Category: Going Against The Grain

Each month at Against The Grain, we highlight an Asian American who embodies “Going Against The Grain” in their life and work. These individuals tell a personal story, Q-and-A style, that demonstrates the challenges and successes in their chosen careers and callings and also inspires our community to pave their own paths to happiness and success. You can read these stories here, read about them in our monthly newsletter and get updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages. If you know someone who would be a great Going Against The Grain feature story, please email info@againstthegrainproductions.com. Enjoy!

 

Going Against The Grain: NEAATO

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight an organization that pays tribute to and keeps us aware of what’s going on in our Asian American community. Thank you for keeping us engaged and in the know of all the fabulosity! Cheers to NEAATO!

N.E.A.A.T.O

Full name:

NEAATO (Network of Entertaining Asian American Talent Organization)

Hometown:

Southern California

Current city:

The Interweb

Give us a brief bio about yourself:

I was raised on a healthy dose of Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and Chick Hearn. Weekends were for boogie boarding at the beach or eating Vietnamese food in Little Saigon. My parents came from Vietnam, and the first time they went back, my dad had not seen his mother in 18 years. 18 years! That story still blows my mind, and I was there to witness it. I think that’s why I love sharing stories so much. They are very powerful.

What made you decide to develop/start NEAATO?

It started with a Bruce Lee quote: “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”

In California, everyone is an actor/actress, writer, model, director, you name it. All my friends were working on their own projects, yet I never heard of them in the news. I started subscribing to different Asian American film fests and would get postings for casting calls. Since I wasn’t an actor, I needed somewhere to post them for my friends who were. I started posting more castings, more projects and created my blog to put it somewhere. It moved to MySpace where that used to be relevant and now Facebook. To be honest, I don’t even blog that much anymore. It’s pretty neat that now we can get Asian American news delivered right TO us, when before we had to LOOK for AA news. Basically I just share things on Facebook now. Sharing is caring.

What do you hope to achieve?

To promote my friends.  My favorite movies and bands never get press. I don’t know if America has bad taste or what, but it’ll always be like that, from Arrested Development getting canceled to Persepolis not winning the Oscar. My favorite groups, De la Soul, The Roots…Most Def will never sell as much as Black Eyed Peas.  People will always overlook the little guy making this great content. I’m just trying to give some press to the little guy, not because they are the little guy, but because I really think it’s better content.

Who inspires you and/or who are your biggest influences?

Dustin Nguyen’s hair. Ysa Le, director of VIFF, Leslie Ito of VC Film Fest, Leann Kim of the San Diego Asian Film Fest, Kym Pham of Kollaboration and Vascon, comedian PK, Stephane Gauger of  Owl and the Sparrow, Tim Bui of Green Dragon, Tammy Nguyen Lee of Operation Babylift, Jared Rehberg, Kieu Chinh for just being classy, David Nguyen of Queen of Virginia, Tuan of Anh Oi, the Susan Trans, the Danny Dos, Isabelle Dus, Gina Trans,  Nadine Truongs, Brittany Trans, Jenni Trang Les , the Viktors, Tiffany Duongs, Caroline Vus, Charlene Phans, Heather Nguyens out there. I’m missing a million people, but all these people inspire me on the daily with words/images/blogs/work ethic/etc. Lac Su, author of “I Love Yous Are For White People,” Steve Nguyen of Channel APA and Flip HD Interviews, Johnny Nguyen, artist Vudoo Soul, cousin Jennipho, the Kate Agathons and May-lees out there. Then there are the nonprofit workers, the Project Vietnams, Pencils of Promise, the VietActs, the Boat People SOS, Against The Grain. There are so many that don’t get the recognition they deserve.

What is the most important lesson/advice you would give?

Don’t complain. Just do. And back to Bruce Lee’s quote above:  “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” People always complain about racism, but Bruce Lee did it. How? He created his own opportunities. Don’t complain, just do.

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment and why?

