She's white, dammit, and she wants to see a white doctor.

"Can I see a doctor please that's white, that doesn't have brown teeth, that speaks English?"



This one comes from our neighbors to the north... A woman at a Toronto-area clinic was caught on video demanding for a "white doctor" who "doesn't have brown teeth" and "speaks English" to treat her son.

Video shows woman demand a 'white doctor' treat son at Mississauga, Ont., clinic

The video was filmed on Sunday at the Rapid Access to Medical Specialists walk-in clinic in Mississauga, Ontario, where the woman was awaiting treatment for her son, who was apparently experiencing chest pains.

Except she made clear that she wanted a very specific kind of care.

"So you're telling me that my kid has chest pains, he's going to have to sit here until 4 o'clock?" she asks a clinic employee. "Can I see a doctor please that's white, that doesn't have brown teeth, that speaks English?"

Trust the Process: An Interview Poet Bao Phi

Award-winning poet opens up about his latest collection 'Thousand Star Hotel.' By tk lê.


Photo Credit: Anna Min
Bao Phi is a performance poet and writer based in Minneapolis. His second poetry collection, Thousand Star Hotel skillfully weaves a range of topics -- police brutality, Asian American representation, masculinity, fatherhood, and his immigrant experience growing up in Minnesota, to name just a few. In this interview, Bao talks in-depth about what the process of writing this book has been for him and elaborates on some of the heavier subject matter. Also, kittens.

92-year-old former internee receives high school diploma

72 years after internment, Mary Matsuda Gruenewald finally graduates from Vashon High School.



Over the weekend in Washington, a 92-year-old Japanese American woman received her high school diploma -- with honors -- alongside the graduating class of Vashon High School -- 74 years after her education at the school was interrupted when her family was forced into an internment camp during World War II.

92-year-old woman receives high school diploma 74 years after internment

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald was 17, in the middle of her junior year in 1942, when her family was forcibly removed from Vashon Island and incarcerated in a dusty California concentration camp, like thousands of other innocent Japanese Americans on the west coast. She was a good student, a member of the honor society and served on the student council. But she missed the opportunity to graduate with her classmates.

On Saturday, she finally graduated from Vashon High School. Receiving a standing ovation, she was presented with her diploma, along with a copy of the 1943 yearbook and the 2017 yearbook signed by students and staff. The ceremony was streamed live on YouTube (Gruenewald is first acknowledged in the principal's remarks at the 51:46 mark, and receives her diploma at 1:48:02):

The Slants win Supreme Court battle over band name

Asian American rock band wins the right to trademark their "disparaging" band name.



'The Slants have won the right to trademark their band name. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that even trademarks considered to be derogatory deserve First Amendment protection, in a ruling that could have significant impact on how speech protection is applied in other trademark cases.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Rule Against Disparaging Trademarks

The Slants' frontman, Simon Tam, filed a lawsuit after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the band from registering its name, and rejected repeat appeals, citing a section of the 1946 Lanham Act, a federal law that prohibits registration of trademarks that "disparage" or "bring into contempt or disrepute" persons, institutions, beliefs or national symbols. Tam contended that the 70-year-old law violates free speech rights.

In an 8-0 ruling, the court agreed with The Slants, determining the law's disparagement clause violates the free speech clause of the First Amendment.

"The commercial market is well stocked with merchandise that disparages prominent figures and groups, and the line between commercial and non-commercial speech is not always clear, as this case illustrates," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his opinion for the court. "If affixing the commercial label permits the suppression of any speech that may lead to political or social 'volatility,' free speech would be endangered."

Muslim teen abducted, assaulted and murdered in Virginia

Darwin Torres is accused of killing 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen with a baseball bat.



In Virginia, a Muslim teenage girl who was reportedly assaulted and disappeared has been found dead, and a 22-year-old man has been charged in her murder in connection with the case.

Teen Missing in Fairfax County Believed Dead; Suspect Charged: Police

Police believe a body found Sunday afternoon in a pond in Sterling is 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen, who was reported missing after she and some friends got into an altercation with a motorist near their mosque.

According to police, a group of girls was walking back from breakfast at IHOP early Sunday when they got into a dispute with a motorist -- witnesses say he appeared to be drunk and was brandishing a baseball bat -- who got out of his car and assaulted one of them. The rest of the teens ran back to their mosque, the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), where the group reported that Hassanen had been left behind.

"Immediately thereafter, the ADAMS' personnel notified both Loudon County and Fairfax County authorities who immediately began an extensive search to locate the missing girl," the mosque said in a statement.

