Join the Conversation on COVID-19 Bullying and Hate

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.


Covid-19 Convos: Rising Above Bullying and Hate 
Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment have been on the rise. Amid the crisis, many individuals of Asian descent has been victims of bullying and hate. Act To Change presents a virtual conversation to share ways in which parents, educators, students, and community members can all come together to protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community from discrimination. Speakers will include Maulik Pancholy, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Dr. Vivek Murthy and Hudson Yang. It's happening this Friday, April 3 at 1-2pm ET.

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"You caused coronavirus, bitch!"
A group of teens attacked an Asian woman on a city bus in The Bronx, blaming her for the coronavirus. According to police, three teens approached the 51-year-old victim on the bus near Ogden Avenue and West 166th Street on Saturday afternoon, screaming anti-Asian slurs, then hitting the the Asian woman in the head with an umbrella. One of the attackers reportedly yelled, "You caused coronavirus bitch!" The victim was taken to the hospital, where she received stitches on her head. The three teens were arrested and charged with hate crime assault and aggravated harassment.

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How Asian-American Leaders Are Grappling With Coronavirus Xenophobia
As Asian Americans face racist attacks and President Trump has tied the virus to China, community and political leaders have tried to comfort constituents. But even they admit to feeling unnerved.

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CBS Journalist Maria Mercader Dies at 54 of Coronavirus
CBS News producer and talent executive Maria Mercader, who had a hand in much of the network's coverage of foreign and domestic breaking news for three decades, died Sunday from the Covid-19 coronavirus in a New York hospital. She was 54.

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Kona Kitchen Owner and Her Husband Have Died from COVID-19
The Seattle restaurant community was stunned last week when Elizabeth Mar, 72, the well-known owner of popular Hawaiian mainstay, Kona Kitchen, died from COVID-19. In a heartbreaking turn, her husband Robert, 78, died just a day later of the same disease. They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this coming August.

Read These Blogs

They shot a film about a family trapped indoors to avoid a sickness. Then reality started imitating fiction
Daughter is an experimental surrealist thriller about a young woman, known only as Daughter, who is kidnapped and trapped inside a house with a strange family -- Father, Mother and Brother -- because an unknown toxin outside is making everyone sick. They finished shooting the film in fall of 2019, before the first cases of a then-unknown new virus started being reported in December.

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Coronavirus is inspiring anti-Asian racism. This is our political awakening.
What we need now is solidarity.

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For Asian Americans, There Are Two Pandemics: COVID-19 And Daily Bigotry
"The person called my Filipino mother a 'Chinese coronavirus bitch' and said that both of my parents are 'bearers of the virus.'" These events have become commonplace for Asian Americans in the wake of the current global public health emergency.

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Asian Americans Are Blamed By Some For COVID-19 Outbreak
NPR talks to Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, about harassment of Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Fear Is a Virus
How do we stop the infection?

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My Family and Friends In Hong Kong Love Trump's "China Virus"
"I wonder if my family expects me to defend myself with "I'm not Chinese, I'm a Hongkonger!" before getting yelled at, spat on, or worse. I wish I wasn't too terrified to step outside for reasons beyond COVID-19 itself."

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Little Tokyo Fights To Preserve Its Soul In Face of Coronavirus
Small businesses are struggling in the wake of the stay-at-home orders to slow the pandemic. In L.A.'s Little Tokyo, boutiques, bars, and eateries are fighting hard to stay afloat.

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The Unlikely Story Behind Japanese Americans' Campaign For Reparations
A new book tells the story of how Japanese American community members, formerly incarcerated by the U.S. government during World War II, successfully led the campaign for reparations decades later. It was a fight that came with significant resistance -- not just from the American public at large, but from the Japanese American community itself.

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Helen Gym Is the Most Popular Politician in Philadelphia
Helen Gym is a Philadelphia City Councilmember who has received more votes than any member has gotten in a primary in the last 30 years. And depending on where you stand, she is either very good or very bad news.