This interview. LOL. I like when people randomly message me and tell me thank you for sharing other people’s stories. Very small, very simple, but those are the best things in life. The little things. Kym Pham approached me to help her out with the ‘Hay Qua’ event in NYC, where I met ever more talented filmmakers and artists. That, so far, is probably the highlight of my life.

What’s up next (upcoming projects or plans for the coming months)?

I have some documentaries to finish. As for NEAATO, I’m not sure either. Maybe I’ll do my own film fest. Maybe I should start blogging more and interview more people. Maybe podcasting? Just continue to promote my friends really and figure out what’s the most efficient way to do that.

If you have any ideas, let me know. I would love to have this huge database of all my friends’ work in easy to find categories. I started it with http://www.neaat.wordpress.com and need to post more artists on the newer NEAATO Blog. I also need to start updating my Ao Dai News Blog for a documentary I was working on and VietQ News Blog. I have a lot of work to do.

Going Against The Grain: Dr. Ho Tran

Dr. Ho Tran came to this country after the Fall of Saigon with her husband and children as refugees. Despite tremendous loss, she persevered and is now nationally recognized as a leader of public health in her role as President and CEO of the National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP). She recently wrote a book, “Faces on a Journey,” her personal story of enduring human resilience, and was invited on behalf of NCAPIP to President Barack Obama’s signing of the Senate health reform bill in Washington D.C. Dr. Ho Tran came to this country after the Fall of Saigon with her husband and children as refugees. Despite tremendous loss, she persevered and is now nationally recognized as a leader of public health in her role as President and CEO of the National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP). She recently wrote a book, “Faces on a Journey,” her personal story of enduring human resilience, and was invited on behalf of NCAPIP to President Barack Obama’s signing of the Senate health reform bill in Washington, D.C.
Full Name:
Ho Luong Tran, M.D., M.P.H.

Current Cities:

Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and San Francisco


What made you decide to pursue a career in the medical field?
When I was 11 years-old in Vietnam, I wanted to get into medical school to help alleviate the pain of the patients, especially children. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, and I wanted to help the kids, so that’s how it started. I was working as a doctor at the children’s hospital in Vietnam. When I came to America, I re-did my training in pediatrics in Chicago. I didn’t feel as needed as I did before in Vietnam, because most of the male doctors were in the concentration camps, so I was helping the children more.

Why public health?
When I came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1979, I was redoing my medical residency training in Pediatrics at Rush Presbyterian Medical Center in Chicago. I realized that my knowledge and professional help would fit a larger population if I moved into a medical and public health perspective. Cultural and linguistic issues are barriers that hamper our community of refugees and other minorities to access much needed health care, not to mention low socio-economic status, the foreign-born low English proficiency and the still rampant discrimination/racism that adds to the health status of our Vietnamese fellow country men/women. I then pursued a Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Illinois School of Public Health and moved into this arena in 1994.

Helping the community on a much larger scale was much more worth my time. That’s why I made the switch  and got my Master’s in Public Health. I wanted to understand the system to help the community. Then I learned that discrimination still existed, and I learned how to understand certain minorities’ frustration, from one refugee’s perspective to another. I wanted to be an advocate for those who didn’t have a voice. That’s how it shaped my career path.

What have been some of the biggest challenges/lessons you have learned?
It hasn’t been easy, because I came here when I was 30 years-old. The language was a problem. You feel misunderstood and rejected.

What do you hope you achieve as President and CEO of National Council of Asian & Pacific Islander Physicians?
To build a strong and powerful advocacy voice of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander physicians to advance better health for our people. To be the policy organization on health for AA, NHPI from a providers’ perspective.

You recently wrote a book called “Faces on a Journey,” and it is actually a biography of your own personal journey after the Fall of Saigon. What made you decide to write the book, and what do you hope people take away from it?
I lost one of my children during our journey leaving Vietnam. My son died on the boat from dehydration on the 6th day. That’s the reason I wanted to write the book–to keep his memory alive. I forced myself to write in English so that the younger generation could understand. I tried to put accurate pieces of history together so that the younger generation could learn about history. I wanted to keep alive all those stories of all the people I met along the way, and that’s what inspired the title. I used myself as the backbone, but each story ties into different perspectives of life. That is why I wrote the book. To keep the memories alive and remind our younger generations of Vietnamese the reason why we had to leave our beloved and beautiful country, Vietnam. Also, most books were written from men’s perspective. Not enough women have written.

