By Michelle Banh

For junior Sara Tsukamoto, clothing has evolved from a form of personal expression into a full-fledged business venture in the past year. Tsukamoto, a business major and communication design minor, joined the ranks of talented Trojans when she founded Kealohalani, her own clothing line, in 2008.

Though Tsukamoto has designed in her free time since the age of 10 when she first learned to sew, it was not until her freshman year at USC that she began to actualize her vision.

When a friend received an oversized USC T-shirt at the beginning of the year, Tsukamoto took the initiative to convert it into something completely original. With some thread from the dollar store and a pair of scissors, she created a dress that her friend ended up wearing to a number of football games for the rest of the year. After numerous compliments, Tsukamoto began crafting dresses and selling them out of her apartment during her sophomore year.

“I really wanted to create things that were comfortable and easy to wear to games while being unique, not just to have the same things that everyone else can get from the bookstore, especially for girls because there is not a lot of choice for them in the bookstore,” she said.

So how is Tsukamoto able to do all this? She begins with the basics. Tsukamoto starts each design with T-shirts and other ready-made styles from the University Bookstore. She then transforms these simple fabrics into unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Kealohalani, named for Tsukamoto’s Hawaiian name, has expanded to now include custom dresses, tops, rompers, shorts, skirts, and accessories, all hand-crafted by Tsukamoto herself.

The laidback, beach-inspired style of Tsukamoto’s comfortable feminine pieces pays homage to her Hawaiian roots. Drawing inspiration from Billabong’s and Quiksilver’s current trends, Tsukamoto hopes to continue creating wearable styles for the everyday Trojan girl.

As a blossoming entrepreneur, she hopes to keep her business at its current moderate but healthy size.

“I really like keeping it just me,” she said. “I love interacting with clients and being able to customize things for people because they really appreciate being able to buy something relatively inexpensive that fits them really well.”

Fit is very important for this petite designer. Tsukamoto says many of her designs are so easy to customize because they are loose and made with elastic.

Kealohalani currently offers ready-to-wear designs as well as custom-made pieces. In fact, Tsukamoto welcomes creative input from her customers, as she draws inspiration from the “give and take” experience.

There is no real formula to Tsukamoto’s creative process. She plays around with different designs and waits to see what sells. Right now her hottest seller is a gray and red halter with a braided back.

To keep herself updated on trends in the fashion industry Tsukamoto subscribes to a number of fashion blogs and is constantly browsing shops online. In a way, she considers herself an observer of the fashion industry because “it’s fun to investigate fashion from that point of view.”

To date, Kealohalani has a Facebook fan base 350 strong and growing each day. Tsukamoto’s Facebook page and ads have been her greatest assets in publicizing her clothing line. Her page currently displays Kealohalani’s most recent fashions, photographed by Jennifer Nguyen, a fellow USC student.

“The biggest factor for me was Facebook because that’s where I started, when I first made a Facebook page for my business,” said Tsukamoto.

She now receives most of her orders and appointments via the social networking site.

Kealohalani was featured in the USC Fashion Industry Association’s 5^th Annual Fashion Show on April 10 at USC’s Town and Gown. Tsukamoto sent eight Trojan-inspired looks down the runway in front of a crowd of 500 people. The fashion show as a whole showcased 12 up-and-coming student designers who worked with both professional and student models.

Tsukamoto first started as a member of FIA coordinating a spring fashion show her freshman year. She then returned last year and this year as the vice president of marketing and now oversees all of FIA’s publicity.

As she looks toward the future, Tsukamoto hopes to build a career in the business side of fashion. At the moment, she is planning to study abroad in Hong Kong next semester to complete her concentration in global business.

“Because Hong Kong is a fashion center in Asia, I think it will be interesting to see fashion from that perspective,” she said.

By Kevin Kim

A hero sits at the corner of Central and 2^nd. He is immovable, stained, unnoticed, and worst of all, unappreciated.

Some have called Chiune Sugihara the Oskar Schindler of Japan. However, unlike Schindler, who is known to the world as a man who saved countless Jewish lives during the Holocaust, Sugihara is relatively unknown.

Sugihara was a Japanese consul who gave exit visas to thousands of Jewish refugees against the order of the Japanese government. His courageous actions eventually ruined his career and put his family in danger. However, his deeds were so great that Israel honored Sugihara as being “righteous among nations” at Yad Vashem, the country’s official memorial to Holocaust victims. Sugihara is the only person of Japanese descent to be so highly recognized.