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UCLA's Natalie Chou won't stand for anti-Asian racism related to coronavirus
UCLA guard Natalie Chou took to Twitter on Saturday to discuss why using ignorant terms like "Chinese virus" or "kung-flu" to refer to the coronavirus is not only racist but also dangerous.

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Gene Luen Yang Discovers the Art of Basketball
Cartoonist Gene Luen Yang discusses Dragon Hoops, his first graphic novel that is nonfiction, the way basketball has invaded his life and the biggest thing about "Linsanity."

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Coping With COVID-19 Crisis: 'I Will Make You Mine's Lynn Chen Talks How SXSW Cancellation Affected Romantic Comedy Trilogy
The indie film I Will Make You Mine, which marked star Lynn Chen's directorial debut, was set to premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. but then COVID-19 happened and derailed everything. Chen talks to Deadline about how this affected her as a first-time filmmaker and what the I Will Make You Mine team is doing to persevere and how the crisis impacts indie film by and for diverse audiences.

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How I'm Living Now: Lulu Wang, 'The Farewell' Director
With the novel coronavirus keeping filmmaker Lulu Wang at home in Los Angeles, she opens up about planting, pickling and finding a community online.

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'Nora From Queens’ Season Finale: EP Teresa Hsiao On How Awkwafina Comedy Brings Fresh Perspective On Asian Identity And Plans For Season 2
Co-creator of Nora From Queens Teresa Hsiao on making the show and how comedy sheds light on the seldom-told narrative of being Asian American vs. Asian.

Here's Where You Can Report COVID19-Related Hate Incidents

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Stop AAPI Hate
If you have witnessed or experienced coronavirus-related micro-aggressions, bullying, harassment, hate speech, or violence, use this form to report it. In the two weeks since its launch, Stop AAPI Hate has received more than 650 reports. Some emerging trends: Women are three times more likely to report harassment than men; 61% of respondents are non-Chinese; verbal harassment/name calling is the most commonly reported type of discrimination, making up 2/3 of all reports; Asian Americans are more likely to face coronavirus discrimination in public and at businesses, especially grocery stores, pharmacies and big box retail stores.

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FBI Warns of Potential Surge in Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
Federal law enforcement is warning of an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans as the coronavirus crisis continues to grow, according to a new FBI analysis. "The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the US public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations," according to the intelligence report, which was compiled by the FBI’s Houston office and distributed to local law enforcement agencies across the country.

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Reward Offered for Information on Naperville Battery
Police in Naperville, Illinois are trying to identify two women involved in the battery of a jogger last Saturday, March 21. What this article doesn't say, I'm told, was that the victim was an older Asian man and they yelled "Go back to China" while attacking him. Somebody, please catch these racists.

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I Will Make You Mine
Pre-order the indie film I Will Make You Mine. Written and directed by Lynn Chen, the film re-visits the characters from Surrogate Valentine and Daylight Savings, following three women who wrestle with life's difficulties while confronting their past relationships with the same man. Available on May 26.

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Isa Briones - "Blue Skies"
No spoilers, but here's Isa Briones performing a cover of "Blue Skies," as heard in the Star Trek: Picard finale.

Recognizing an Exit From an Ambitious and Lonely Love

Music Premiere: "Gilot" by Surrija



At long last, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Jane Lui, who's making music these days under the name Surrija, will release her long-awaited fourth album next month. Surrija will be available on April 3.

It's a been a minute since Jane, a good friend to this website, dropped a full-length. While taking a break after her last record, 2010's Goodnight Company, Jane says she wasn't even sure she had another album in her. But when she finally did start writing again, she found inspiration half a world away, in Spain.

"When I felt the songs again, I hopped on a plane to Barcelona, locked myself in a room for three weeks, and material came rushing through," Jane shared during the new album's Kickstarter campaign. "During these Barcelona sessions, I deliberately wrote away from my normal tendencies to hatch an evolution."