Who inspires you and/or who are your biggest influences?
Everyone who suffers. When I came to America, I realized we have this discontinuity and mistreatment of the minority population, mainly in the language barrier. Being a doctor, you have to have a good grasp of the history. You cannot make a diagnosis, and the quality of care can’t be as good if you can’t speak the language.

Our culture does not change overnight, but we adapt and assimilate. But the system does not change to those immigrants. I want to make the system sensitive to the culture in which we live. The healthcare system they’re used to over there is different from here. And if you don’t understand it here, then you cannot use it.

What is the most important lesson/advice you would give?
Have ambition that translates into big dreams to serve humanity. From that standpoint, persevere, never doubt your capacity. Be truthful. Always open your mind to learn and appreciate the negative as well the positive. That is the message I want to give to everyone. If I can do it, anyone can. It’s patience, persistence, confidence in yourself, learn, learn, learn and ambition that will lead to sucess. Having ambition is to build your dream. It is hard, but the reward is great.

I was not born special. I came to the U.S. thirty years ago and could barely be understood by anyone. And now, thirty years later, I’m invited to shake hands with the President and am nationally known. Refugee and immigrants evolve. I was that refugee thirty years ago. And there will always be someone there in need.

Going Against the Grain: Vudoo Vu

From MIT graduate to R&B singer-songwriter, Vudoo‘s journey as musician is one that’s not typical of most. This California native chose to follow his passion, leaving behind a career in engineering for the pursuit of music. He previously performed at ATG’s inaugural Fashion for a Passion event and recently  performed in the Kollaboration Artist Showcase.

Full Name:
Vudoo Vu :0)

Hometown:
San Jose, CA

Current City:
Los Angeles, CA

How did you get your start in music?

I’ve loved music all my life, but my involvement in it didn’t really begin until college. MIT was the only east coast school that I applied to, and it was done on a whim of sorts. I didn’t know much else outside California. Once I journeyed off to start a new life in college, I figured I’d try singing, because I really enjoyed doing that in the shower. After being rejected by nearly every acappella group I auditioned for, one group let me join: The MIT Logarhythms. Please, allow yourself to laugh. We were pretty awesome. =)

You have quite an interesting background — MIT student turned musician. What made you decide to change your course from an electrical engineer to taking a risk to pursue music?

I set out to become an electrical engineer, not because I had any real passion for it, I just knew it was the pragmatic thing to do. Especially at the world’s leading institution for that course of study. But halfway through, I yet again followed a whim and tried out for American Idol. I found myself secretly flying out to Austin, TX, where I slept on the street for several days to get a spot. Nine days later, I had found myself making it to Hollywood for the Top 100 and competing amongst other amazing singers and artists like Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. Surrounded by people who were doing what they were passionate, it made me think why am I working so hard for something that generally makes me unhappy? The creativity and competitiveness of entertainment was much more invigorating. So upon my return to MIT after the Hollywood rounds, the seed had been planted to switch my life’s big plans.

What was the toughest part or decision about making the switch?

Really, the most painful part was dealing with the inevitable disappointment that would come from my family. Vietnamese families are large and word travels fast. While my peers, especially those at MIT, paraded my decision and what it stood for, my family saw it as a disgrace. My immediate family was among the least financially successful, so my acceptance to MIT was something everyone was very proud of. It would take many years for them to view my choice to do music as a serious and respectable endeavor.

Anyone who doubted you or obstacles? And if so how’d you overcome them?

