momo chang

I recently interviewed Taiwanese uber-pop star Jay Chou for Hyphen. Chou plays the role of Kato in Columbia Pictures’ remake of The Green Hornet, directed by Michel Gondry and also starring Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz. I learned that though Chinglish is often derided, sometimes is the the most effective means of communicating, especially, in [...]

I’m now a features editor at Hyphen, a magazine focusing on Asian American arts, culture and politics. We’re looking for story ideas and also for folks to join our staff. Please see submissions guidelines here if you want to submit a pitch. We’re also looking for all sorts of folks to join our volunteer staff, [...]

Fred Korematsu, civil rights icon for younger generation, has his day

By Momo Chang
Oakland Tribune Correspondent

Posted: 10/01/2010 12:00:00 AM PDT

A little-known Japanese-American man may be the next generation’s civil rights icon after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last week making Jan. 30 the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.
This is the first [...]

Here’s a short news story I have in this week’s East Bay Express about a female janitor who’s suing for sex and pregnancy discrimination. She was fired after trying to go back to work after maternity leave.
Here are also a few recent blog posts I’ve written for Hyphen. The first is about the film 9500 [...]

Here’s my cover story in this week’s East Bay Express about new Burmese refugees — the Karenni people — and their struggles after arriving in the U.S. “Still Seeking Refuge: The East Bay’s new Burmese immigrants left their homes in Thai refugee camps only to find themselves in an even tougher spot — inner-city Oakland [...]

I’m excited to let you know that I have an article in the current (Jan-Feb) issue of the Utne Reader. The title of the piece is “Ecofriendly Nail Salons: Color Me Nontoxic” and is an excerpt from the Hyphen article I’d previously blogged about. Check out the Utne issue if you have a chance. It’s [...]

Here’s an article I wrote several months ago for Asian American Poetry and Writing, a literary arts project and online magazine based in LA, run by several writers and journalists who I greatly respect.
I got to spend some time with folks at VONA, a writers of color workshop. They are doing some important work there. [...]

I’m moderating a panel on Thursday, September 3rd in San Jose entitled “A Hidden Side of Beauty: Hazards Facing Nail Salon Workers.” I’ve written about Vietnamese and other Asian-owned and worked salons for the last few years, and have come across many people who are surprised to hear about the working conditions in nail salons, [...]

Here is an obituary I wrote on Richard Aoki, former Black Panther and activist. Richard died on Sunday, March 15 at his home in Berkeley. It was a difficult piece to write, especially talking to grieving friends and family members and people who were still in shock.
Aoki is best known for his role in the Black Panther [...]