In 2002, the Neman foundation, along with the Levy Affiliated Holdings Group, erected a statue of Sugihara designed by sculptor Ramon Velazco in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo in 2002, lauding him as a “Hero of the Holocaust.”

Even though Sugihara’s memory has been honored with a posthumous statue, it lies lost in the mire of countless fast food restaurants. Apathetic tourists and L.A. locals either pass Sugihara without any intention of ever discovering his courageous actions, or use his statue as a means to rest their weary feet. Either way, he remains in obscurity. Although only seven years have gone by since the statue was erected, it is already beginning to decay.

Chiune Sugihara, “Hero of the Holocaust” and savior of thousands of lives, is now nestled between a Quizno’s, a Starbucks and a Yogurtland. His metal hand clutches a passport that meant salvation to thousands of Jews. Sixty years ago, Sugihara’s real hand would have been met by a thankful Jew, but now it is clutched by indifferent passerby, with yogurt, coffee and cigarettes staining his statue, his courage and sacrifice all but forgotten.

By Sophia Kang

Photo: Arnold Gatilau, Flickr

First of all, let me start by confessing that I am not a foodie. I repeat: I am not a foodie! But yet another food craze has become so blatantly obvious that even I took notice. I just hope these Korean tacos are more satisfying than that last frozen yogurt phase.

I’ll start by recounting the brief history (and current success) of Kogi, a humble Korean taco truck, that created an instant hit when it came into the Los Angeles scene in November of last year. Kogi’s product was innovative, Korean-style short ribs nestled in warm miniature corn tortillas. Who woulda thunk it? Since its launch, Kogi has created quite a phenomenon with its multicultural tacos and burritos and has expanded to include other novelties like hot dogs and sliders.

But like anything popular, Kogi has given rise to its own set of comparable competitors, not to mention a new culinary genre of cooking, that even restaurants are adopting. Baja Fresh, a popular Mexican food franchise, is concept-testing very similar Korean barbecue-style tacos and burritos in one of its Irvine locations. Even traditional Mexican restaurants like La Taquiza and Pancho’s are introducing Korean-inspired tacos to their menus as well.

I set out to determine whether these tacos are really worth the attention and money they are getting, I hunted down the original Kogi beef taco and sampled what the competitors had to offer. My evaluations are based solely on Kogi and numerous other Korean-fusion beef tacos. Some of the qualities I took into consideration while judging the taco trucks was service, price, quality of ingredients, heat intensity, and convenience.

Kogi, the one that started it all: 4 stars

I’d heard praise of their supposedly “amazing” tacos before but I didn’t think they could possibly be so delicious that I would wait two hours in line for some. I would not have chased after such a truck out of my own will but this was for journalistic purposes.

My friend and I got to Cloverdale and Wilshire at 6:06 p.m. but saw no sign of the truck. We looked at each other in panic. Where was the infamous line of eager patrons? Nervously, I circled the block twice looking for parking. By the time I returned, there was the truck and already about 10 people in line.

Despite an additional 30 minutes of set-up, the line moved fairly quickly after the cashier took his first customers. My friend and I got our food within 10 minutes

The only dessert option was a tres leches cake, which was good but overly sweet for my taste. And for $4, I don’t think I’d order it again. One taco and dessert came to a total of $6.60.

For the somewhat steeper price, I was surprised Kogi had its customers assemble the tacos to-go themselves. When we finally sat down to eat in my car, I was not pleased with the smell, but the taco made up for its odor with its taste. There was a lot of meat and the salad on top had a sweet Korean-style dressing that had a refreshing, spicy bite to it. Kogi definitely delivered.

But I have to knock Kogi down a star because despite being about the 10^th person in line, I had to wait almost an hour for the food—plus I got ripped off with that $4 cake, which was only about the size of my fist.

Calbi: 4.5 stars

There was no line at Calbi so I got my food in no time. The Korean woman who took my order was prompt and attentive. When I went back for another taco, she said she saw me struggling and offered me a fork.

