Eric Nam in Pittsburgh, February 16.

Korean-American singer Eric Nam will perform in Pittsburgh on February 16. Tickets for the all-ages show at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale are currently still available.

"The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" presentation by Squirrel Hill Historical Society, February 8.

Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead, circa 1925.
The Squirrel Hill Historical Society will present Tammy Hepps and her discussion on "The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" on February 8.

Homestead Jewish historian Tammy Hepps, homesteadhebrews.com, will discuss the traumatic dispersion of Chinese laborers after the transcontinental railroad was built, examining their lives as laundrymen in context the microcosm of Squirrel Hill and Homestead.

For much more information on early Chinese residents in the area, and the context, see this well-researched article from the Homestead Hebrews website, whence the photograph of Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead comes.

The talk begins at 7:30 pm and at the Church of the Redeemer at 5700 Forbes Ave. (map).

Pitt's Department of Music presents Yun Emily Wang and "Listening Incommensurably: Sounding 'out' as homonationalist double-bind in Toronto’s Queer Taiwanese Diaspora" as part of Visiting Scholar Series, March 31.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music will host Dr. Yun Emily Wang and her talk "Listening Incommensurably: Sounding 'out' as homonationalist double-bind in Toronto’s Queer Taiwanese Diaspora" of Duke University on March 31.

In this paper I analyze two ethnographic moments of sounding “out” among a group of queer Taiwanese immigrants in Toronto by tracking the incommensurables in each instance.

The first case study took place in a private home in 2014, when my interlocutors exchanged stories of navigating racism in North American queer culture and the ways in which Taiwan’s pending legalization of same-sex marriage produced polarizing family dynamics stretching across the Pacific Ocean. This discussion of intersectional politics was soundtracked by an electronic dance music track consisting of an auto-tuned anti-queer Christian sermon that had gone viral in Taiwan a few months prior, and my interlocutors interacted with the track as non-verbal commentaries that complemented the discussion. The second followed Taiwanese Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling in 2017, when my interlocutors marched in Toronto’s annual Pride Parade. They broadcasted Mandopop queer club anthems with amplifiers on a small hand truck and invited parade bystanders to “party along” and celebrate Taiwan, drowning out the other queer Asian groups. In such politically charged moments of collective listening, singing along, and dancing, my interlocutors engaged with multiple sonic publics that participated in what Jasbir K. Puar calls “homonationalism-as-assemblage” (2015), the processes through which nation states claim sovereignty through queer-friendliness at the expense of the racially and economically marginalized.

Investigating the incommensurabilities between Canadian and Taiwanese queer politics, between sounding and listening, between openness toward an emergent Asian Canadian queer futurity and its own foreclosures, ultimately, I demonstrate the necessity of failures and complicity in efforts toward an otherwise world.

The virtual event runs from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, and will be available on Zoom for Pitt students, faculty, and staff, and on Youtube to the rest of the viewing public.

Dr. Keung Yoon Bae and "The Physicality of Gaming: Bodies and Biology in Esports," February 9 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Keung Yoon Bae and her talk "The Physicality of Gaming: Bodies and Biology in Esports" on February 9.

In an activity like gaming, which is largely perceived to take place on a virtual or online plane, how might we understand the presence and significance of the human body? How do factors relating to the body – the physical locations in which we play games, the presentation of one’s gender, the invisibility of the body in gaming and esports – impact gaming culture and esports media? Dr. Bae explores these questions through a study of gaming and esports in South Korea and the US.

The talk will be at 5:00 pm and on Zoom, and registration is required.

Pittsburgh Opera presents world premiere of In A Grove, based on short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, from February 19.

Pittsburgh Opera will present In A Grove, based on short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, from February 19.

Music by Christopher Cerrone, libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, based on the short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

A silent, expectant grove. A violent encounter between a man, a woman, and a notorious brigand.

Seven testimonies, each proposing a different perspective on the crime. Akutagawa’s classic short story “In a Grove,” which inspired the plot of Kurosawa’s renowned film Rashomon, offers a searing investigation into the impossibility and elusiveness of truth.

Epic and intimate, timeless and devastatingly timely, the story’s structure lends itself powerfully to music’s ability to conjure—via repetition and variation—how human perception, memory, and desire are fallible, imprecise, and subject to interference.

