Asian Avenue magazine

Denver’s know-it-all to the Asian American Pacific Islander community

Archipelago, a Seattle-based apparel company, founded by Filipino Americans has created several Asian American Vote t-shirts in both mens and womens sizes. Get yours today!

AAm would like to thank all of the talented local artists who contributed to our September 2008 Anime issue:

Congratulations to Hannah Nguyen, 16, Arvada, CO!
Winner of AAm Cover: Drawing entitled “Reach Out”

Also Hannah’s drawings below:
“Fragments Scattered”
The girl’s name is Hannah and the boy’s name is Hikou.

“Wishmakers”
The character’s name is Liliah.

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Nalye Lor, 13, Thornton, CO
“Drawn Tale”

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Joey Teng, 23, Thornton, CO
The drawing depicts Takumi Fujiwara, from the Initial D series. Always calm and collected, he is tearing down the mountain, with an S14 Silvia in chase.

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Gordon Wong, 27, Boulder, CO
“Kakashi from the anime, Naruto”
This was when he was younger and in the Anbu squad, which is a special unit. Although he is not one of the main characters of Naruto, he is one of my favorite characters of all time.

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Lee Guo, 23, Denver, CO
“Party on the Beach”

“Legend of the Guardian Mages”
These drawings are from a comic book I created in 2000.

Japanese animation leaving its mark on U.S. culture.

It’s easy to tell that anime has gone mainstream as a pop cultural force. There are 21 anime conventions in September alone, mostly in the U.S. (one a manga convention in Japan), according to the website animecons.com. Denver’s annual Nan Desu Kan is one of hundreds of events held every year around the world that celebrate the anime art form.

Not bad for a bunch of cartoons.

Except, as any anime fan – “fanime” or otaku if you’re a truly serious enthusiast – can tell you, anime is not just an average cartoon. At least, not the kind of cartoons most Americans think of from their childhood. In fact, most anime isn’t aimed at children at all, unlike American cartoons.

Anime is a wide-ranging term for animation from Japan that has influenced U.S. pop culture in the past few decades, and continues to grow in popularity. Its hallmarks include a dynamic graphical style, innovative action, story lines that are easy to follow but complex in their mythic depth, and wild, boundless imagination.

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In an evening of Hawaiian dancing and music, the 2008 Polynesian Luau entertained guests of all ages at the Radisson Hotel in Aurora on August 16. The Saturday night began with Hawaiian gifts and purchasable goodies, including fresh leis and Hawaiian wear. With music provided by John Coelho of Hawaiian Way, attendees then enjoyed an “aloha” dinner. To conclude the evening, performances by several halaus (groups), including Halau Hula O Na Mauna Pohaku and Pacific Pride and Island Hearts, took the stage sharing dances from Hawaii to New Zealand.

Video footage from the event:

Visiting 27 cities in 31 days, the Asian Hip Hop Summit Tour traveled across the nation throughout the month of August, stopping in Denver on August 2. The tour was founded in Koreatown, Los Angeles by Kublai Kwon on the 10th anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots. The Summit quickly established itself as Southern California’s premiere festival of pan-Asian arts. This year, sponsored by Lil Jon’s Crunk Energy Drink and angryasianman.com, Asian American lyricists Dumbfounded and Lyraflip from Los Angeles, female rapper Youthinasia from Las Vegas, and scratch specialist DJ Dstrukt from the Bay Area, shared their artistic talent and originality with audiences at Denver’s Snake Pit.

Over 50 women leaders, mostly from the Asian Pacific American community, gathered for the First Ladies’ Tea at the Governor’s Mansion on August 8th. Sponsored by the Asian Pacific Development Center (www.apdc.org), the event brought women together for an afternoon of networking, light snacks and, of course, tea. APDC is a community-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to serve the health and mental health needs of a growing population of Asian American and Pacific Islander residents throughout Colorado.

On August 10, the state of Colorado paid tribute to one of its former governors. Ralph Carr, Colorado’s governor when Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan in 1941, lost his political career because he opposed the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Mostly forgotten until a biography published this year by 9News political reporter Adam Schrager, “The Principled Politician,” Carr’s image has received a makeover that culminated in the ceremony at the Capitol building, where the sign designating the stretch of US Hwy 285 from Denver to Kenosha Pass as the “Ralph Carr Memorial Highway.” The Colorado legislature voted this spring to rename the highway in Carr’s honor.
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1882 S. Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80210
Tel: 303.777.CUPS (2877) Fax: 303.777.5339
Email: [email protected]

HOURS
Tues – Sat: 10am – 8pm
Sun: 11am – 6pm
Closed Mondays

Take a short trip to Old South Pearl Street across from the Denver Folklore Center and you will find a bit of peace amidst the bustle of your urban environs. Located at 1882 S. Pearl, Seven Cups is the first and only Chinese-style tea house in Denver. With its tasteful and understated décor, it offers the kind of elegance that directly translates into serenity.

It’s set up as a relaxing place to meet with old friends, to catch up on each other’s lives while enjoying a really good pot of tea, and a few Chinese moon cakes or some Japanese wagashi pastries.

The staff of Seven Cups is dedicated to bringing you the highest quality teas from all over China. The teas offered are incomparable, with over 90 varieties on hand and most are certified organic. Seven Cups is committed to the idea that they can get the best there is without destroying the Chinese environment.

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2223 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway
Littleton, CO 80129
Tel: 303.683.5558

HOURS
Mon – Thur: 11:30am – 10pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30am – 11pm
Sun: 11:30am – 10pm

Another in the John Holly family of restaurants, Little Holly’s, located at 2223 W. Wildcat Reserve Pkwy in the heart of Highlands Ranch, offers essentially the same menu as their other well-known Bistros, but with a little less of the mood and ambiance that defines the John Holly experience. The café is small and cozy, designed more for the on-the-go crowd, and it offers a wide variety and high quality selection, much like its larger siblings.

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Provided by Chef Jimmy, United Chinese Restaurant
Thornton, CO 80241 Broomfield, CO 80023
Tel: 720.977.8888 Tel: 303.429.2230

Visit www.united-chinese.com to see the restaurant’s menu!

SAUCE
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon condensed milk
2 teaspoons pineapple juice
A pinch of salt

WALNUTS
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon sugar
Vegetable oil for deep frying

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