The total came to $2.20 for one taco. Calbi offers a roughly equal vegetable to meat ratio. The menu didn’t indicate that the beef taco would be spicy, but I’m Korean and I’m glad it was. The heat comes not from the preparation of the meat but from the dressing on top that has a nice spicy kick to it. (Beware! I can tolerate a high heat factor and liked the tingle left in my mouth after I had finished eating, but I can understand that others might find it too spicy.) You need to eat these quickly, before the excess dressing escapes and makes the tortilla soggy.

I went back for another shrimp taco, which I thought was a good option — until I tasted it. Aside from the sauce, the shrimp wasn’t flavored in any other way. And Calbi is stingy with the shrimp… I only got three bits in my taco.

Bool: 4 stars

Bool did not have a schedule of locations on its Web site so I requested that the truck come to USC’s campus in an online guestbook. Bool was very quick to respond and a representative replied that the truck would be on Jefferson and McClintock the following day. What great serviceWhen I arrived, there was already a short line, and no wonder! The aroma surrounding the cart was divine. They must be onto something good, I thought. I waited about five minutes to order and listened to customers who had already eaten talk about how good the food was and how they wished they could eat more if only they had not run out of money.

I ordered a beef taco and a pork pastel because it seemed to be one of Bool’s trademark dishes, both of which came out promptly. The total came to $5.49.

The taco had a mountain of meat piled on top with raw onions and cilantro. The beef tasted like authentic Korean barbecue that one might get at restaurants. I found the taco to be a bit dry, but it went perfectly with the salsa that came with the pastel. (Beware! Bool’s tacos leave you with major onion breath!)

I didn’t know what to expect with the pastel, which is basically a huge fried pocket of meat and cheese. It was delicious. It had a nice crunch but was surprisingly gooey in the center. The pork tasted like sweet pulled pork and struck a nice balance between savory and sweet. The pastel made up for the shortcomings of the taco. (FYI: Bool also offer dessert pastels in apple caramel or chocolate banana.)

Bull Kogi Korean Taco Truck: 4.5 stars

This is the first taco truck I came upon that had music blasting from the speakers, which helps pass the time while waiting in line. Bull Kogi also offers a range of condiments such as lemon wedges, radishes, Sriracha sauce, and such.

The service was rather slow, the cashier was nice and didn’t seem disappointed when I ordered just one taco, unlike some of the other taco trucks.

I ordered the spicy bulkogi taco and the total came to $2 flat. I didn’t expect much but I was quite pleased when I unveiled my neatly packaged taco. It looked very enticing: lettuce, red onions and cabbage, with an additional sprinkling of sesame seeds atop a mound of meat.

Bull Kogi offers good portions but the taco was a bit salty because the vegetables are stir-fried and not prepared as a salad. But where was the spice factor? I did order a spicy bulkogi taco after all. After my first bite I discovered tiny slivers of sliced kimchi, but they were practically nonexistent. Good thing I’d grabbed some Sriracha sauce and radishes.

I also tried a spicy bulkogi bowl on a previous occasion but that wasn’t spicy either. Bull Kogi falsely advertises, so don’t be intimidated by the phrase “spicy” because it really isn’t. The spice, I suppose, is supposed to come from the kimchi but it’s such an insignificant amount, and you can always just eat around it if you prefer.

Pancho’s (in the UV): 4 stars

Pancho’s, a Mexican food vendor in the food court, has also caught onto the new Korean taco trend. While Pancho’s does not operate from a truck, it has added “gogi taco” to its menu for $1.99. I ordered one and the total came to $2.18 including tax. (Note: I only ordered one in order to write this article. Because I am a regular customer the manager let me slide, but the minimum for tacos is two purchases.)

The taco had large chunks of well-cooked, really chewy beef, with a meager amount of kimchi and lettuce on top. It was somewhat greasy but overall quite good and satisfying.

The tacos are so obviously homemade, like an attempt to imitate Kogi’s success. I could easily make this at home, but these have a charm of their own. They’re honest — just meat, kimchi and lettuce. No fancy Korean dressing or radish bits strewn in the salad here. Pancho’s tacos are what I consider a true fusion of Mexican and Korean food.

Story and art by Dani Lindo

This is for all those poor and overworked students imprisoned under the fluorescent lights of Leavey and whose bodies are now composed of 65% Starbuck’s products.

As American comedian Milton Berle once said, “Laughter is an instant vacation.” So here are a few highly recommended travel agents to help you book your leave from Leavey.

