Applications for APALA Pittsburgh COVID-19 cash assistance available in English and Chinese (so far).

The Asian Pacific American Labor Association Pittsburgh branchhas opened applications for a COVID-19 cash assistance program for those unable to receive stimulus funds earlier in the year. Application information is available in English and Chinese.

Are you in financial stress because of COVID? Were you ineligible to receive the federal stimulus money? APALA Pittsburgh is taking applications for COVID-19 cash relief! Anyone in Southwestern PA who did not qualify for a federal COVID-19 Economic Impact Payment earlier this year is eligible to apply.

Apply online: http://bit.ly/3ib891K

The application form is currently available in English and Simplified Chinese. We may be adding Vietnamese and Korea. Let us know if you need other language support.

If you have any questions, please DM us, text or leave a voicemail at 412-532-8517, or email apalapgh@gmail.com.

New Hot Pot place to occupy Mr. Egg's Kitchen spot in Squirrel Hill.

Mr. Egg's Kitchen was a noodle place under construction on Murray Ave. from March 2017 until May or June of this year, and though it was permitted to open last month by the county health department it never officially did (I did notice diners there for a lunch in mid-June). Work, however, progresses on a hot pot and juice place that will occupy both Mr. Egg's Kitchen at 2103 Murray Ave. (map) and also the neighboring 2101. The former storefront was most recently Sree's Foods.

Bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA to soft open its first Pittsburgh location July 3.

Taiwanese bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA will be opening its first Pittsburgh location in Squirrel Hill on July 3rd, a few days later than originally announced. It will be located at 5871 Forbes Ave. (map), most recently home to Kidz and Company. According to building permits the future occupants also run the New China House in Monroeville.

Consumer alert for Oriental Market.

Oriental Market, an Asian grocery on McKnight Road (map), was hit with a consumer alert by the Allegheny County Health Department on the 25th. The full report is available online; an excerpt on Food Source / Condition:

*HIGH RISK*** -Eight crates of sliced fish sitting directly outdoors under no protection in parking lot next to hillside in parking lot. Flies observed on the fish carcasses. Fish was set out to be dried. Finished fish product was observed in the second to left reach-in cooler. All were discarded and denatured on site. When inspector requested all fish be discarded, operator was hesitant and placed only a portion of fish in the dumpster and concealed rest of the fish from inspectors in the walk-in cooler. Eventually discarded. REPEAT VIOLATION REPEAT VIOLATION

-Drying or curing of meats without a HACCP plan or standard operating procedures. REPEAT VIOLATION.

An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain extended through January 18, 2021, at Carnegie Museum of Art.

Untitled, Sapa, 1995, via anmyle.com

An exhibition by Vietnamese-American photographer An-My Lê at the Carnegie Museum of Art has been extended through January 18, 2021. It opened on March 14 and was originally scheduled to run through July 26 but was interrupted by COVID-19. A summary of On Contested Terrain from the museum:

An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain is the first comprehensive survey of the politically charged work of photographer An-My Lê (American, born Vietnam, 1960). Featuring over 100 photographs, this exhibition presents seven of Lê’s series, providing insight into her evocative images that draw on a landscape tradition to address the complexity of war.

Intimate and timely, this expansive exhibition explores the intricacies of armed combat through the work of a photographer who lived through the Vietnam War. Through Lê’s lens, viewers are exposed to military training, maneuvers, and reenactments, and are invited to question their own relationship to, and complicity in, conflict.

Bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA to open its first Pittsburgh location on June 28.

Taiwanese bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA will be opening its first Pittsburgh location in Squirrel Hill on June 28. It will be located at 5871 Forbes Ave. (map), most recently home to Kidz and Company. According to building permits the future occupants also run the New China House in Monroeville.

Squirrel Hill's Panda Supermarket to move to bigger location on Forbes Ave.

Panda Supermarket, an Asian grocery store in Squirrel Hill, is planning to move to a bigger location on Forbes Ave. later this year, according to property records and building permits. It purchased the Squirrel Hill Professional Suites building at 5818 Forbes Ave. in August 2019 and will open a multi-story grocery there by the end of 2020. It will occupy the ground floor and basement, and will continue to lease out the second floor to other busineses. The move was originally scheduled for July but has been delayed due to COVID-19.

Panda opened in 2017 and is currently located on the ground floor beneath KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery in what was formerly a Levin Mattress store.

Cambodian-French documentary The Missing Picture online at Pitt, June 24.

