ASIANWEEK WRITERS OVER THE YEARS
CHARLES LEONG
1979 - 1984
Founding member and AsianWeek columnist. A pioneer in journalism and public relations for the Chinese American community. Charles also founded the Chinese Press and Chinese News.
CAROLYN GAN
1979 - 2009
Founding member and longtime journalist, Carolyn was the first social columnist at AsianWeek, covering local events, art, and history. It is her “goal and passion to shine the light on the accomplishments in our community.”
LIM P. LEE
1981 - 1991
Founding advisor and later columnist for AsianWeek. In 1966, he was appointed San Francisco Postmaster, becoming the first Asian American postmaster in America and the highest-ranking official of Asian descent in the federal government. Previously, he worked as a social worker and juvenile probation officer. He died in June 2002 at age 91.
NORMAN AND
HARRIET ISHIMOTO
1984 - 1993
AsianWeek political columnists of “API Kinetics.” Norman is a principal of KI Associates, a multicultural-multilingual market research agency. Harriet worked in public service and is a former aide to Representative Nancy Pelosi.
SUMI HARU
1985 - 1993
Film and television actress and columnist for AsianWeek. Sumi is the first and only woman of color to serve as interim president of the Screen Actors Guild and was a member of the SAG’s National Board. She died in October 2014 at age 75.
GERRYE WONG
1989 - 2009
AsianWeek columnist covering Chinese American culture, politics, and history. She is the co-founder of the Chinese Historical & Cultural Project and the Chi Am Circle Women’s Club and is a board member of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation.
DON LAU
1990 - 1994
Contributing writer and photographer covered both national and local politics and Asian American communities in California. He is also the former chair of the Asian Pacific American Vietnam Veterans group.
MAELEY TOM
1990 - 2008
AsianWeek political columnist focused on the political impact on Asian American communities. She was the president of the California State Personnel Board and spent 20 years in the California State Legislature as the Chief Administrative Officer of the California Assembly and the Chief of Staff to the California State Senate President.
SAM CHU-LIN
1990 - 2006
Contributing writer for AsianWeek focusing on politics, history, and racial justice. Sam was one of the first Asian American reporters on network television and was known for his coverage of Asian American communities. He died in March 2006 at age 67.
IRENE CUALOPING
1990 - 1995
Columnist and photojournalist for AsianWeek, her series “Chicago Connection” profiled Asian American professionals across many fields. She is also an attorney, a businesswoman, and the former executive director of the Illinois Human Rights Commission.
ARTHUR HU
1990 - 2008
Columnist for AsianWeek whose series “Hu’s On First” provided different viewpoints on the historical and political backgrounds of Asian American communities. He also wrote columns covering affirmative action and race relations.
EMIL GUILLERMO
1993 - 2009
Print and broadcast journalist whose series, “Amok,” was considered one of the most widely read columns on general Asian American issues in the country. His early AsianWeek columns are compiled in the book Amok: Essays from an Asian American Perspective, which won an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation in 2000.
PHILIP W. CHUNG
1993 - 2009
Film critic and columnist of AsianWeek. He is also a writer and co-artistic director and co-founder of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble. His credits include writing for the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and making a number of short films.
ANH LE
1993 - 2006
Print journalist and longtime activist within the Black and Vietnamese American communities, his articles have also been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Daily News, USA Today, and the New York Times.
PHIL TAJITSU NASH
1993 - 2009
Columnist for AsianWeek, focusing on national politics and Asian American empowerment. He was also involved with the Japanese American community and foreign affairs between Japan and the U.S. and was the executive director of the National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium.
SAMSON WONG
1996 - 2009
AsianWeek “Potsticker” columnist, also featured in the San Francisco Independent and Examiner. He served on the San Francisco Citizens Advisory Committee on Elections, San Francisco Elections Task Force, and Chinese American Voters Education Committee enfranchising thousands of Asian American voters.
JOYCE NISHIOKA
1998 - 2004
AsianWeek staff writer, editor, and columnist. Joyce covered a wide range of issues from San Francisco Asian American communities to the nation’s family planning to common Asian stereotypes.
TAK TOYOSHIMA
1999 - 2008
Freelance illustrator and comic strip creator whose comic strip Secret Asian Man made the front cover of AsianWeek in 2008. His work often depicts Asian American culture and identity and has also been published in the Stone Bridge Press, the NYU Press, and the Asian American Literary Review.
TONY HAYES
2000 - 2003
AsianWeek sports columnist focused on Asian American players in Major League Baseball.
FIONA MA
2000 - 2002
2012 - 2014
“Buzz” columnist of the Asian American film scene. Fiona is a Certified Public Accountant elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, California State Assembly, and the Board of California and is the current California State Treasurer.
JENNIE SUE
2001 - 2004
Video Games columnist and Video Games Technology Editor. Also served as AsianWeek’s Creative Director.
QUANG BAO
2002
Executive director of Asian American Writers’ Workshop and a contributor to AsianWeek. He is also the co-editor of the book Take Out: Queer Writing from Asian Pacific America.
MAY CHOW
2002 - 2005
Contributing writer for AsianWeek, she wrote obituaries and covered international relations, local politics, and education. She also wrote the popular anonymous “Picky Eater” restaurant review column.
TERRY HONG
2002 - 2005
Book columnist and contributing writer for AsianWeek. Terry is former project director and media arts consultant for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Her publication credits include the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Washington Post.
IRWIN TANG
2003 - 2008
Contributing writer for AsianWeek and author of several books, including Asian Texans: Our Histories and Our Lives and How I Became a Black Man and Other Metamorphoses. He is also a longtime political activist, working with César Chávez and the United Farm Workers.
RYAN LEONG
2004 - 2008
Longtime sports reporter for ESPN Radio and the Associated Press Radio Network. Ryan covered college football, the NBA, the NFL, and local teams in the San Francisco Bay Area for AsianWeek.
CHRISTINA FA
2005
Longtime Asian American activist, Christina’s contributions to AsianWeek covered politics and human rights of Asian Americans in California.
TINA TSAI
2005 - 2008
AsianWeek anime and comic book columnist known as “L.A. Otaku Girl.” She wrote anime reviews about Naruto and Bleach and also covered J-pop and Japanese culture and traditions.
JOYCE GUAN
2005 - 2006
AsianWeek cultural columnist and film critic. Joyce pointed out the common stereotypes between cowboys and Asians, including introversion and homophobic perspective.
KENNY TANEMRA
2005 - 2008
Contributing writer and cultural columnist for AsianWeek and author of the single-poem chapter book Mao’s Pears.
FRANK JANG
2007 - 2009
Contributing writer for AsianWeek, covering local politics, education, and Asian American history. He is an attorney and former San Francisco police commissioner.
DOUGLAS CHAN
2006 - 2008
Photojournalist and AsianWeek staff, Frank covered local events in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the vice president of San Francisco Chinatown Photographic Society and board member of San Francisco United Lions Club.