The result: Surrija, and a haunting new electropop sound. We're proud to debut the new single, "Gilot."

A Message From "Your Friendly Neighborhood"

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



"We're Watching You Fucking Chinks"
An Asian American couple in Woodbury, Minnesota came home to find this note taped to their front door. It says: "We're watching you fucking chinks take the chinese virus back to china. We don't want you hear infecting us with your diseases!!!!!!!!!! - Your friendly neighborhood." They notified their landlord and reported the incident to the police, but they have no idea who would do this. For now, I guess they'll have to assume all of their "friendly neighbors" are racist cowards.

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Asian Americans Report Over 650 Racist Acts Over Last Week
Since its inception March 18, the online reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate has received more than 650 direct reports of discrimination against Asian Americans -- being coughed at or spit on and being told to leave stores, Uber and Lyft drivers refusing to pick them up, verbal and online harassment and physical assault.

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Restaurant Owner Battles Coronavirus by Delivering Food to Hospitals
In Los Angeles, The Park's Finest restaurant may have shuttered its physical dining room in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, but owner Johneric Concordia and crew have been busy feeding healthcare workers, delivering dozens of orders to hospitals all across Los Angeles County since Saturday.

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San Francisco Nurse Goes Viral with TikTok Clips About the Coronavirus
San Francisco pediatric nurse Miki Rai has earned online fame by posting dancing video to TikTok -- which she uses to educate users about the coronavirus, sharing tips on how to maintain a safe social distance, while also speaking out about the struggles faced by healthcare workers.

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Alan Yang's Tigertail Is a 'Fever Dream' of His Father's Immigration Story
Tigertail, available on Netflix on April 10, is a story of lost love, reconnection and one man's journey from Taiwan to America. Writer/director Alan Yang says the film is a love letter to his family and all Asian immigrants.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 92: They Call Us Pandemic Parents

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.

Wash your hands. Stay home. Don't be racist. On this episode, we welcome Stephen Dypiangco, co-founder of Dadventures, and Theresa Kim Yang, educator and literary coach (and wife of Gene Luen Yang). We discuss parenting through the COVID-19 pandemic and trying to find normalcy while everything is definitely not normal.

People Are Dying, But This Seems Like a Good Use of Energy

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



House Lawmakers Unveil Resolution Blaming China For The Coronavirus
A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a resolution that blames China for causing a global pandemic and calls on the Chinese government to publicly declare that COVID-19 began there. Yes, while there are people dying in the midst of health crisis, not to mention a disturbing rise in hate crimes in Asians, pointing fingers seems to be the best use of our time, energy and resources.

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"You fucking Chinese, spreading the coronavirus."
In Brooklyn, an Asian man waiting for the subway was accosted by a stranger who spit on him and threatened him in a coronavirus-related hate crime. According to police, the 26-year-old victim was on the Atlantic Avenue 2/3 platform on Tuesday morning when 19-year-old Nicholas Theodore confronted him, saying "You fucking Chinese, spreading the coronavirus. You people got the virus." He then spit in the victim's face and mimicked having a gun, jamming his hand in his coat pocket and pointing his finger. The victim alerted a nearby police officer and Theodore was arrested and charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime and menacing.

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Chef Floyd Cardoz, Who Elevated Indian Cuisine, Has Died Of Coronavirus
Floyd Cardoz, an influential chef who married regional Indian cuisine with French and new American flavors, died Wednesday morning of complications from the coronavirus in New Jersey, at age 59.

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Racism in the Time of Coronavirus
On the latest episode of the podcast Long Distance, host Paola Mardo shares her experience with COVID-19 racism. She also talks to me and Devin Cabanilla about the disturbing rise of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia.

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The Claudia Kishi Club
The documentary short The Claudia Kishi Club, directed by Sue Ding, is a love letter to Claudia Kishi, the iconic Asian American character from The Baby-Sitters Club book series. I'm proud to have a small part in the project.

Connecting the Dots Between "Chinese Virus" and Vincent Chin

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Listen Up! Asian Americans and People of Conscience Allies!

