:00 pm –2:30pm
Sun, Jan 30 from 1:00 pm –2:30pm
Sat, Feb 5 from 1:00 pm –2:30pm
Ticket: $18/adult, $15/ student or senior (65+), $8 for MOCA members, Free for children under 5.
Location: Tours leave from the Museum lobby at 215 Centre Street (between Grand and Howard Sts)
Advance reservation REQUIRED. Email education@mocanyc.org
or call 212-619-4785. Tours fill up quickly so sign up now!

Lunar New Year All Access Senior Day
Sat, Jan 29 from 10am –5pm
In celebration of Lunar New Year, MOCA offers FREE admission, including the public gallery talks (in English and Mandarin), special programs for seniors 65+ all day.
FREE for seniors (65+ with valid ID).
Visitors accompanying seniors will be charged MOCA’s regular admissions price ($7/adult; $4/student; free for MOCA members and children under 12).

Lunar New Year Talk: Decoding the Chinese Almanac’s Predictions for 2011
Sat, Jan 29 from 2:30pm –3:30pm

Adorable mascot or evil rodent? What does the Year of the Rabbit hold in store? Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith (co-authors of the Pocket Chinese Almanac) return to decode the almanac’s predictions for 2011 and share a range of New Year’s traditions designed to protect your household. Their presentation highlights the work of UNESCO-recognized folk artist Tai Liping, a 20th-generation master of nianhua (“New Year’s pictures”), the paper wall hangings replaced each lunar year for good luck, and defense against any specific tribulations predicted by the almanac.
Admission: $15/adult, $12/student, Free for MOCA members and seniors (65+). Each participant will receive a free copy of the Pocket Chinese Almanac (valued at $7). RSVP required to education@mocanyc.org or 212-619-4785.

Lunar New Year Festival Family Day
Sun, Jan 30 from 10am –5pm
Join MOCA for a full-day of family festivities in celebration of the Lunar New Year. MOCA will ring in the year of the Rabbit with storytelling with Kam Mak, celebrated children’s book author, and artist of the Lunar New Year Stamp Series, a noodle-making workshop, a special lion dance performance and workshop, and family-friendly gallery talks through MOCA’s core exhibit as well as through our newest exhibit, Chinese Puzzles: Games for the Hands and the Mind. There will also be arts and crafts activities throughout the day. Ages 4 and up.
Admission: $10 per person; Free for MOCA members and children under 1 year of age.

Major support for MOCA’s Festival Family Day Series is provided by: MOCA’s Festival Family Days series is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State’s 62 counties; and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is the leading national museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the history and culture of people of Chinese descent in the United States. From its Maya Lin-designed home on the border of Chinatown and SoHo in New York City at 215 Centre Street, MOCA collects and displays historical and cultural artifacts, and organizes traveling exhibitions, classes, discussions, and events that explore all aspects of the Chinese American experience in the United States. MOCA began as a community-based organization founded in 1980 by Chinese American artists, historians and students who felt that the memories of first-generation “old-timers” in Chinatown would be lost without oral history, photo documentation, research, and collecting efforts. Now a resource for historians and community members alike, the Museum has evolved into a national keeper of cultural information and an influential voice in the ongoing history of Chinese and Chinese American culture across the country. The Museum’s original location at 70 Mulberry Street, currently the Collections and Research Center, is in the heart of Chinatown on the second floor of the historic, century-old school building that was once Public School 23. For more information, visit www.mocanyc.org.

Hours:
Monday: 11am-5pm
Thursday: 11am-9pm
Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am-5pm
The Museum is closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except for prescheduled group tours and special programs.

Admission:
General Admission: $7
Seniors (65+ with ID) and
Students (w/school ID): $4
Children under 12 in groups less than 8: Free
MOCA Members: Free
Target Free Thursdays: Free gallery admission every Thursday through the generosity of Target

Other Articles by this Author:
Sesame Street’s Alan Muraoka & Friends celebrate Lunar New Year at Metropolitan Museum of Art on 2/5
Photos:The Working Theater’s Off-Broadway production of HONEY BROWN EYES by Stefanie Zadravec at The Clurman -2/6/11
Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Lia Chang in Art & Healing Exhibit at Snug Harbor on SI- 1/2/11
Kevin Anderson, Catherine Dent, Tracee Chimo, John Earl Jelks in Neil La Bute’s The Break of Noon at the Geffen 1/25-3/6
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet,Tracee Chimo opening night of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon
André De Shields leads cast of Charles Smith’s Knock Me A Kiss at Abrons Arts Center
STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: The Arthur Dong Collection, Vol. 2 as 4 disc DVD Box Set
Photos & Video Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas-In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachang@hotmail.com.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

This year, selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space will become part of newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

AAJA & MOCA Nov. 4 Panel & Town Hall on covering Chinatown: “CHINATOWN, UNCOVERED”

On November 4, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is presenting an expert panel discussion and interactive Town Hall meeting exploring what’s working, and what’s not in mainstream media coverage of Manhattan’s Chinatown — the oldest ethnic Chinese enclave on the East Coast, and the largest community of Chinese in the Western hemisphere — and how ethnic, online and alternative media outlets have stepped up to fill the holes. The Museum of Chinese in America is located at 215 Centre Street in New York. FREE to the public, plus free all-day museum admission and complimentary refreshments courtesy of Starbucks from 6-7 pm. The panel discussion, which runs from 7-9, will be moderated by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning reporter Ti-Hua Chang, Fox 5 WNYW.