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh will present the 2013 Cambodian-French documentary The Missing Picture online on June 24, the first installment of the three-part "Hot Nights And Cold War" series. From a Variety review:

Following “S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine” and “Duch, Master of the Forges of Hell,” Rithy Panh grapples with the horrors of the Cambodian genocide on more intimately unsettling terms in “The Missing Picture.” A sobering chronicle of Panh’s teenage years under the Pol Pot dictatorship, the film is a brave act of witness complicated by the documaker’s decision to re-create his experiences using clay figurines, a tricky aesthetic device that raises fascinating and problematic questions of representation. Sufficiently distinguished from Panh’s other fine work on the subject, and bolstered by strong black-and-white archival footage, “Picture” would be assured of further fest play and strong broadcast interest even if it hadn’t won the top Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes.

The movie starts at 4:00 pm and those interested should register online.

"Cooking Series: Stir Fry Basics & a Discussion on the Racialization of Chinese Cuisine" (online) with The Hungry Cao, June 22.

Pittsburgh Passport presents Itha Cao of The Hungry Cao and her online presentation "Cooking Series: Stir Fry Basics & a Discussion on the Racialization of Chinese Cuisine" on June 22.

The Hungry Cao (“Cow”) has a mission to open minds to new flavors, and start conversations about culture, diversity and information exchange in our global world. Join chef Itha Cao for an introduction to Chinese cuisine and how it came to the US, the racialization of Chinese food, and a stir fry basics lesson, including knife skills, ingredients, tools, and technique. All proceeds from classes and pop-ups go toward social justice causes.

It runs from 6:00 to 7:00 pm and advance registration is required.

New Fuku Tea location on Craig St. to open July 6.

via @drinkFukuTea

The new Fuku Tea location on Craig St. in Oakland will open on July 6. It will be located at 300 Craig St. (map) in what was formerly Razzy Fresh. It is the neighborhood's second Fuku Tea; the original opened at the corner of Forbes and Oakland Aves. in 2015.

Community College of Allegheny County hiring adjunct Chinese instructor.

The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is hiring an adjunct instructor of Chinese.

General Summary: The primary responsibilities of the faculty are to teach and to develop the curriculum. To meet these responsibilities, faculty must remain knowledgeable about advances in their disciplines, in learning theory, and in pedagogy. Faculty portfolios will include contributions and program development and show evidence of ongoing professional development.

Bangkok's Cathedral of Learning.

via @assumptionuniversity

An overhead shot of the Cathedral of Learning (อาสนวิหารแห่งการเรียนรู้) in Bangkok, a 159-meter landmark at Assumption University modeled after the original Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh. Wikipedia says the 2002 version is the fifth-tallest educational building in the world, one behind the first one, and the university website writes of it:

The 39-storey edifice, with 88 columns around its exterior, rose windows, ceiling paintings, magnificent stairway, though unconventional, echoes loftiness and grandeur of ancient and modern civilization. It is surrounded on all sides by ten fountains. It houses the hall of fame, the library, a computer centre and lab, the shopping plaza, etc.

"Taiko: Tradition as a Basis for Innovation," (online) at Pitt, June 18.

The next installment in the online series The Sound of (Japanese) Music, "Taiko: Tradition as a Basis for Innovation" through the University of Pittsburgh will be held on June 18. It runs from 6:00 to 7:30 pm with Benjamin Pachter, Executive Director, Japan-America Society of Central Ohio. Registration is required and can be completed online.

Vietnamese movie Song Lang (online) in Pittsburgh, July 27.

The 2018 Vietnamese movie Song Lang, which was originally scheduled to play in Pittsburgh on April 30, will stream online on July 27 in a presentation hosted by ReelQ: The Pittsburgh Lesbian & Gay Film Society and the City of Asylum.

Join us for a screening of SONG LANG, hosted by ReelQ. Director Leon Le will introduce the film, give a live talkback, and lead the audience in a Q&A after the screening.

Set in 1980s Saigon, well before the U.S. embargo on Vietnam was lifted in 1994, SONG LANG depicts a gritty underworld whose only source of brightness comes from the gorgeous stage productions of a local opera troupe. A hunky, brooding debt collector forms an unlikely friendship with the charismatic lead actor of the struggling company, and their friendship, to their surprise, awakens feelings in both men. “Song Lang” is a percussion instrument used to control tempo and phrasing in Vietnamese modern folk opera. In the Vietnamese language, it also means “two men.” It is the perfect homonym for a nearly perfect film. This film is an outstanding achievement for first-time feature director Leon Le—who also voices the part of the lead actor in the opera! To date, this film has racked up 25 awards in a wide variety of categories: best narrative feature, screenplay, cinematography, production design, costume design. Festivals in Asia have also recognized newcomer Lien Bahn Phat, who makes his acting debut in this film as the debt collector Dung ‘Thunderbolt,’ as a rising star.

The presentation starts at 7:00 pm. Tickets are free but registration is required and can be completed online.

Pittsburgh Magazine profiles Brian Deutsch, of Panda Supermarket and University of Pittsburgh, on working through the pandemic.