Russell Peters 4.5/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “Be a man!”

A hilarious ambassador of the “Brown People,” Russell Peters’ ability to imitate diverse accents, turn mundane situations into side-splitting encounters, and entertain with his plethora of material earns him 4.5/5 stars. So if you were ever curious about an Indian take on Chinese haggling, ethnic childhoods and hairy butts, then go on a hilarious holiday with this Canadian son of Indian immigrants.

Jo Koy 4/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “Ting-ting!”

You might remember him from his epic performance at Kollaboration last year, which in itself made him worthy of his well-earned 4/5 stars. But if you were sorely deprived or want a refreshing reminder about small boys and green paint, Wii-obsessed Filipino women, and the exact meaning of “ting-ting,” then enlist the services of this fantastically riotous agent of glee.

Bobby Lee: 4/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “He’s not a terrorist! He’s gay!”

If you are looking for a more diverse trip, Bobby Lee offers the perfect synthesis of hysterical stand-up performances, skits, and sketches. From his work on MADtv and his independent stand-up, Bobby Lee is a riotous comic whose works come with the highest of commendations. Look up his spoofs on Korean dramas, the Dragon Hunter, the North Korean Scientist, and 24: Terrorist and escape to a world of ludicrous Korean antics.

Ken Jeong 3.5/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “The Vietnamese are like Koreans on weed.”

Ok, who could forget the obnoxious doctor from “Knocked Up,” the King of the Nerds in “Role Models” or the flying, naked Chinese mob lord in “The Hangover”? But the real question is: did you know he did stand-up? His sarcastic takes on married life and Korean antics are well worth his 3.5 stars, but his lack of material and repetition of jokes keep him from the exalted 4/5 stars. However, this is one Korean MD who is a certified doctor in the cure-all of laugher and should be consulted immediately.

Margaret Cho 3.5/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “Mommy didn’t have prom. We didn’t have prom in Korea…Only war.”

A comedienne who has no fear about matters of sexuality, politics or the Korean temper, Margaret Cho is a fantastically hysterical jokester for those who like their humor edgy. Her material on her ridiculously Korean mother alone earns her 3.5 stars, but some of the outlandishness of her material keeps her from the full 4/5 stars. Be warned of the explicit nature of some of her material! But for callused ears she offers a perfect getaway on the love boat of laughs.

Dat Phan: 3/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “I want to be the first Asian guy to adopt a white kid for once.”

The season three winner of the show “Last Comic Standing,” Dat Phan jokes about all aspects of Asian life from dating a white girl to being stereotyped as a “Mexicanese.” His high energy level and perfected Vietnamese accent make him worthy of review, but his lack of material earns him only 3/5 stars. Nevertheless, this rising star in the comedic world offers the perfect merry retreat for any overworked student looking for a break from the horrors of midterms.

Honorable Mentions: Steve Byrnes, John Cho, and Anjelah Johnson

Story & Art by Vicki Yang

You’ve seen them.

Girls walking down the street with large silk bows in their hair, lacey pink umbrellas in hand and three or four other girls in similar attire in tow. Or maybe they’ve got bleached hair against tan skin with white eyeliner outlining black pupils.

With the rising popularity of Japanese media in mainstream American culture, you might have recognized these descriptions of women’s fashion trends in Japan. You might even know their names—sweet Lolita and Ganguro. But while these styles are bold and turn quite a few heads, they might not be the choicest get-up for a stroll through the streets of Los Angeles.

So what’s a fan to do? You don’t need to confine your love of Tokyo street style to anime conventions and Halloween. In fact, Japanese street style originated as a result of blending Western fashion with traditional trends. Street style is not merely a symbol of globalization; it is an art.

Here’s a showcase of a few distinct street styles found in metropolitan Tokyo – styles that are clearly Tokyo-inspired but L.A. Metro-proof nonetheless.

Style: Harajuku Punk
Suitable for: Catching a few eyes on the subway, adventure

Nothing says youthful energy like Harajuku punk, which combines elements of Asian street fashion with motifs typically found in punk culture. A T-shirt with a simple message or cartoon character over shorts or a miniskirt will suffice. The trick is to add complementary accessories, such as scarves, skinny ties, chains, newspaper caps, trucker hats, or leather pleated necklaces. Colors must be vibrant, and the seasoned Harajuku girl will know to offset brights with blacks. This style also relies on a lot of patterns to give it that rock-and-roll vibe. Be sure to use moderation when picking out patterns — a checkered scarf over a plaid shirt will scream “unpolished.”

