Interviews

Interview with Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, Director of Face
Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's sensitive indie drama features marvelous performances and a heartfelt coming of age story. The film portrays three generations of women trying to reconcile conflicting cultures of their traditional heritage and the surrounding influences of American life. AsiaSource spoke with Pan about the making of Face and her approach as a director.

Sohrab and Rustum: Interview with Zaraawar Mistry
Read an interview with Zaraawar Mistry, Artistic and Managing Director of the Center for Independent Artists in Minneapolis, whose production of Sohrab and Rustum was presented at the Asia Society in New York on November 7 and 8, 2003.

Interview with Julie Otsuka, Author of When the Emperor was Divine
Julie Otsuka’s debut novel tells the story of a Japanese American family forced to live in an internment camp during World War II. AsiaSource spoke with Otsuka about the writing of her novel, her own family's internment, and the relevance of this experience for today's world.

The History of the tattoo: Interview with Emiko Omori, Director of Skin Stories On May 27, 2003 Thirteen (WNET) presented the documentary Skin Stories, an anthology of stories and stunning images gathered from the hot spots in the Pacific. AsiaSource spoke with Omori about the making of the documentary and the significance of tattooing in South Pacific cultures.

Interview with Ajay Naidu
Ajay Naidu has appeared in various roles in film, theatre and television. His film credits include Office Space, K-Pax, Pi, Requiem for a Dream and Suburbia – for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. He most recent work is in Asia Society's commissioned piece, In What Language? A Song Cycle of Lives in Transit (May 8th - May 11th), a poignant and moving work of music and poetry by composer Vijay Iyer and librettist Michael Ladd.

Interview with Lisa Denker, Director of Heart of the Sea
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, DUE EAST airs on PBS and features special programming on the history and culture of Asian Pacific Americans. On May 6, 2003 Thirteen (WNET) presents the documentary Heart of the Sea, a moving portrait of Rell "Kapolioka'ehukai" Sunn, a professional surfer and activist who died of breast cancer at the age of 47.

In What Language? Interview with Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd
Composer Vijay Iyer and librettist Michael Ladd talk about their upcoming performance at the Asia Society, In What Language? A Song Cycle of Lives in Transit, the musical forms it incorporates, and the main influences on their work.

Civil Liberties after 9/11: An Interview with Dalia Hashad
AsiaSource spoke with Dalia Hashad, the Arab, Muslim, South Asian Advocate in the ACLU's Campaign Against Racial Profiling, about the curtailment of civil liberties, the USA PATRIOT Act, illegal detentions, and INS registration.

Interview with Justin Lin, Director of Better Luck Tomorrow AsiaSource spoke briefly to Justin Lin about the making of the film and his hopes of bringing to light the issues confronting youth today.

Interview with Suki Kim, author of The Interpreter
AsiaSource spoke with Suki Kim about the success of her debut novel, The Interpreter, which is a bold and haunting murder mystery that breaks from the "model minority" immigrant story.

Interview with David Lamb, author of Vietnam, Now: A Reporter Returns
David Lamb is the first newspaper reporter who covered the Vietnam War to open a bureau in peacetime Vietnam. His new book tells the story of his experiences with both wartime and peacetime Vietnam. He also hosts Sandy Northrop's documentary Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace, which airs nationally on PBS May 23rd at 10pm.

Documenting Desis: An Interview with Shebana Coelho
Shebana Coelho is the producer of Desi: South Asians in New York, a documentary that explores one of New York's most diverse ethnic communities. The film aired on Channel 13 WNET New York on Sunday, May 5 as part of Due East, the station's Asian American history month celebration.

Exploring Indian American Youth Culture: An Interview with Sunaina Maira
Sunaina Maira is Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the author of a new book that explores nostalgia, authenticity, and the aesthetics of "cool" in the subculture of second generation Indian American youth in New York City.

The American Chaiwala: An Interview with Anurag Mehta
Anurag Mehta is the writer and director of American Chai, a coming of age film that addresses generational conflict and artistic expression in the Indian American community. The film opened in New York and Los Angeles on April 5, 2002.

Naomi Iizuka, playwright of 36 Views In a series of 36 interlocking scenes set in the Asian art world, Naomi Iizuka's new play explores the relationship between the imaginary and the real. AsiaSource spoke with Iizuka about 36 Views, which is currently playing at New York's Public Theater from March 12- April 14, a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

When the Elephants Dance: An Interview with Tess Holthe Tess Uriza Holthe is a Filipina-American writer from San Francisco. Her first novel, When the Elephants Dance, is inspired in part by her father's experiences growing up in the Philippines during World War II. AsiaSource spoke with her about Filipino folklore, the brutality of WWII, and growing up in a family of storytellers.