Police searched the surrounding wooded area for several hours, and found the body in the pond, located about two to three miles away from where the original altercation happened.

Read These Blogs

Who Is Vincent Chin? The History and Relevance of a 1982 Killing: Although the death of Vincent Chin has become a staple of Asian-American studies courses taught across the country, there are still many -- Asian Americans and others -- who do not know about what happened the night Chin was beaten or understand its continued significance for the Asian American community.

* * *
Op-Ed: 35 Years After Vincent Chin, Echoes of the Past Haunt the Future: "Vincent Chin gave us clarity as Asian-American civil rights activists 35 years ago, and now we must bring those lessons to bear on a new generation of civil rights struggles."

* * *
How Asian Americans Remade Suburbia: Asian immigrants, once the "ultimate outsiders," have profoundly reshaped the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area. A new book, Trespassers? Asian Americans and the Battle for Suburbia, explores that tension in the context of Fremont, California, the largest Asian American-majority suburb in the Silicon Valley.

* * *
How The White Establishment Waged A 'War' On Chinese Restaurants In The U.S.: They may seem ubiquitous now, but not so long ago, Chinese restaurants were feared by the white establishment.

* * *
How Anti-Chinese Propaganda Helped Fuel the Creation of Mestizo Identity in Mexico: Jason Oliver Chang's Chino: Anti-Chinese Racism in Mexico, 1880-1940, uncovers the forgotten history of anti-Chinese propaganda and violence around the years of the Mexican Revolution.

* * *
In Little Saigon, scraping out a living, one home-cooked meal at a time: Com thang is a popular practice of home cooking made in mass quantities to sell as quick meals for families too busy to make their own meals. Such small business practices are familiar to many immigrant families.

* * *
We're Indian-American With Adopted White Children And Here's What People Ask Us: Grocery trips turn into adoption education, and there is no shortage of difficult questions from the adopted children.

* * *
After not finishing a book in 35 years, how my father became a reader: Mariya Karimjee shares about a very special book club of two: her and her father, who had not read a book in 35 years.

* * *
Why You Need to Listen to Nancy, a Radically Honest Podcast on LGBTQ Issues: Nancy is a new podcast from WNYC, hosted by Kathy Tu and Tobin Low, that centers the LGBTQ experience.

* * *
11 Asian-American Playwrights Recommend 11 Asian-American Plays: Prince Gomolvilas reached out to eleven celebrated Asian American playwrights to recommend old and new Asian American plays.

Angry Reader of the Week: Tiffanie Hsu

"Stories with real people going through real shit captivate me."



Hello, internet friends. You know what time it is. It's time 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 Tiffanie Hsu.

The Call Us Bruce - Episode 12: They Call Us Asian American

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. 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.

This week, we celebrated Heritage Month, ahem, eleven months early, discussing the complexities of Asian American identity and community with Professors Karthick Ramakrishnan and Jennifer Lee of the National Asian American Survey.

"I just take no racism. Get that shit out of my face."

Philadelphia restaurateur Han Chieng suffers broken ankle in sidewalk fight with drunken racists.



A Philadelphia restaurateur suffered a broken ankle after getting into a sidewalk fight with several drunk individuals -- a fight that he says started when one of them shouted "ching chong wong" at him.

Han Dynasty owner breaks ankle in sidewalk fight: 'I just take no racism'

Han Chiang, owner of Han Dynasty in Old City, says he and several employees were outside on a cigarette break Thursday night when they encountered a group that had apparently just been kicked out of 2nd Story Brewing, the pub next door. Chiang and his colleagues were about to go back inside when one of the group yelled something to the effect of "ching chong wong" at them. Chiang called him on it.

"I turned around and said, 'Fuck you, you racist motherfucker,'" Chiang said in a phone interview with Billy Penn. "The guy denied saying it, then his friend Ian jumped in and hit me with a skateboard." Then it was on.

The fight escalated, with multiple people joining in, and Chiang getting his ankle broken in the fracas. At some point, the fight was broken up, and Chiang was hospitalized. But not before skateboard guy and the gang yelled "Fuck you, you Chinese faggots!" as they made their getaway.

Later, Ian Carroll, the guy who apparently hit Chiang with the skateboard, posted a note to Han Dynasty's Facebook page, preemptively recounting his version of the altercation, alleging that it was the Han Dynasty employees who started the fight when they tried to jump him and his friends.

Under Trump, Dreamers -- But Not Parents -- Will Be Allowed to Remain in U.S.

By Jenn Fang. Cross-Posted from Reappropriate.