Style: Kawaii
Suitable for: A first date in Little Tokyo, browsing Hello Kitty gift shops

Known simply as “Kawaii” — or “cute” —, this style radiates innocence. It’s the look foreigners are most familiar with when it comes to Japanese fashion, often incorporating modified sailor suits. Pastels and polka dots are staples of this style, as are frills, lace, ribbons, and bows. Hair is usually worn up, held in place with adorably shaped hairclips to create an illusion of childish simplicity.

Style: Ginza Business Casual
Suitable for: An internship with an up-and-coming company or boutique firm

At first glance, the business casual outfits of office ladies in the high-end Tokyo district of Ginza don’t seem to be that different from those worn by American businesswomen. It’s certainly true that Ginza street style draws a lot from Western designer brands, but the difference is that the Asian counterpart relies much more heavily on layering. Unlike the American trend of wearing form-fitting tops, this style favors a looser shirt cinched by a belt with tights underneath. Wearers of this style might also throw in a fedora for a touch of feminist independence.

Modeled by Celine Di

By Ivana Banh

Harbor Kitchen
1411 S. Garfield Ave
Alhambra, CA 91801
Mon.-Sun., 7 a.m.-1 a.m.

Up late at night and craving real Chinese food? Harbor Kitchen is the place to hit. The spacious, cafe-themed restaurant on the corner of Valley and Garfield boasts not only delicious dishes but also impeccably speedy service. It is recommended to start off with Harbor Kitchen’s signature lemon iced tea – it’s ice cold, perfectly sweetened and includes free refills.

Harbor Kitchen offers many types of appetizers, from pickled chicken feet to fried tofu, but there are two that stand out. The pickled cucumbers are worth trying: slightly sweet, sour, and spicy, with a hint of sesame oil. The second appetizer that is a must is the XO sauce pan-fried turnip cake. Doughy, light squares are covered in a hot, savory XO sauce, a popular seafood-based sauce, and scrambled eggs. Paired with hot sauce, this steamy, satisfying dish is guaranteed to hit the spot.

As for entrees, Harbor Kitchen provides a wide variety, from grilled fish to lamb chops to fried rice and noodles with soup. A popular favorite is the chiu chou chow fun. Thick noodles are pan-fried in a light brown, slightly sweet sauce and garnished with shrimp and small slices of chicken. All the fried dishes are also quite impressive, including the spicy seafood fried rice, which boasts generous pieces of tilapia, shrimp, squid, and scallops.

For those who must have dessert, Harbor Kitchen displays several different sweet dishes, such as black forest cake and egg custard.

Whichever Chinese dish you happen to be craving, Harbor Kitchen is certainly ready to satisfy your taste buds.

BCD Tofu House
869 S. Western Ave #2
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Mon.-Sun., 24 hrs.

No matter what time of day it is, BCD Tofu House on Western and 9th will be serving up blazing hot stone bowls of soon dubu, or soft tofu. For those who haven’t tried the popular dish, Korean soft tofu is fresh, silky tofu served in a blazing red soup in varying degrees of spiciness, cooked with toppings ranging from classic beef or pork to meaty dumplings. A raw egg also comes with the soup to add a richer, creamier flavor. The spicy broth mixed with the tofu goes amazingly well with rice. In fact, you might find yourself needing another bowl of rice – either to placate your burning mouth or simply to accompany the humongous bowl of soup in front of you.

Aside from the many different types of soft tofu, BCD also carries other Korean favorites, from the ubiquitous bibimbap (stone pot rice) to grilled items such as calbi (marinated short ribs) and bulgogi (pork or beef slices with a tangy, sweet and slightly spicy sauce). The most impressive item is BCD’s collection of complimentary small appetizers, including rice noodles, pickled spicy daikon and kimchi, salted bean sprouts, rice cakes, and last but definitely not least, a small fried fish for each person.

The best way to go is to sample the menu by ordering a combination meal that includes both a grilled dish and a hot tofu. Whatever you order is sure to satisfy your appetite, 24 hours a day.