The June 2020 Pittsburgh Magazine profiles Brian Deutsch, of Panda Supermarket and the University of Pittsburgh, on working through the pandemic.

The juxtaposition in his employment — one allowing work from home and the other requiring face-to-face contact with coworkers and customers — has also drawn his attention to the divide between those with the luxury to self-quarantine and work from home and those who must continue to work. “I hope that as we move towards reopening and getting back to more familiar routines that we stop and think, how can we make these routines serve us and serve our communities better because like I said, going back to normal isn’t a good thing,” Deutsch says. “So I hope we take some time to figure out how we want our new lives to look.”

Station Square's Kiku Japanese Restaurant reopens, but reservations are required.

Kiku Japanese Restaurant, routinely named among the best sushi places in the city, has reopened for in-person diners, though reservations are required and seating restrictions are in place. Their Facebook page has detailed their new policies and procedures; in short, they are requiring online reservations for guests. 

Racism from Dallas Beauty Lounge emerges.

A few days after being profiled in Pittsburgh Magazine, racist social media posts from Dallas Michelucci, the owner of Dallas Beauty Lounge, have emerged. They are cataloged in this Twitter thread; the salon, with locations in Bridgeville and Market Square, has removed or hidden its social media channels.

Soon-Mi Yoo's Songs from the North (북녘에서 온 노래) online with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, July 27.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 2014 Soon-Mi Yoo documentary Songs from the North (북녘에서 온 노래) on July 27, as the second installment of its online Summer Screenshots: Hot Nights And Cold War series. From a New York Times review:

More art-video installation than typical documentary, “Songs From the North” is mostly nonnarrative, drawing on North Korean film and TV clips to sketch a sensibility that — however stoked by propaganda — prizes family above all and melds that with a zealous commitment to the fatherland. Song and music invoke shared ideals of sacrifice, honor and patriotism; one televised event that features a young boy crying as he sings of his love of country — as an audience of dignitaries also sobs — is moving and disturbing.

. . .

Scattering history lessons and ambiguous imagery amid Ms. Yoo’s engagement with North Koreans, her film implicitly asks: What must they think of us?

The presentation runs from 4:00 to 7:00 pm; registration will be required, though the registration link does not yet show the July installment.

"In Conversation Online: An-My Lê and Dan Leers" (online) with Carnegie Museum of Art, June 11.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will present "In Conversation Online: An-My Lê and Dan Leers" on June 11, as part of the suspended An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain exhibition.

Join artist An-My Lê and Carnegie Museum of Art curator Dan Leers as they lead a virtual tour of An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain. An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain is the first comprehensive survey of the politically charged work of photographer An-My Lê (American, born Vietnam, 1960). Featuring over 100 photographs, this exhibition presents seven of Lê's series, providing insight into her evocative images that draw on a landscape tradition to address the complexity of war.

The cost is $10 for adults, $8 for members and students, and registration can be completed online.

PSA from PsA: Recognizing expired products at Asian groceries (or, rather, recognizing when things aren't expired).

With many Asian groceries now reopened with at least limited hours in Allegheny County's green phase, it is worth sharing information on spotting expired products; or, rather, recognizing when a product in an Asian grocery isn't expired. There is a stereotype that one needs to be extra vigilant at Asian groceries becaue of lax attitudes toward expiration dates. However, while I've purchased expired instant Maxim coffee at a store that was older than the expired Maxim coffee in my closet, I've also found expired baby food at Giant Eagle and expired yogurt at Aldi, so one type of store is not necessarily more notorious than another.

At first glance, a ton of products you find at an Asian grocery look expired based on the dates printed on the packages. For example, this package of frosted snacks or this cup of instant noodles:

Duolingo hiring Creative Producer; proficiency in Chinese or Japanese (among other languages) preferred.

Pittsburgh-based Duolingo is hiring a Creative Producer, with proficiency in a language like Chinese or Japanese preferred.

Are you a producer and project manager with passion for creative and organizational excellence? Does collaborating with skilled strategic marketing and design talent to help build the next iconic brand excite you? Do you have a knack for seeking out inefficiencies and developing strategies for more effective executions? With your project management and producing guidance, you will help ensure we deliver great creative work, on time, every time. This role partners with the Creative Director of Brand & Marketing as a member of the Marketing team, the instrumental creative partner in all marketing projects at Duolingo. As we scale marketing design & creative teams, projects and campaigns- there’s a need to help facilitate collaboration amongst our internal and external teams and partners. This includes assisting in making the team more productive and transparent, producing more strategic creative that hits our objectives and assists in creating A+ Iconic-brand creative work. —At Duolingo, we take pride in and agonize over creative and organization craft to deliver a friendly (and fun) experience for everyone.

More information is available at the Duolingo job posting.

Erie APAA Online Discussion Panel on PBS's Asian Americans, June 11.