You know, honestly, I paid little attention to the doubters and haters. I focused on the people who loved what I did, and just kept growing it all from there. The greatest obstacle has always been myself. The more I’ve learned to be aware of who I am, my strengths and my weaknesses, the greater success and happiness I’ve found. The key to that… is brutal honesty. Whether from friends and colleagues or from me, to grow and find clarity is always paramount in achieving success.

Who are your musical influences?

My early influences were countless nights of listening and admiring the music of Stevie Wonder. There was also Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Tevin Campbell, Donny Hathaway. My mama has always influenced me musically, either through the way she lives her life, or through her eclectic taste in music when she took me to school every day as a kid. French romance music, Elvis, Depeche Mode, my mama was even the first to introduce me to Robert Miles, who became staple stuff for those raver days.

You recently part-took in the Kollaboration A concert–what was your favorite moment and highlight of the event?

As a previous winner of Kollaboration in New York a few years ago, I was honored to be asked to perform at Kollaboration’s 10th year Anniversary show at the Shrine in LA. There were over 5,000 crazy people in the audience, and I had an absolute BLAST as the opening performance! I can’t say there was one favorite moment. So much excitement and amazing talent in the building, either performing or just there to support – Far East Movement, Clara Chung, Alfa Garcia, Wong Fu Productions, YouTube stars David Choi & Kina Grannis, several America’s Best Dance Crew teams, the list is outrageous!! And all the amazing dedication of the Kollaboration staff volunteers. The highlight was realizing how much could be accomplished with all of us supporting each other.

What’s your inspiration behind this upcoming album (and when is the intended release)?

It’s kind of a fascinating process my producers have been putting me through. I’m like a lab rat they do tests on! For example, one time, I was left to my own devices in a lounge with instruments that I didn’t even really know how to play, and after several weeks, I emerged with a small catalogue of songs that they asked me to try out on a tour set up just for experimentation. The inspiration has been intense periods of introspection. Naturally, what has been emerging… is this mix of R&B, Rock & Hip-hop. We are very excited about the direction!!! I am blessed to work with several multi-platinum producers right now, and we’ll be polishing off this stuff and done with an album in about 3 more months.

What advice would you give for someone who might be going through a decision like you did–whether to do the expected or unexpected?

I think it’s less about doing the expected versus unexpected, and more about doing something that you’re passionate about, and finding ways to continue to challenge yourself in that arena. When you stop doing the things that make you feel alive, you are dying. Life’s too short and unpredictable to waste on regrets and unfulfilled potential.

What can we expect of Vu in 2010?

World domination? Hahaha, no, not yet anyways. But I’ve been laying low for awhile for good reasons. Getting the formula and the machine just right. I say, go big or go home!!!! I am going to bet that this is the year I’ll be breaking out!!! I cannot wait to share my heart and my new music, full speed ahead in the 2nd half of this year!

Going Against the Grain: Thanh Tran

Going Against the Grain:
Thanh Tran


 Thanh Tran, who has worked on the feature films 9, 500 Days Of Summer and the soon to be released All Good Things and has worked with David Foster, Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige and Harry Connick Jr., takes a moment to serenade us on what makes him go Against The Grain.

Give us a short biography:
In 1975, I moved at the age of 4 and immigrated to the US from Saigon, Vietnam. I grew up in Southern California in Mission Viejo and eventually moved to Boston to study music at the Berklee College of Music. I moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and currently work as an independent film, TV and video game composer. I have worked on the feature films 9, 500 Days Of Summer and the soon to be released All Good Things, CAPCOM’s video game “Bionic Commando,” the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender, composed TV commercials with News 9, film trailers with American World Pictures and has worked with David Foster, Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige and Harry Connick, Jr.

How did you come to the decision to pursue music composition?
At the age of 5, I began studying piano and violin, and when I reached my high school years, I was involved with everything –  music from marching band, jazz band to orchestra and musical theatre. I lived and breathed music, so this inspired me to venture into composing.

Who are your influences/who inspires you?
My influences for classical music include Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Ravel, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. For film music, I admire Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Bernard Herrmann, James Newton Howard and Alexandre Desplat. The two most influential film composers to me would be Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams.