Phoenix Food Boutique
1108 S. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91007
11 a.m.-1 a.m.

For those with a sweet tooth, Phoenix Food Boutique will definitely hit the spot. The highlight of this small, clean, restaurant is the glass bubble that houses about 15 different types of desserts, from freshly baked egg tarts to various flavors of creamy gelatin to coconut flaked mochi balls.

Also on the menu are a number of tong shui – sweet, hot soup flavored with beans, nuts or taro. The tong shui that stands out the most is the forbidden black rice. This perfectly sweetened, thick, dark soup is made by slow-cooking chewy black sticky rice, red beans and cubes of coconut jelly, all drizzled with decadent coconut milk. The forbidden black rice is a strange but tantalizing combination that will leave you hungry for more.

For those who want actual entrees, Phoenix Food Boutique is also sure to please. The Hainan chicken rice is a star on the menu: tender, fresh pieces of steamed chicken paired with perfectly cooked rice and flavored with chicken broth. A small dish of fish sauce packed with ground ginger accompanies the chicken rice. It is a simple but surprisingly delicious dish.

Another item Phoenix is known for is the its fried dim sum platter, which boasts deep-fried pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, barbecue pork buns, and curried chicken pastries. The deep-fried delicacies come out piping out and ready to be dunked in one of the many sauces Phoenix provides.

Phoenix Food Boutique is sure to be a winner amongst late-night eaters. Every fried rice, noodle, dumpling, dessert, and appetizer dish is not only made fresh but also seasoned to true Asian perfection.

By Ivana Banh

Velina Hasu Houston, a talented, passionate playwright and professor at USC, believes that life should be enjoyed in the best way possible despite troubles and obstacles. She illustrates her mantra of living in her play, “Calligraphy,” a story about the reunion of two aging sisters, their daughters and a collision of cultures.

“Calligraphy” chronicles a pair of Japanese, 60-something single mothers. Natsuko, the older of the two, is an angry, bitter widow living in Japan with her free-spirited daughter Sayuri. Noriko, Natsuko’s younger sister, is also widowed and living in the United States with her obedient, respectful daughter, Hiromi.

The sisters have not seen each other for years, ever since Noriko married an African American man despite Natsuko’s disapproval. Decades later, Natsuko is fighting to keep her health, while Noriko is battling an intensifying case of Alzheimer’s. The sisters still refuse to speak to one another for more than several minutes and never seem to agree on anything.

Their daughters, Sayuri and Hiromi, decide to reunite the aging duo before it is too late. Upon hearing about the reunion, neither Noriko nor Natsuko is pleased. However, when the sisters meet in Japan, the situation takes a turn for the better. At last, the two sisters restore their relationship after years of clashing cultures, marriages and opinions. “Calligraphy” emphasizes the importance of finding what is truly valuable in life and making life the best it can be.
Houston addresses culture clashes as one of the main universal issues in her play. Houston herself did not have it easy growing up, partly due to her cultural background.

“My mother always told me that I would never make it as an author because I was the daughter of a Japanese immigrant,” said Houston. “But I knew I was meant to write.”

Houston kept on reading dramas and writing throughout her childhood. Her persistence proved her mother wrong – she was accepted to UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television and graduated with a Master’s degree in Fine Arts. Houston then continued her education at the Q.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kansas State University. She left the university with degrees in journalism, mass communication and theater. Houston completed school at USC with a Ph.D. from the School of Cinematic Arts.

Houston used her many years of education to produce dozens of essays and poems that were recognized in several journals and anthologies. She also wrote numerous plays, many of which were produced by Columbia Pictures and PBS. Houston is currently teaching at USC as a professor in the School of Cinematic Arts and Theater.

Many of her plays focus on issues amongst a range of cultures and the experiences “strangers faced in new cultures.” As part of a multicultural family herself, Houston deeply understands the collisions that can be ignited by a mix of “visual differences between darker and lighter people.”

Despite the criticism Houston encountered growing up in a family full of international marriage and culture clashes, the talented author has learned to “find what is valuable in life so that we can live the best lives possible regardless of one’s troubles and burdens.”

Houston stresses in “Calligraphy” that life is not about sulking over the negative things but rather about finding the people and things one treasures most in life while “aging and loving and at the heart of it, living the best of lives.” Part of this inspiration comes from one of her close friends, a victim of a tragic car accident that confined him to bed at 18 years old. Even though he will never be the same again, he still remains cheerful, said Houston.

