Read These Blogs

Will Harvard continue to fail Asian Americans — or will it learn from the past?
Professor, filmmaker, and Harvard alum Renee Tajima-Pena calls on Harvard to recognize and invest in the importance of Asian American Studies, and Ethnic Studies generally.

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I'm Asian-American. Affirmative Action Worked for Me
"I needed affirmative action to have a chance to succeed, because almost nothing in the community I was brought up in encouraged me to realize that I had talent." Playwright Young Jean Lee says she benefited from affirmative action, and other Asian American students should have the same opportunity.

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Deported and 9,000 Miles Apart, but 'You Stay With the Person You Love'
Rex Ny and Chuh A were married January 26 in Kontum, Vietnam. They're both Montagnards, the indigenous people of Vietnam's Central Highlands, and the children of those who had aided American troops during the Vietnam War before emigrating to the United States. But Mr. A was deported after serving time for an aggravated felony conviction.

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Lonely? Anxious? Depressed? Maybe your dentist can help
Dentist Huong Le enlisted Zona Keo, a social worker and mental health professional, to help patients who voice feelings of loneliness and even suicidal thoughts during dentist visits.

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From Mesopotamia to West London, a 4,000-year history of the turban
An excerpt from the book Turbans and Tales by Amit and Naroop, aka London-based photographers Amit Amin and Naroop Jhooti, the creative duo behind the Sikh Project.

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Your Hipster Kimchi Could Never
Noah Cho and the commodification of kimchi.

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How Karen Chee Landed Her Dream Job on Late Night With Seth Meyers
Karen Chee, the newest writer on Late Night With Seth Meyers, chats about her crazy past few months, why she loves late-night television and political satire so much, and what a Karen Chee-hosted late-night show in the not-so-distant future might look like.

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Hari Kondabolu Is Not for Everyone
Franny Choi interviews Hari Kondabolu about his comedy, activism and the artist's responsibility.

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PEN15's Spice Girls Episode Was 'Traumatic' to Film
PEN15 writer and actor Maya Erskine used her own life experiences to write the Hulu series' Spice Girls episode, and what she thought would be funny brought back some painful memories.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 58: We Call Us Lunar New Year

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

Happy Lunar New Year! On this episode, we ring in the Year of the Pig by welcoming a new member to the They Call Us Bruce team, Nick Song. We also test out a new format for the show, discussing our takes on The Good, The Bad and The WTF of the week in Asian America.

Angry Reader of the Week: Amanda Nguyen

"Justice should not depend on geography."



Greetings, good people of the internet. It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Amanda Nguyen.

Eighteen Angry Years

Happy Angryversary.



Hey, everybody! Phil here. Happy Valentine's Day, if that's your thing. Around here, coincidentally, the day is special for another reason. Today happens to mark the 18th anniversary of this blog. On this day in 2001, I turned the knobs and flipped the switch to upload the very rudimentary first version of Angry Asian Man.

18 years. Damn. This blog is legally an adult. Old enough to vote. Which also makes me old... and tired. Definitely tired. It's been wonderful, it's been inspiring, it's been appalling, it's been bewildering. It's been a hell of a journey that I never saw coming. When I first started working on this thing, I had no idea that I was starting a thing. And I certainly didn't think anybody was going to read it.

But here you are, so thank you. The very best thing about running this site has been all the awesome people it has put in my path, the dear friendships we've forged, and the community we've created together.

Thank you to the close confidants who have always had my back, the artists and change-makers who inspire me, and you, the dear readers who gave me a voice. It's an honor. Especially huge thank you to the supporters and subscribers who donate to Angry Asian Man, this month and every month. You keep this going.

No thank you to the haters.

On a personal note, the blog's 18th year was one of the most challenging years my own life, with some setbacks and disappointments, as well as wins and good news. I'm definitely not the same guy I was when we started this thing, 18 years ago. That said, I'm not going anywhere. Thanks for sticking around. Let's keep doing this together.

Stay Angry.

ABC orders comedy pilot from Jessica Gao

Working title: "Lazy Rich Asians."


I trust the comic sensibility of anyone who would use this photo as their profile pic.
Looks like the runaway success of Crazy Rich Asians continues to ripple in different ways. ABC has ordered an Asian American-themed comedy pilot from Emmy-winning writer Jessica Gao. The series doesn't have an official name yet, but it's currently going with the working title "Lazy Rich Asians." I mean, why not.

'Rick & Morty' Writer Jessica Gao Lands Comedy Pilot Order at ABC

The single-camera comedy centers on Janet Zhao, a first generation Chinese American woman who struggles to set healthy boundaries with her crazy, exhausting family. When her wealthy grandmother dies and names Janet the sole inheritor, she suddenly finds herself the unwilling new matriarch of the family she's spent her life trying to keep at arm's length.

I love it. I'm all for more Asian American families on TV -- crazy, lazy, rich or whatever. Let's make this happen.

Simu Liu to guest star on 'Fresh Off The Boat'

An Asian (North) American TV family cross-over, sort of.



Two of your favorite Asian TV families are about to cross over, sort of.

