They Call Us Bruce 144: They Call Us Very Asian

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.

In this episode, we welcome Michelle Li, reporter and anchor for KDSK in St. Louis, and Marian Chia-Ming Liu, Operations Editor for the Washington Post. We discuss racist voicemails, reclaiming our Asian names, and the significance of being Very Asian in 2022.

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The Power of Reclaiming My Asian Name
"Like many Asian Americans, I have long spurned my full name. A wave of racism made me say: No more."

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A viewer told an anchor to 'keep her Korean to herself.' Then 'something amazing happened.'
On New Year's Day, someone left a voicemail for Michelle Li, criticizing the NBC St. Louis reporter for "being very Asian" and telling her she should "keep her Korean to herself."

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A year after viral photo, Rep. Andy Kim reflects on being a 'caretaker of our democracy'
Rep. Andy Kim, who was photographed clearing debris from the rotunda after the January 6 Capitol attack, said his immigrant roots made him fiercely protective of his country.

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Overlooked No More: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Artist and Author Who Explored Identity
She was murdered after the publication of her first novel, Dictee, a challenging exploration of Korean history and immigrant life that inspires Asian American writers today.

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Are you a Fiona or a Jane? Jean Chen Ho's debut captures a bittersweet L.A. friendship
Jane Ho's debut novel, Fiona and Jane, follows the friendship of two Taiwanese American women from L.A.

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Andrew Phung's 'Run the Burbs' picks up the baton from 'Kim's Convenience'
Kim's Convenience star Andrew Phung and his best friend created the CBC comedy Run the Burbs about what happens when the children of immigrants have their own kids.

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Japanese Breakfast Embraces the 'Good, Bad and In Between'
Musician and author Michelle Zauner talks about her monumental year, which includes her bestselling memoir Crying at H Mart and two Grammy nominations for her third album Jubilee.

They Call Us Bruce 143: They Call Us 2022

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.

In this episode, we return from the holiday "break" and ring in the New Year with one last look back, talking about The Good, The Bad and The WTF of 2021 -- including Marvel movies, squid games, library rockers, big city mayors, licorice pizzas and the damn omicron.

Read These

Analysis: A Close Reading of 'Licorice Pizza's' Japanese Wife Scenes
Paul Thomas Anderson's 1970s-set awards contender Licorice Pizza has been accused of racist content. "Regardless of whether one finds the Mikado scenes offensive, they serve as the latest evidence that the portrayal of anti-Asian expression remains a go-to creative device for American auteurs."

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She Tweeted That Alan Dershowitz Might Be Acting Crazy. So Yale Fired Her.
The strange free-speech case of Bandy Lee.

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'I am not your scapegoat': See the art created by Asian Americans in a year of anti-Asian hate
From photography to public art installations, artists have produced ambitious multimedia projects that explore the fragility, burden and joy of being Asian in America.

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Rose Ochi: A Civil Rights Advocate Who Blazed Trails for Asian American Women
"Rose Ochi was a powerful and widely respected legal mind who spent her career advocating for civil rights. When she died late last year, the loss was felt by the many she inspired to follow her path, including myself." Rep. Judy Chu on the influence and legacy of trailblazing civil rights advocate Rose Ochi.

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A 27-year-old wanted to see her Asian American story reflected in bookstores. So she opened her own.
Yu and Me Books is believed to be NYC Chinatown’s first Asian American, woman-owned bookstore.

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Hasan Minhaj's diasporic comedy
Comedian Hasan Minhaj talks to the Washington Post about representation in film and television, their relationship to Islam and what it means to be a diasporic voice in the comedy world.

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Squid Game Already Changed TV. Now It’s Transforming Hollywood Awards
Inside the awards campaign for Squid Game, the Korean drama series that can’t stop breaking records.

All The Asians On Star Trek - 23: Away Mission with Michael Golamco

The Podcast In Which We Interview All The Asians On Star Trek.



All The Asians On Star Trek is the podcast in which we interview all the Asians on Star Trek. In Episode 23 of All The Asians On Star Trek, we embark on another Away Mission, in which we invite fellow Asian American fans of Star Trek to do a deep dive into an episode of their choosing. For this edition of the Away Mission, we welcome writer Michael Golamco (Always Be My Maybe, Grimm, Nightflyers) to discuss "The Measure of a Man" from season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation -- widely considered to be one of the best episodes of the franchise. We ask some important questions: Is Data the property of Starfleet? (No.) Does Data have a soul? (Maybe.) Did Picard and Louvois get it on? (Definitely.)

Read These

A year after police killed Christian Hall, his parents continue calls for accountability
Christian Hall, an Asian American adoptee, was shot by Pennsylvania State Police troopers. His parents are pushing for a new investigation and more mental health resources.

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Taking a Break With Viet Thanh Nguyen
Dave Zirin in coversation with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen.

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As 'Nutcracker' Returns, Companies Rethink Depictions of Asians
Some ballet companies are reworking problematic imagery in their productions of the holiday classic The Nutcracker partly in response to a wave of anti-Asian hate that has intensified during the pandemic.

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'The Mandalorian’ Star Ming-Na Wen Raves About Deborah Chow's Directing Gifts
Ming-Na Wen praises director Deborah Chow, whose stint on The Mandalorian earned her the gig of showrunning and directing every episode of Disney Plus' upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

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From the Pages of Star Wars Insider: Educating Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth
Actor and martial artist Diana Lee Insanto, who guest starred as Mrgan Elsbeth on The Mandalorian, reflects on her upbringing and a fortuitous first viewing of the original Star Wars with her father in 1977.

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Jessica Henwick on 'The Matrix Resurrections' and Her 'Knives Out 2' Full-Circle Moment
Jessica Henwick reveals one factor for bowing out of the Shang-Chi audition process was holding out hope her Iron Fist character, Colleen Wing, could return to the MCU proper someday.

Donate to 81-year-old Man Assaulted in Racist Attack

Raising awareness and support for Mark Sonuvong.



Concerned community members are fundraising support for Mark Sonouvong, the 81-year-old San Diego man who brutally assaulted in a racially motivated attack during his morning walk last week.

The assailant reportedly asked Mr. Sonouvong if he was "Chinese or Vietnamese" then knocked him to the ground and beat him. According to his son, Mr. Sonouvong was hospitalized, and continues to suffer pain in his ribs and left eye. He'll have to undergo further treatment with multiple future hospital visits.

A family friend has set up a GoFundMe to raise awareness and support for Mr. Sonouvong's medical bills. Your help is appreciated: Elderly Asian man beat in San Diego... please help!