“Calligraphy” combines just the right amount of drama with a generous dash of humor, a sprinkle of tragedy and a splash of happiness.

Houston’s next play, “Motherload,” illustrates another dramatic story about a set of sisters who have never met. She is also currently working on a story concerning issues of DNA and identity. She hopes she will be able to continue drawing people to her plays in the future and “enjoy [her] art with the audience in the same room.” She anticipates repeating the experience for many more years to come.

By Andrea Chin
Art by Andrew Dang

Achieve perfect SAT scores while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Go to the best college. Enter med school or investment banking or software development. Don’t fail your family.

So many Asian Pacific American students bear the burden of the model minority stereotype as academic advisers and hiring managers make assumptions about the nature and extent of their intellectual abilities and potential for professional advancement. When opportunities for economic and social advancement are progressively dictated by test performance and job security is shakier than ever, competition becomes increasingly cutthroat in a system that mythologizes the virtue of merit to guarantee success.

The system has been designed to enable people designated as intellectually gifted to attend college, traditionally assumed to lead to white collar ¬work and higher tax brackets. As a group, APAs are more likely to have finished postsecondary education than Americans overall. Half of Asian Americans ages 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to a quarter of all Americans in this age range, and are twice as likely to have a graduate or professional degree, according to the 2007 American Community Survey.

These numbers, however, mask significant differences among APA groups. Among Asian Indians, 68 percent ages 25 and older has at least a bachelor’s degree.  Another 36 percent has a graduate or professional degree. The same study found that only 15 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders of the same age group, however, have at least bachelor’s degree and just 4 percent have a graduate or professional degree.

Asian immigrants’ self-selection can account for the disproportionate educational attainment rates of the overall APA community. Having more highly educated immigrants settle and start families in the U.S. has raised the general intellectual profile of APAs. The Immigration Act of 1965 brought over a stream of highly educated scientists and technical professionals, mostly from India and East Asia, to meet post-Sputnik America’s labor needs. In the early 1900s, APAs, like Jews, scored much lower on IQ tests than whites whose families had lived in the U.S. longer. Both groups’ overall tests scores improved over time as more highly educated immigrants came to the country.

What about the controversial claim that APAs are inherently smarter than others because of their high IQ scores? Racial differences in test scores are at the core of affirmative action debates, which generally exclude APAs. Some reformers advocate modeling American curriculums on East Asian ones, hoping that “average” Americans can match Asians’ high math and science scores. Unfortunately, as anyone who has taken Psych 100 knows, correlation does not imply causation.

Intelligence is associated with higher test scores, which improve access to elite colleges, which are pipelines for well-paying jobs. But as the recession has demonstrated, college graduates of all races are discovering how difficult it is to find and keep a job.

The evidence for ethnic Asians’ above-average test performance has been called into question. Some studies in which East Asian students outperform European and North American ones on math tests have been criticized for using limited samples of urban Asian students from elite schools. Intelligence expert James Flynn argues that historically, people of Asian ancestry actually possess slightly lower IQ scores than whites but have excelled in math despite this difference. IQ scores can be best described as limited measurements of cognitive ability shaped by complex interactions among genetics, health, psychological attitudes, education, socioeconomic status, and possibly cultural bias.

Studies examining racial differences in intelligence have an ugly history of promoting discriminatory policies based on racial stereotyping. It would be more valuable to look at general “nurture” factors that activate genes critical to intellectual ability and psychological functioning, such as parental involvement in children’s education. APA parents are infamous for pressuring their children to excel academically and enter well-paying, stable professions. In a study of 7,836 San Francisco high school students, APAs spent 40 percent more time on homework than non-Asians.

The portrayal of “Asian American whiz kids” suggests that APAs overachieve through uncanny ability and their immigrant parents’ hard-earned sacrifices. Making model minorities out of these successful individuals, however, overlooks those who struggle. Southeast Asians such as the Hmong and the Laotian are some of the poorest Americans and least likely to graduate from high school, yet they rarely receive adequate governmental assistance because of the model minority perception.

The ignorant conflation of Asian students’ academic performance with Asian Americans’ is problematic given the heterogeneity of the APA population. International students, whose ability to study in the U.S. is often predicated on their scientific and technological expertise, can be mistakenly included in these evaluations.