Take it from Helen Zia, who would know: "I lived through the auto industry's collapse and the climate of misery and hate that led to Vincent Chin's killing. Those were horrific times -- but the train wreck from the hate and hysteria of this pandemic and global recession is coming and will be MUCH WORSE!" Also see Part 2.

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Don't Be Racist
Furthermore, take it from Patrick Epino, who also connects the dots between "Chinese Virus" and Vincent Chin.

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Nail Salon Owners Organize Medical Supply Drive
Let's give some props where they are due. In San Mateo, California, a group of women -- a stay-at-home mother of three, and two nail salon owners -- organized a donation drive to help health careworkers who say they're short on protective gear. In a matter of days, they collected nearly 3,000 masks, 59,450 pairs of gloves and other medical supplies to be given to health care workers.

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House of Woo is Making Face Masks in the Fight Against the Coronavirus
And in Los Angeles, House of Woo has joined the fight against the coronavirus. Owner Staci Woo has turned the company's resources from making environmentally conscious clothing lines to making face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. "We've got the means, we've got the fabric, we've got the people, and people are needing the masks right now," Woo told ABC7.

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Woman Barters Baked Goods for Toilet Paper Amid Coronavirus Emergency
As you've probably heard, toilet paper is a little hard to come by these days, as shoppers hoard precious rolls amid the coronavirus emergency. It's especially problematic for the disabled. Brandi Frausto, who can't get around easily, was greeted with barren shelves in the paper goods aisle at her local grocery. So she took to the internet, and ended up bartering home-baked goods for a packet of toilet paper. Get it any way you can, folks.

If the Coronavirus Doesn't Kill Us, The Racism Probably Will

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Spit On, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety
"As the coronavirus upends American life, Chinese-Americans face a double threat. Not only are they grappling like everyone else with how to avoid the virus itself, they are also contending with growing racism in the form of verbal and physical attacks. Other Asian-Americans — with families from Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar and other places -- are facing threats, too, lumped together with Chinese-Americans by a bigotry that does not know the difference."

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'It's just too much': Asian Americans confront xenophobia, economic devastation and the coronavirus
"What we need to be talking about is how to protect people and neighborhoods from more economic and physical harm. This epidemic threatens and affects all of us in ways we are all still trying to understand, but what's increasingly clear is that the most permanent, drastic effects will be on the most vulnerable among us."

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Man Arrested in Coronavirus-Related Attack on Asian Woman
In New York, a man was arrested for robbing an Asian woman inside a Brooklyn train station in a coronavirus-inspired attack. 60-year-old Oswald Jones reportedly yelled "Go back to China" and "You are dirty, get your temperature checked," before he tried to punch the 26-year-old victim, making off with her cellphone at the Fort Hamilton Parkway Station around 11:00pm Thursday. Jones was later apprehended and charged with grand larceny as a hate crime and aggravated harassment.

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San Francisco Police say violent crime & property crime is down this month compared to the same time last year (thank the Coronavirus outbreak).

Even so-- this group called the SF Peace ☮️Collective formed to keep their neighborhood, Chinatown safe. #coronavirus #SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/LJChHfi2Xi

— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) March 23, 2020

Neighbors Form Peace Group to Keep Chinatown Safe from Crimes
In San Francisco, a group of concerned citizens calling themselves the SF Peace Collective have have joined together to keep Chinatown safe during the coronavirus outbreak. The group patrols the streets and watches for anything out of the ordinary, such as seniors who appear to be in poor health to looters.

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#RacismIsAVirus
Celebrities, artists, and community advocates have united around a new social media campaign #RacismIsAVirus to help combat the rising xenophobia and attacks against Asians and Asian Americans amid the global COVID-10 pandemic. The campaign was started among prominent members of the Asian American Broadway community and has been shared by stars such as Hamilton's Marc Dela Cruz, Aladdin's Telly Leung, and Mulan's Tzi Ma.