The Erie Asian Pacific American Association will hos an online discussion panel on PBS's Asian Americans on June 11.

Join us for the online screening of an epic new film from PBS that examines Asian Americans’ contributions to our country’s past, present, and future, followed by live discussion with a diverse panel from Erie’s Asian community on Thursday, June 11th at 6:30 pm. "Asian Americans" is presented in partnership with WQLN Public Media, and Erie Arts & Culture. The full documentary is available for viewing online now and it has also aired on WQLN. During the panel discussion, we will screen excerpts from the documentary to frame specific conversations. Our distinguished panel includes Dr. Shafiqur Rehman (moderator), Dr. Anjali Sahay, Brittany Fisher, Dr. Jingze Jiang, Nandu Subedi, Harjinder Sabherwal, Walter Ang, and Niken Astari Carpenter.

The free event starts at 6:30 pm. Registration is required and can be completed online.

"Strings Revolution: History and Music of Shamisen and Geisha" with Yuko Eguchi-Wright, (online) at Pitt, June 11.

The next installment in the online series The Sound of (Japanese) Music, "Strings Revolution: History and Music of Shamisen and Geisha" through the University of Pittsburgh will be held on June 11. It runs from 6:00 to 7:30 pm with Yuko Eguchi-Wright of the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures at Pitt. Registration is required and can be completed online.

Kung Fu Tea's Squirrel Hill location soft opening on June 6.

Kung Fu Tea, which has been operating a bubble tea truck around Pittsburgh, will soft open its first brick-and-mortar location in Squirrel Hill on June 6. It is located at 2109 Murray Ave. (map). Signage first went up for the popular tea joint in March.

Mr. Egg's Kitchen coming soon to Squirrel Hill, after 40-month wait.

Taken April 2019.

Mr. Egg's Kitchen appears to be finally coming soon to Squirrel Hill, 40 months after work began on the Murray Ave. storefront. Mr. Egg's Kitchen is a noodle restaurant coming to 2103 Murray Ave. (map), formerly the location of Sree's Foods. A permit for construction in the space was first issued in March 2017, with signage going up in April 2019 and the window coverings coming off six months later. The county permitted it to open last month, though construction continues.

"Asian Appeties" with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, June 6.

Chinese Dim Sum, by Lezlie (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host "Asian Appeties" (online) on June 6.

Join the Asian Studies Center for a fun Jeopardy game about food in Asia in the #globaltieswecare virtual hangout on Saturday, June 6th at 9 pm.

The Zoom event starts at 9:00 pm; registration can be completed here.

Duolingo hiring Senior Content Program Manager, preferably bilingual in Mandarin-English.

Duolingo is hiring a Senior Content Program Manager, preferably one bilingual in Mandarin-English (or English and other specific languages).

Deliver mission-critical content development projects that provide engaging, free learning experiences to millions of learners worldwide. 

Duolingo is the most popular language learning application in the world, with over 300 million users. You’ll join Duolingo’s growing Studios team to help create original content in multiple languages that help teach language, culture and more. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the delivery of strategic, high-impact cross-functional initiatives from ideation to launch
• Leverage deep technical expertise to develop thorough plans, identify risks, solve for dependencies, mitigate roadblocks, and ensure timely and smooth content production and project launches
• Partner with functions across the company--such as engineering, QA, product management, content development, and executive leadership--to ensure communication across teams and to foster collaboration across stakeholders
• Identify issues impacting efficient and cost-effective production and delivery company wide and quickly take action to resolve them, working collaboratively with leadership and other relevant stakeholders
• Manage budgets and third party production partners, vendors or contractors across projects 
• Develop, maintain, and teach and train others on best practices so that all content production-related teams  run more smoothly thanks to you, even when you are not involved day to day.

Kung Fu Tea coming very soon to Squirrel Hill.

Kung Fu Tea, which has operated a bubble tea truck around Pittsburgh and is looking to open its first brick-and-mortar location, is coming very soon to Squirrel Hill. It received a permit from the county last month and is putting the finishing touches on its space at 2109 Murray Ave (map).

Signage first went up in March at what was formerly, and briefly, City Fresh Pasta.

"In Conversation Online: An-My Lê and Dan Leers" (online) with Carnegie Museum of Art, June 11.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will present "In Conversation Online: An-My Lê and Dan Leers" on June 11, as part of the suspended An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain exhibition.

Join artist An-My Lê and Carnegie Museum of Art curator Dan Leers as they lead a virtual tour of An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain. An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain is the first comprehensive survey of the politically charged work of photographer An-My Lê (American, born Vietnam, 1960). Featuring over 100 photographs, this exhibition presents seven of Lê's series, providing insight into her evocative images that draw on a landscape tradition to address the complexity of war.

The cost is $10 for adults, $8 for members and students, and registration can be completed online.