To make the field more equitable, we must examine what actually determines outcomes for most players. Richard Herrnstein’s and Charles Murray’s The Bell Curve launched the IQ craze in 1994 by contending that IQ scores are better predictors of future success than one’s socioeconomic status at birth.  But this is the myth of the American dream: that our inherent abilities, assessed by the limited proxy of IQ tests, combined with dedication will lead to success. Instead of pitting marginalized groups against each other in a draconian struggle for socioeconomic security, we’d be smarter to look beyond our flawed reliance on tests to dictate the extent of our abilities.

By Jessica Men

Photo: Six Taste

It’s early October, which means that by now, you’ve probably made your way around EVK enough times to make a salad with your eyes closed or made enough late-night Subway runs to have the guy behind the counter greet you by name.

Needless to say, you’re wondering what else can be brought to the table – literally.

USC alumnus Jeffrey Okita and student Alex Tao have discovered the answer to ending dining hall monotony while exploring the tastes of another culture at the same time.

Okita and Tao – two self-proclaimed “everyday guys who love great food” – run Six Taste, a company that hosts culinary tours throughout Little Tokyo, a community rich in history and nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles (and only 10 minutes from the USC campus).

The idea for Six Taste came about when Okita’s parents stopped in Philadelphia to visit his sister and decided to entertain a culinary tour.

“After that, they mentioned to me that I should look for food tours in Los Angeles,” said Okita. “That’s when I saw that there was a huge opportunity to start up a food tour company in Los Angeles. Because Los Angeles is really spread out, we often are tourists in our own city.”

And for those L.A. suburban residents who have ever been condescendingly asked why you’re taking pictures of the sights downtown “when you live here anyway” (guilty), this is especially true.

“By the end of our tours, we want our guests to feel comfortable coming back to the area again and again and [exploring] the neighborhood through its food,” said Okita.

Participating restaurants include confectionary shop Fugetsu-Do, restaurant and karaoke bar Oiwake, Japanese ice cream parlor Mikawaya Mochi, Chado Tea Room, contemporary restaurant Spitz, Mitsuru Café, and Yamazaki Bakery.

“The main purpose of each of these stops is to add to the story that is Little Tokyo,” said Okita. “Little Tokyo’s history has seen several changes, and we wanted to feature places that shed it in a different light.”

Six Taste patrons, who can sign up to take the four-stop Epicurious Tour or the longer, seven-stop Gastronaut Tour, can mingle with one another while sampling food from the various establishments.

For the epicurious, there is herbal tea and scones to start, and then a four-course sampling and mochi dessert, all topped off with sweet potato fries and sangria at Spitz. The gastronauts get all that, as well as additional goodies from Yamazaki and Mitsuru Café, along with an eco-friendly Six Taste bag.

Eating, though a main focus of Six Taste, isn’t all there is. At each destination in the tour, patrons also get the opportunity to hear the owners and cooks share stories about the rich history of the location.

“These owners are passionate about what they do and the community in which they live,” said Okita. “Our guests love the fact that the owners are taking time out of their busy day to talk to the group.”

Six Taste has become a rising business since its inception in May 2009, with tours sometimes filling up weeks ahead of time. Each tour signs only eight to 16 individuals. Guides prefer smaller groups to ensure a more intimate experience.
Okita and Tao are planning on eventually branching out of Little Tokyo and spotlighting other cultures.

“We are looking to open up a new tour in a new location in the next month,” said Okita. “We have gotten requests to do tours in Olvera Street, Chinatown, Little Ethiopia, downtown, Beverly Hills, and many more.”

For now, Six Taste runs one tour a day on Saturday and Sunday: the Epicurious at $25 per person and the Gastronaut at $55 per person.

According to Okita, Six Taste tours are just one of many options to explore L.A.’s culinary culture.

“Go out as much as you have time [to] and as much as you can afford,” said Okita. “There are cheap, quality eats all around Los Angeles if you do a little bit of research. Get out into the city and explore!”

Can’t make it all the way to Little Tokyo but dying to try something new? Okita leaves his fellow Trojans with a recommendation and some advice: “Around campus, Bacaro L.A. on Hoover and Union is a great little spot … Don’t be afraid of L.A.’s public transportation!”