In a surprise announcement on the 5th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Trump administration announced yesterday that it would reverse one of the president's campaign promises and would instead continue the popular federal program. Founded in 2012, DACA granted renewable permits to undocumented immigrants who had been brought into the United States as children, protecting them from deportation and allowing them to work.

However, yesterday also saw U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly sign a memorandum to roll back a program proposed by the Obama administration in 2014 called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). DAPA was intended to provide legal protections for the undocumented parents of American citizens or residents in an effort to not break up immigrant families. That program was never put into place due to legal challenges in federal court filed by 26 states led by Republican governors.

In January, Trump was quoted as saying about undocumented immigrants, "They are here illegally. They shouldn't be very worried. I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody." However, it is clear by yesterday's dual announcements that the Trump administration is less interested in "taking care of everybody", and more interested in taking care of Trump's approval rating.

Research Survey: Asian Americans, Culture and Infidelity

Asian American participants needed to take an online survey for clinical psychology dissertation.



Here's a research study that could use your help with online survey. Nicole Himuro-Fitzgerald, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Alliant International University in San Francisco, is working on a dissertation about whether culture impacts the relationship between romantic attachment and infidelity, and reasons for why people engage in infidelity. She's specifically focusing on the Asian American population because they're significantly underrepresented in the current research. Can you help her out?

The survey will take about 25-30 minutes to complete. They're looking for individuals who are 1) between the ages of 21-65; 2) identify as Asian Americans; 3) experience a romantic relationship lasting at least six months. Those who complete the survey can be entered into a raffle to win a $200 Visa gift card.

Steven Yeun to star in 'Sorry to Bother You'

'The Walking Dead' actor will appear alongside Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield.



We still cry for Glenn, but coming up, departed Walking Dead star Steven Yeun will star alongside Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield in the drama Sorry to Bother You from first-time director Boots Riley.

Tessa Thompson, Lakeith Stanfield, Steven Yeun To Star In 'Sorry To Bother You'

Written by Riley, the film centers on "a black telemarketer with self-esteem issues" who "discovers a magical key to business success, propelling him to the upper echelons of the hierarchy just as his activist comrades are rising up against unjust labor practices. When he uncovers the macabre secret of his corporate overlords, he must decide whether to stand up or sell out."

Fruitvale Station's Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker of Significant Productions are producing along with 6 Years' Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams, Charles D. King (Fences), George Rush (Bully).

No details on what Yeun will be doing in the film -- I'm going to assume he's not playing the black telemarketer -- but the talent involved, both in front and behind the camera, already has me interested. According to Deadline, Sorry to Bother You will start shooting later this month in Oakland.

Next up, you can see Steven Yeun in Bong Joon-ho's Okja, which premieres on Netflix on June 28.

Four dead in UPS employee's shooting rampage

Gunman Jimmy Lam opened fire on his co-workers, then turned the gun on himself.



A United Parcel Service employee opened fire during a meeting with co-workers at one of the company's San Francisco packing facilities, killing three employees before fatally shooting himself.

UPS gunman targeted his victims, witnesses say

According to witnesses, 38-year-old gunman Jimmy Lam appeared to specifically target three fellow employees. Durning a Wednesday morning meeting, Lam walked up to driver Benson Louie, 50, and shot him. As his co-workers fled the room, he shot Wayne Chan, 56, in the back, and then walked up to him and "finished him." Mike Lefiti, 46, was running from the building when Lam went out onto the street and shot him.

At least two other people were injured in the shooting, which prompted a massive police response to the UPS warehouse in Potrero Hill. When officers confronted Lam inside the building, he shot himself in the head.

"The suspect put the gun to his head and discharged the weapon," Assistant Police Chief Toney Chaplin told reporters, adding that police did not fire any shots. Two guns were recovered at the scene.

Visiting Chinese scholar missing from University of Illinois

26-year-old Yingying Zhang was last seen on June 9.



At the University of Illinois, authorities are asking for the public's help in the search for a visiting scholar from China who has been missing from the Urbana-Champaign campus since Friday.

University of Illinois scholar from China missing since Friday

26-year-old Yingying Zhang, a visiting student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, was last seen June 9 near the north end of campus. She had just gotten off a bus and was apparently on her way to an apartment complex in Urbana to sign a lease. Zhang's friends called police on Saturday when they couldn't get in touch with her and became concerned about her whereabouts.

University of Illinois Police released security camera footage showing a black Saturn Astra pulling up next to Zhang on the sidewalk just after 2:00 pm. She can be seen talking for several moments to the unidentified driver before getting into the vehicle. The car then drives way. She has not been seen or heard from since.