Exploring Race in America: An Interview with Frank Wu
Frank H. Wu is the first Asian American to serve as a law professor at Howard University Law School and is the author of the book Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White. AsiaSource spoke with him about racial profiling, assimilation, and the model minority myth.

Glenn D. Magpantay
As part of a series on Asian Americans and the results of the U.S. 2000 census, AsiaSource interviewed Glenn D. Magpantay, staff attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. .

The Masala Bhangra Workout: An Interview with Sarina Jain
AsiaSource spoke with Sarina Jain, creator of the Masala Bhangra Workout, an aerobic exercise routine that combines bhangra, a from of traditional Punjabi folk dance, with high-energy cutting-edge aerobic moves

DJ Kuttin Kandi
DJ Kuttin Kandi is one of hip hop’s most respected female turntablists and a member of several DJ crews, including Fifth Platoon and Anomolies. AsiaSource spoke with her about Asian Americans in hip hop, growing up in Queens, and her experiences as a female DJ.

Jason Kao Hwang
Jason Kao Hwang is a Chinese American musician and composer whose latest work, The Floating Box: A Story in Chinatown, premieres at the Asia Society October 25, 2001.

Fariba Alam
Fariba Alam is a Bangladeshi American photographer whose portraits document the lives of women in both Bangladesh and the South Asian American community.

David Wu
David Wu, the first Asian American U. S. House of Representatives Member discusses his views on political participation, education, and attitudes towards Asian Americans.

Loni Ding
Loni Ding is Director of Ancestors in the Americas, the first in-depth television documentary to trace the history and legacy of Asian immigrants to the Americas, from the 17th through the 19th centuries.

Martin Yan
Join celebrity chef Martin Yan in a typical dim sum meal as he discusses the success of his television show, the changing nature of Asian food in the U.S., and the history of Manhattan's Chinatown.

Shirin Neshat and Shahzia Sikander
Shirin Neshat and Shahzia Sikander are two critically acclaimed Asian American artists whose work examines, among other things, the themes of gender, Islam, tradition and identity. The two artists spoke with Vishakha Desai, the Asia Society’s Senior Vice President and Director of the Galleries and Cultural Programs, in this insightful conversation.

Deann Borshay Liem, Director of First Person Plural.
The documentary First Person Plural is a personal essay on family, loss and reconciling multiple identities. AsiaSource spoke with Deann on December 11, 2000 when she was in New York City for a film screening co-sponsored by the Asia Society

Sunita Mukhi
Author of Doing the Desi Thing: Performing Indianness in New York City speaks about imagined identities, popular culture, and the Indian diaspora.

Margaret Cho
AsiaSource spoke with the comedian about body image, sexism, and Asian Americans in the media.

Chi Muoi Lo
Chi Muoi Lo is the writer, director, producer and star of Catfish in Black Bean Sauce, a dramatic comedy about two Vietnamese orphans who are adopted by an African American couple and reunited with their birth mother after twenty years of separation. AsiaSource spoke with him about assimilation, accents and the future of Asian Americans in Hollywood.

Vijay Prashad
Vijay Prashad is a well-known activist, professor, and the author of The Karma of Brown Folk, a book that explores the common stereotype of South Asians as a "model minority." AsiaSource spoke with the author about activism, the upcoming Presidential election, and Hindu nationalism abroad.

Nisha Ganatra
Nisha Ganatra is the writer, director, producer and star of Chutney Popcorn, a new dramatic comedy about the shifting relationships in an Indian-American family. Touching on issues of assimilation, surrogate motherhood, lesbianism, and family, the film has received a great deal of critical acclaim. AsiaSource caught up with the up-and-coming director in New York.

S.B. Woo
Dr. S.B. Woo discusses some of the key issues for Asian American voters, the reason behind his organization's support for Gore, and how 80-20 strives to give Asian Americans more political influence.

Joan Chen
Joan Chen is one of the most versatile people in Hollywood. Famous for her roles in Twin Peaks, The Last Emperor, and Heaven and Earth, she is perhaps best known as the director of the award-winning film, Xiu-Xiu (The Sent-Down Girl). Her latest movie, What's Cooking?, is the story of four different L.A. families on Thanksgiving and opened November 17th nationwide.

Ha Jin
An accomplished poet, novelist, short story writer, and professor, Ha Jin is the author of several critically acclaimed works, including Waiting, Under the Red Flag, Oceans of Words, and The Bridegroom. In this interview, he discusses his experiences in the Chinese army, the inspiration for his work, and why patience is everything when it comes to writing.

Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh is a popular novelist, journalist, anthropologist and professor whose latest novel, The Glass Palace, addresses the relationship between India and Burma during the British colonial period.

Manil Suri
In this interview, the author of The Death of Vishnu discusses growing up in Bombay, the influence of Hinduism on his work, and the mathematical theory behind his debut novel.