Two of the country's first three petroleum engineering graduates were Chinese, and were the first Chinese students to graduate from Pitt.

In January 1915, the Pitt Weekly noted that the first graduating class of its Petroleum Engineering degree would contain two American and two Chinese students (though that year's commencement program shows only one of the Americans earned his degree).

PITT CHINESE TO BE PETROLEUM KINGS

Melican Chinese laundries and Chinese chop suey restaurants are common objects in our city life, and on most any corner we see the familiar sign 'Wa Lee Yee, Laundry" but did you ever stop to think that we will be soon buying our oil and gasoline from real Chinese pretroleum [sic] engineers?

Pitt has taken the lead in producing Chinese Knights of the oil can, and will, unless the unexpected happens, graduate two sons of the oriental country with the degree of petroleum engineer in June. This will be the first time for any university in the United States to offer the degree, so the men taking it will have a notable distinction.

"Japanese Action Comic Punk band" Peelander-Z at Hard Rock Cafe, April 25.

Japanese punk band Peelander-Z will play in Pittsburgh on April 25. Wikipedia provides an overview of their live shows:

They perform on stage and appear in color-coordinated costumes, which they state are not costumes, but their skin. The costumes range from sentai style suits, to kimono, to rubber Playmobil style wigs. There is also a tiger costume and a giant squid/guitar costume to coincide with the song "Mad Tiger". Another aspect of their routine is their on-stage antics such as human bowling (diving head-first into bowling pins), pretending to hit each other with chairs in imitation of pro-wrestlers, and mid-performance piggyback rides. They often allow audience members on stage to join in on the fun, and often dive into the audience or hang from a balcony as part of their act.

They return to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2015, following a brief hiatus. The show is at the Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square (map) and tickets are available online; those under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

2018 Chinese film Ash is the Purest White (江湖儿女) continues in Pittsburgh through April 25.

The 2018 Chinese film Ash is the Purest White (江湖儿女), which opened in Pittsburgh on April 12, will continue in town through April 25. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Qiao is in love with Bin, a local mobster. During a fight between rival gangs, she fires a gun to protect him. Qiao gets five years in prison for this act of loyalty. Upon her release, she goes looking for Bin to pick up where they left off.

The movie plays at the Regent Square Theater on S. Braddock Ave. in Regent Square (map) and tickets are now available for purchase online.

Master Z: IP Man Legacy (葉問外傳：張天志) at Harris Theater, from April 19.

The 2018 Chinese martial arts film Master Z: IP Man Legacy (葉問外傳：張天志), which has been playing in Pittsburgh since its nationwide release of April 12, will play at the Harris Theater downtown from April 19 through 25. The distributor provides a summary:

Legendary action director Yuen Wo Ping draws on a stellar cast (Michelle Yeoh, Dave Bautista, Tony Jaa, and Max Zhang) to create a hard-hitting martial arts blast worthy of its place in the celebrated IP MAN universe. Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi (Zhang), tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it’s not long before the mix of foreigners, money, and triad leaders draw him once again to the fight.

The movie will play in Mandarin with English subtitles. Tickets are now available to be purchased online. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in the Cultural District (map).

Great DEALL (Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures) Conference celebrating undergraduate research, April 18 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will hold its first Great DEAL Conference on April 18.

The faculty of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host a celebration of the best and brightest of our students. All of our graduating seniors will be presenting a summary of their research projects. Prizes will be awarded. Refreshments will be offered during this day-long event of presentations and poster presentations. Learn about East Asia through the experience of hard-working undergrads. You'll be amazed.

The event runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in 2500 Posvar Hall (map).

Pitt hiring East Asian Library Student Assistant for summer position (Chinese proficiency required).

The University of Pittsburgh's East Asian Library is hiring a student assistant for a 20-hour-per-week position this summer.

The East Asian Library is looking for a reliable, detail-oriented student to work 20 hours per week. The student assistant will help to carry on a Chinese studies related project. Primary responsibilities include data extracting, input, sorting and testing.

This position requires Chinese Language skills.

Applicants must submit a CV.

This position is for summer 2019 only.

The job pays $8.15 an hour. Those interested should apply online (mypitt.edu login required).

2018 Japanese animated film Okko's Inn (若おかみは小学生) in Pittsburgh, April 22 and 23.

The 2018 Japanese animated film Okko's Inn (若おかみは小学生) will play in the Pittsburgh area on April 22 and 23. The distributor provides a summary:

After losing her parents in a car accident, Okko goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn’s next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see – not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games and help her navigate her new environment. The inn’s motto is that it welcomes all and will reject none, and this is soon put to the test as a string of new guests challenge Okko’s ability to be a gracious host. But ultimately Okko discovers that dedicating herself to others becomes the key to taking care of herself.

The latest feature from famed anime studio Madhouse and director Kitaro Kosaka, who was a key animator on numerous classic films at the venerable Studio Ghibli, seamlessly blends immersive, idyllic landscapes with the storybook charm of Okko’s beloved ghosts. Okko’s Inn delivers a rare ghost story that –despite several floating characters – is firmly grounded in the trials and joys of humanity.

It will play locally at the Cinemark theaters in North Hills and Robinson. The April 22 screenings are dubbed in English while the April 23 screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are now available online.

Chinese calligraphy workshop downtown, May 25.

"Chinese calligrapher," by David Boté Estrada (Creative Commons).

The downtown branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a Chinese calligraphy workshop on May 25.

A Chinese calligraphy expert will show us pictures of her home in China, give background on the art of calligraphy, and lead a Chinese calligraphy workshop for all ages! No registration is necessary for these sessions. Seating for all workshops is available to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll want to come early to be sure you MAKE it on time.

The event runs from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The Downtown & Business branch is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

“Body Writing” and “Quotidian Writing” in Contemporary Chinese Women’s Poetry, April 19 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will present Dr. Hua Huang and her talk “Body Writing” and “Quotidian Writing” in Contemporary Chinese Women’s Poetry on April 19.

Art in the US-Japan Relationship: Preserving the Floating World, April 18 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Japan America Society of Pennsylvania will present Art in the US-Japan Relationship: Preserving the Floating World on Thursday, April 18.

Please join us for a special presentation of Japanese art as part of the Richard J. Wood Art Curators Series. The series brings attention to major collections of Japanese art in the U.S. and their role in the U.S.-Japan grassroots relationship.

Beyond his fame as Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Tales of the South Pacific and Hawaii, James A. Michener is well remembered as an enthusiastic collector of fine art. He managed to assemble the third largest collection of ukiyo-e in the United States, which he then gifted to the Honolulu Museum of Art. His donation now comprises approximately half of the museum's collection of more than 10,000 Japanese ukiyo-e. Join us at the Carnegie Museum of Art to learn about Michener's collecting journey with Stephen Salel, Robert F. Lange Foundation Curator of Japanese Art at the Honolulu Museum of Art.

The event starts at 6:00 pm and registration is required. The museum is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by buses 28X, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71B, 71D, 75, and P3.