What are some of the projects of which you’re most proud?
I am most proud of scoring Nadine Truong’s Shadow Man. This was the first Vietnamese film I scored, and working with another Vietnamese artist was a real honor and privilege. I’m also very proud of my current project scoring the Vietnamese TV Series, Porcelain. This project is extra special since it will air both in the US and in Vietnam. Being able to share my music in both countries is something I’ve always dreamed of happening.

What has been some of the biggest challenges you all have faced as an Asian American composer and lessons that you have learned?
Working as an independent composer in an extremely competitive field, some of the biggest challenges have been networking and convincing industry professionals an Asian American composer has the skills, abilities and talents to work on large scale motion picture productions.

What do you hope to achieve through your music?
I hope my music will allow people to open their minds and hearts to fulfill what’s missing in their lives and for it to give people hope and joy. A big aspiration would be to conduct my music with a large orchestra in Los Angeles, where the world’s best musicians are.

What is the most important lesson/advice you would give?
Persistence, preparation and patience are the three P’s that help me get through each day working in the entertainment industry. Never giving up hope, believing in oneself and staying positive has really helped me. The one most important thing I truly believe in is the support from family and friends.

Going Against The Grain: Randall Park

Going Against The Grain:
Randall Park

ATG chats with actor and comedian Randall Park, who made his acting debut in the award winning short film Dragon of Love, the creative mind behind the popular internet series Dr. Miracles, and the “Nice But Boring Guy”  who steals scenes in Quentin Lee’s indie flick The People I’ve Slept With.
Full Name:
Randall Park

Location:
Los Angeles

You received an undergraduate degree in English, Creative Writing and a Master’s Degree in Asian American Studies. So how did you get your start in acting?
I got into acting through a theater company I co-founded at UCLA called ‘Lapu, The Coyote That Cares’, or ‘LCC’.  We wrote our own original plays, but we needed actors to perform them.  We settled for ourselves.  I am so proud that our little theater company is still thriving after all these years.

Why do comedy? It’s not an industry you see many Asian Americans in.

I decided to go into comedy, because it comes easier to me than computer programming or open heart surgery.  Also, they say laughter is the best medicine, so in a way, I am a doctor.   Or at least a pharmacist.  Maybe more like a drug dealer.

Your debut film, Dragon of Love, centers around a very humorous and interesting plotline, a black woman who has a fetish for Asian men. Has this film changed your career?
Dragon of Love was written by a very talented writer named Mike Golamco, who I became friends with through LCC at UCLA.  It was one of the first screen acting gigs I’ve ever had.  Since its posting, I’ve received several emails from African American women who have fetishes for Asian men.

Which piece of work are you most proud of?
I’m proud of having worked with a lot of really great actors.  I got to work with Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Larry David, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, just to name a few.    But I’m most proud of my own projects like Dr. Miracles, The Food, and other shorts you can find on my website.  I’m also proud of being a good sexy man.

What insired/how did you come up with the character Dr. Miracles?
Dr. Miracles came from (no pun intended) my love of saving lives.  It is actually based on my life’s story.  It’s really difficult answering these questions while watching Oprah.

What has been some of the challenges and biggest obstacles for you in this industry?
I’ve had a few challenges, but all in all, I’d say I’m pretty blessed, and I’m right on track.  Even the rough patches were there for a good reason.  Being an actor means experiencing a lot of rejection, but sometimes the rejection can lead to discovering great things elsewhere.  For example, when I’m not fortunate enough to be working, I work on getting better, or I create work for myself.  And so much of my own projects have in turn led to professional paying gigs that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

What is the most important advice you would like to pass onto others?
If you love doing something, do it.  You don’t need to wait for someone to tell you to.  Also, never text while driving.  This episode of Oprah I’m watching while I type this is about texting while driving.  Do not do it.

What’s in store for you in the new year?
I have more movie and tv stuff that’s coming out this year.  Some stand-up comedy gigs.  Also, more internet stuff.