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About Asia Pacific Arts

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Asia Pacific Arts, published by the UCLA Asia Institute, covers the dynamic worlds of Asian and Asian American arts and entertainment. As perusing back issues will demonstrate, our field of vision is wide.

Asia and the World

Everywhere you look – television, music, film, fashion – the direction of international art and culture faces east. With over 1,300,000 readers annually, Asia Pacific Arts takes a long hard look at just what it means for Asian high and pop cultures to enter the global consciousness and multinational marketplace. As journalists, APA writers ask why, how, when, and where Asian arts have captured the imagination of fans at home and abroad. As critics, they analyze what this means for the future of Asian aesthetics and expression.

Asia in America

Today, Asian culture is no longer locked to the home continent but is a cultural force throughout the world. Living in the United States, APA writers observe what it means to be Asian outside of Asia. As Asian American entertainment grows, APA reporting has created a valuable archive of Asian American artists on their way to distinguishing themselves as unique and important entities in mainstream media.

Image

In its four years in existence, APA has consistently reported on Asian cinemas in all of their forms: blockbuster epics, independent productions, video art. World-famous cinemas of China, India, Japan, and South Korea are covered, but so are smaller films from Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan -- cinemas which need and deserve the in-depth coverage that other publications neglect to offer.

Sound

Political punk from the mainland, indie pop from Japan, hip hop grooves from Taiwan, European opera from Korea. Novels, manga, poetry. If learning about Asian arts is the goal, talking to the creators is the most worthwhile form of training. Being housed at UCLA gives APA access to visitors, professionals, academics, and artists who come through Los Angeles.

Synthesis

As an online magazine, APA can do what print publications cannot. Video interviews, music clips, and other multimedia content add personality to analysis and allow us to remain on the cutting edge of web journalism. APA’s internship program provides the training ground for students interested in journalism, arts, and new media to report with a wide, nuanced, international viewpoint. It teaches writers to be critics and expands their analysis of art and culture to go global.

Production

APA is produced at UCLA. Southern California is home to more than a million Asian Pacific Americans and ties with Asia are strong. Interest in and knowledge of Asia and Asia Pacific America is particularly acute here. More students pursue courses in Asian languages, literatures, histories, politics, and societies (not to mention courses on the Asian Pacific American past and present) at UCLA than at any other Western university. They are taught by members of the richest pools of scholarly expertise on Asia and Asian Pacific America anywhere. Beyond this, the region's role in the global entertainment industry is enormous, and Asia Pacific Arts takes advantage of both the scholarly and industry access in order to develop well-rounded content about Asian arts and culture.

Your Support Is Needed

Asia Pacific Arts is a non-profit publication. APA is only possible through the generosity of sponsors who believe in the utility of the publication and support the students and others who work hard to produce it. Contributions may be made via check or credit card., For additional details, please click here or call (310) 825-9110 to learn how you can help.

Stay In Touch/Share Your Views

Subscribe to the weekly APA Newsletter to be notified when the latest issue is out and to receive news about festivals, exhibitions, and new releases. Send your name and email address to asiaarts@international.ucla.edu and ask to be added to the mailing list. It's free and you can ask to be removed from the list at any time.We do not sell or exchange names or addresses outside the Asia Institute.

You are welcome to comment on articles, suggest topics for us to investigate, or to discuss trends in Asian and Asian American culture in the APA section of the Asia Institute's discussion forums.