City of Pittsburgh to engage and inform Chinese-speaking residents (among others) through new Multicultural Liaison Unit.

The City of Pittsburgh announced Monday it will launch a Multicultural Liaison Unit

to help build trustworthy and sustainable relationships between Department of Public Safety workers and members of the city's immigrant and refugee communities.

The unit will translate police, fire and medic materials into several foreign languages, hold educational events for immigrant communities, and provide multicultural training for Public Safety recruits.

One of the five foreign languages identified is Chinese. The new unit will focus on three areas: Communication and Language Access, Outreach and Education, and Multicultural Trainings.

The full press release is available at the City of Pittsburgh's website.

2017 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival, September 16 through 24.

The 2017 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival will run from September 16 through 24 at several Pittsburgh-area theaters. This year's iteration includes selections from Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Philippines.

2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, October 22.

The 2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) will play at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont on October 22. A synopsis of the film, opening in the US on October 20, from the distributor:

A deaf elementary school girl, Shoko Nishimiya, upon transferring, meets a boy named Shoya Ishida in her new class. Shoya, who is not deaf, leads the class in bullying Shoko, because she is deaf. As the bullying continues, the class starts to bully Shoya for bullying Shoko. After graduating from elementary school, Shoko and Shoya do not speak to each other… until later, when Shoya, tormented over his past, decides he must see Shoko once more. Shoya wants to make amends for what he did in elementary school and be Shoko’s friend.

The movie will play at 2:00 pm and tickets are currently available online. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

Pitt still hiring Assistant Instructor of Korean.

The University of Pittsburgh reposted for a second time its job ad for an Assistant Instructor of Korean.

English/Korean Language Social Hour September 13 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and the English Language Institute will present an English/Korean Language Social Hour on September 13, as a way to bring together Korean ESL students and Pitt students learning Korean. It runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map), and will feature ELI students from Chosun University (조선대학교) in Gwangju, South Korea. Refreshments will be provided, and the Social Hour is free and open to the public.

"A Covert History of Communications in the Sino-Japanese War, 1894-1895", September 15 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Jenny Huangfu Day and her talk "A Covert History of Communications in the Sino-Japanese War, 1894-1895" on September 15.

This paper is part of a larger project aimed at re-examining the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 from the perspectives of cultural history and the history of communication. It looks at how the war itself enabled new patterns of mobilization and socialization around new information technology, political discourse and provincial agents.

The talk starts at 3:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Zen's Noodle House opens in Oakland after three years of construction.

After three years of construction and delays, Zen's Noodle House has finally opened at 3531 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map).

"Coming Soon" signage for Asian Noodle Bar first went up in November 2014. Last last month a "Japanese Ramen" sign replaced the "Hand Drawn Noodle" one atop what was most recently Pittsburgh Pretzel Sandwich Shop, but what was for over five decades a Chinese restaurant (and a favorite hangout of Dr. Jonas Salk).


November 2016 and November 2014.

1979 Hayao Miyazaki film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城) in Pittsburgh area, September 14 and 19.

Hayao Miyazaki's 1979 directoral debut, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城), will play at Pittsburgh area Cinemark theaters on September 14 and 19. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut film, LUPIN THE 3RD: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO is coming to U.S. cinemas nationwide for the first time ever this September for a special two-day event. Lupin and Jigen successfully rob a casino of millions, but only to find that the money is counterfeit. Lupin notices how well the money is forged and decides to make his next target the possible source of the forgery, Cagliostro. They enter the country and run into a car chase between a group of men after a girl in a wedding dress. Lupin, who loves girls, decides to abruptly make a detour to assist the bride in her escape. They successfully outrun the men but have an accident. Lupin goes unconscious but wakes up to find a ring with the royal crest of Cagliostro in a white glove from the bride.

This exciting two-night event also features never before seen special footage with creator comments.

The movie is set to play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Pittsburgh Mills. Tickets for the September 14 English-dubbed shows are available online, as are tickets for the September 19 English-subtitled screenings (to find times and tickets be sure to enter the theater's location or zip code in the top-right corner).

Chinese woman in Pittsburgh since 1996 fears deportation: "I don’t think I’m one of the priorities they should be looking to deport."

WTAE ran a story yesterday on Fan Ding, a Chinese woman who has lived in Pittsburgh since 1996 but now fears deportation due to the impending repeal of Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Ding came to Pittsburgh at age 12 for medical treatment at UPMC, graduated from Scheneley High School in 2003 and earned an MBA from Duquesne University in 2014.

“I was having complications. I had a bone infection. I was literally dying. So the only way for my parents to save me was to try to contact the UPMC doctor here," Ding said.

After her story was featured in a newspaper article that caught the attention of then President Bill Clinton, he wrote her a letter of support.

That letter combined with an invitation to Pittsburgh from a doctor at UPMC allowed Ding and her father to obtain B2 visitor visas from the embassy.

Duolingo launches Korean for English Speakers course today.

Pittsburgh-based Duolingo has launched a Korean for English Speakers course today, according to its website.