Join us for this unique world-premiere experience in a place where the ground shifts beneath your feet—a space of ambiguity and clarity, of beauty and menace, and of fragility and strength.

Performances are on February 19, 22, 25, and 27, and March 1 and 3, 2022. Tickets are now available. The theater is located at 2425 Liberty Ave. in the Strip District (map).

Passes for 2022 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 18 to 31, now available.

Passes are now available for the 2022 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, to be held at the Row House Cinema from March 18 to 31.

Festival passes are the best way to experience the 2022 Japanese Film Festival. Passholders get access to films and festival events at a huge discount and have first access to book screenings. Quantities are limited, so book today!

The festival began in 2016 and returns in 2022 after a two-year hiatus forced by COVID. The only film announced so far is 2019's The Island of Cats (ねことじいちゃん), which was slated to open the festival back in 2020.

Woosung to open for Epik High, in Pittsburgh on March 19.

It was recently announced that Woosung will be the opening act for Epik High on their 2022 North American tour. The Korean-American singer and the legendary hip-hop group will perform in Pittsburgh---well, in Millvale---on March 19. Tickets for the all-ages show at Mr. Smalls Theater are available online.

No Lunar New Year parade in Squirrel Hill in 2022.

via @LunarNewYearPGH

Although one website is promoting a parade next week, there will not be a Lunar New Year parade in Squirrel Hill in 2022. The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition shared in its newsletter:

Happy Lunar New Year! We look forward to welcoming the Year of the Tiger on February 1st with celebrations lasting for two weeks. The Year of the Tiger will be marked with big changes, risk-taking, adventure, and enthusiasm – both for ourselves and for others. Sadly, there will be no community celebrations this year due to Covid-19.

The Lunar New Year parade has moved up Murray Ave. in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood since 2016, capping a couple weeks of festivities, performances, and dining specials in the area. In spite of this year's hiatus, one tourism website atop the Google results does suggest the event will run on February 1 and 2; however, this Ukraine-based website has simply copied-pasted last year's article with a suggested 2022 date.

2022 Greater PGH Lunar New Year Gala, January 29 at North Allegheny Senior High School.

The Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center will hold 2022 Greater PGH Lunar New Year Gala on January 29 at North Allegheny Senior High School in Wexford.

The Greater Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center, the Greater Pittsburgh Region Tiger Spring Festival, will take place on January 29th (6:30 pm - 9:00 pm), at the NASH Auditorium of North Allegheny High School in Pittsburgh!

For everyone's safety, we expect everyone to be fully vaccinated. (Kids under 5 doesn't need vaccination card) Please show your vaccination card at the entrance. In addition, please wear the face mask during the entire show. No food or beverages are allowed inside the auditorium. Thank you for your cooperation.

Pittsburgh-native show stars, plus four artists from California, New Jersey, Delaware, Georgia, and specially invited professionals in dance design and program planning, will present an audio show to the audience.

This year's party will be special on-site fun and interactive sessions. There will be a lot of heavy prizes draws and big screen scrolling raffle events waiting for everyone. Fang suction smoker, the latest Apple Watch, the nine-sun strip machine, the Cubs Juicers, and a variety of fine little gifts...... the total value of the prize is up to 5000 US dollars! Additional raffle tickets are available to purchase at the entrance. Don't miss it!

Together, let's promote Chinese culture and welcome the Year of the Tiger together!

The event starts at 6:30 pm, and general admission tickets are available online for $10 (kids under 12 and seniors are free). North Allegheny Senior High School is located on Rt. 19 in the North Hills (map).

Environmental Charter School hiring high school Mandarin teacher.

The Environmental Charter School in East Liberty is hiring a high school Mandarin Chinese teacher for the 2022-2023 academic year.

The High School Mandarin Teacher has strong teaching abilities, an understanding of pedagogy and instructional practices, fluency in Mandarin, and a strong interest in environmental studies. The Mandarin Teacher works collaboratively within a team of educators in a High School setting. The teacher works closely with his/her specialist team and provides an introduction to Mandarin in an age-appropriate and developmentally-responsive manner. This role requires experience in language instruction for high school age students. Candidates should be energetic and progressive minded, with a willingness to work collaboratively with grade level and specialist teams.