What stories go unreported in New York’s biggest immigrant ethnic enclave — and why? Join leading mainstream and ethnic journalists who cover Chinatown and Lower Manhattan for a roundtable discussion exploring the coverage of the news, culture, arts and politics of this dynamic and rapidly changing community.

Following the panel, AAJA — which has received funding for a journalism innovation pilot project via the McCormick and Ford Foundations — will lead a discussion on proposed solutions to help address these coverage gaps for feedback from the audience.

Confirmed Panelists include, John Bayles, associate editor, Downtown Express, Tony DeStefano, reporter, New York Newsday, Ed Litvak, editor of The Lo-Down, Cindy Liu, former reporter, Sing Tao Daily, Kirk Semple, reporter, The New York Times.

MODERATOR BIO
Ti-Hua Chang joined WNYW/Fox 5 in 2009 as a general assignment reporter from sister station WWOR/My9, where he had served as a general assignment and investigative reporter since 2008. Previously, Chang worked at WCBS-TV, WNBC, and WNYC, where he was host of his own talk show, New York Hotline. Before he began his on-air career, he was an investigative producer at ABC News. Among his awards and honors is the Peabody Award, a New York Press Club award, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and five Emmys. He has advocated for greater coverage of Chinatown and Asian American communities throughout his career and as a former New York chapter and national board member of AAJA.

SPEAKER BIOS
John Bayles is the associate editor of the Downtown Express, with primary responsibility for assigning and editing articles for Lower Manhattan’s largest community newspaper. He came to the Express from Long Island’s Sag Harbor Express, and before that, from New Orleans, where he lived for four years, only leaving after the city experienced the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Tony DeStefano is a staff reporter covering New York City legal affairs and criminal justice for Newsday newspaper. He was part of a team of New York Newsday reporters who won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for spot news while covering the crash of a subway train at Union Square. Tony has covered a wide range of legal related subjects, specializing in organized crime, white collar crime and immigration. He is the author of numerous books, including King of The Godfathers (Citadel Press, 2008) and The War On Human Trafficking: U.S. Policy Assessed (Rutgers University Press, 2008).

Ed Litvak is editor of The Lo-Down, a news and arts web site covering the Lower East Side and Chinatown. He was executive producer of CNN’s American Morning and supervising producer at NBC’s Today Show. Ed has worked in broadcast/online journalism for more than 20 years.

Cindy Liu is a reporter for the Mandarin-language TV health and sustainable living program Better Body and Soul. Her experience with ethnic media started at the Sing Tao Daily, where she worked as a crime reporter; as a television correspondent, she has also covered sports for the Central China TV Station Sports Channel. She has also worked at USA Today’s Beijing bureau as a news assistant, covering Chinese domestic immigration, the drug trade, AIDS, education and finance.

Kirk Semple joined The New York Times in the spring of 2003; he has been a reporter on the paper’s foreign desk as a reporter in the Baghdad bureau, and for the past two years has covered the Metro desk’s immigration beat. Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Semple was a foreign correspondent reporting from Bogotá, Colombia, a general assignment reporter for the Durham Morning Herald, a reporter for the Associated Press, and a staff writer for the Miami New Times.

November 4, from 6 pm to 9 pm
(6-7 pm light refreshments; 7-9 pm roundtable)
Where: The Museum of Chinese in America
215 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013

Admission: Free! (November 4 is Target First Thursday, with complimentary museum admission all day.
http://www.mocanyc.org/visit/events/

RSVP REQUIRED; please email: education@mocanyc.org
Co-presented by the Asian American Journalists Association, this program is held in conjunction with MOCA’s Archeology of Change Project.

Museum of Chinese in America’s Archeology of Change Project explores issues of urban renewal facing Chinatowns across the country. Working with public artist Tomie Arai and writer/cultural worker Lena Sze in 2007, MOCA collected interviews with nearly 30 individuals of different ethnicities, occupations, ages, generations, and relationships to Chinatown. Their memories and perspectives provided an on-the-ground view of “Chinatown” and its role as a vibrant part of the city’s economic and cultural life.

In 2010, MOCA continues the conversation through a series of public programs, in collaboration with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s Open City, that invite community members, experts and leaders to tackle issues revealed through the oral history project, and to give the local a larger societal, environmental and political context.

In conjunction with the program series, Arai will explore the potential of the web as a public art space with Chinatown Re-Map — an online, interactive portal to “places that matter” in Chinatown. Mapped sites will be presented through the lens of neighborhood stakeholders through mixed media formats such as podcast videos, historical images, and soundscapes; and will offer alternative views of a community often naively consumed and stereotyped as an exotic, foreign, and sometimes criminal marketplace. The site can also serve as a place for shared dialogue on the changing physical and cultural landscapes of Chinatowns across the United States.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space will become part of newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, VIBE, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.