Simu Liu, who stars on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, will step into another Asian (North) American family comedy when he guest stars on an upcoming episode of ABC's Fresh Off The Boat.

Liu will play a character named "Willie." The role has something to do with noodles.

Cover Reveal: 'Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist'

New picture book biography tells the story of the celebrated Chinese American artist.



Celebrated Chinese American artist and painter Tyrus Wong is the visionary best known for his influential work on the 1942 Disney feature film Bambi. From humble beginnings, immigrating to the United States from China -- with the Exclusion Act in full effect -- at 9 years old as a "paper son," Wong found his calling as an artist whose work would inspire a generation of American animators.

A new picture-book biography Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Chris Sasaki, tells the story of Wong's journey, capturing the life and work of a painter who came to this country with dreams and talent -- and who changed the world of animation forever.

"Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing -- which he loved to do -- but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime -- and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi."

Paper Son hits shelves on September 24 from Random House. Here's the gorgeous cover by Chris Sasaki:

This mom is roaming campus looking for a date. For her son.

Police at Towson University have issued an advisory about a matchmaking mother on the loose.



Just in time for Valentine's Day! Police at Towson University are on the lookout for a woman who has been apparently going around campus trying to find a date for her son. Heyyy ladies.

Towson University police warn of a woman on the loose, looking for a date for her son

Students complained to officers that a woman in her 50s approached them in two campus buildings, showing them a picture on her cell phone and asking if they were interested in dating her son.

It happened enough times for university police to issue a campus-wide "incident advisory," including surveillance video images, asking for help identifying the woman. Officials say she isn't wanted for criminal investigation -- they just want her to stop with the unorthodox matchmaking efforts.

Oh good. They arrested this asshole.

Daniel Sohn, found sleeping in his car, arrested for impersonating a police officer.



Remember this guy? He was recently caught on camera repeatedly saying "white power" and throwing up white power signs at a group of Black Lives Matter protestors in Hollywood. So here's an update on this piece of shit. He was arrested last week for impersonating a police officer.

Man In Viral Video Seen Wearing LAPD Shirt, Shouting ‘White Power’ Found Sleeping In His Car

Daniel Sohn was arrested early Friday morning in West Hollywood after sheriff's deputies found him sleeping in a car, which was illegally parked overnight on a commercial property. When deputies approached the car, they discovered Sohn wearing a long sleeve shirt with a "LAPD" logo on the front and patches on the sleeves.

According to authorities, the deputies recognized Sohn from his recent "performance" on social media. You're famous, bro. After verifying he was not an officer of any law enforcement agency, deputies took him into custody on suspicion of impersonating a police officer.

Read These Blogs

The End of the American Chinatown
Renewed interest in downtown living threatens neighborhoods that long provided a first stop for new immigrants.

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Not Just Dragon Dancing. The History Of LA's Chinatown Parade You Might Not Know
La Fiesta de Los Angeles, a mob killing of Chinese men, and other unknown histories that precede L.A.'s Chinatown parade as we know it today.

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How The Destruction Of LA's Original Chinatown Led To The One We Have Today
Born out of necessity for a community displaced by racism and civic development, the neighborhood has endured for more than 80 years — but the Chinatown we know today isn't Los Angeles's first such enclave.

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Forget it, Jake: If Chinatown is a metaphor for anything, it's America
In his new column for the Los Angeles Times, Frank Shyong aims to reintroduce readers to Los Angeles, a "vibrant, ever-changing, international city defined by its diversity and its diasporas."

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Chinese, Taiwanese Restaurants Drop 'Golden' And 'Dragon' To Take On Mandarin Names
Words like "Golden" and "Dragon" used to signal to restaurant-goers that a place was going to serve Chinese dishes. A younger generation of restaurant-owners opts out of these signifiers.

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For Asian-American Artists, K-pop Is A Homecoming
Just as their parents once saw the United States as the land of opportunity, young Korean Americans with pop star dreams now see South Korea as a place to make it big.

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The Collected Esmé Wangs
In her new collection of essays, The Collected Schizophrenias, Esmé Wang tackles the many varied things — from mental health, to family history -- that make her her.

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Why Patriot Act Succeeded Where Netflix’s Other Talk Shows Tanked
Netflix’s forays into the talk show genre haven't lasted long, but Hasan Minhaj may have cracked the code.

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As an Asian-American Woman, I Saw My Trauma and Grief in "The Farewell"
Lulu Wang's Sundance Film Festival hit The Farewell is about a family that gathers in China to spend time with their grandmother while hiding her terminal cancer diagnosis from her.

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Here to Make NICE and Changes to the Asian American Canon
Writer, actor, and filmmaker Naomi Ko expands the conversation on representation in media, asking what it means to create a TV show about your home and community when the world doesn't believe you're from there -- and what it means to create for your community when parts of your community do not accept your work.

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Grace Under Pressure: Is Chantal Thuy Black Lightning's Next Hero?
An interview with Black Lightning's Chantal Thuy, who plays Grace Choi, a queer Asian American bartender and superhero fan.