Sikh Uber driver strangled in hate crime attack

"This assault is being investigated as a bias incident."


Photo: Sikh Coalition
Last week in Washington state, an Uber passenger was arrested for strangling his Sikh American driver during a ride. The attack is reportedly being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Hate crime charges ‘pending’ after reported strangulation of Bellingham Uber driver

22-year-old Grifin Levi Sayers allegedly attacked his Uber driver -- who is Indian and wears a turban and unshorn hair in observant of his Sikh faith -- in the early morning hours of December 5 in Bellingham.

At the end of the ride, Sayers became verbally and physically abusive against the driver, making racist accusations about his appearance and Indian heritage before grabbing the driver's throat.

Awkwafina nabs Golden Globe nomination for 'The Farewell'

But why is 'The Farewell' nominated for Best Foreign Language Film?



Nominations for the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning, and as many predicted, Lulu Wang's indie hit The Farewell picked up a couple of nods, including a Best Actress nom for Awkwafina.

Golden Globes: Full List of Nominations

The rapper-turned-actress, aka Nora Lum, scored a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for her role as Billi, a Chinese American New Yorker who travels to China when her family puts on a fake wedding to say their final goodbyes to her terminally ill grandmother.

The Farewell also picked up a nomination, somewhat inexplicably, for Best Foreign Language Film.

Angry Reader of the Week: Dino-Ray Ramos

"I'm just trying to make the world not trash."


Photo: Kim Newmoney
Hey, everybody! 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 Dino-Ray Ramos.

Ronny Chieng Will Destroy America

Standup special 'Asian Comedian Destroys America' premieres December 17 on Netflix.



Your destruction is imminent, America. And your doom comes at the hands of Ronny Chieng. The Daily Show correspondent and Crazy Rich Asians star -- and self-described "standup's most ruthless comedian" -- drops his new Netflix special Asian Comedian Destroys America later this month. Here's the trailer, which promises a "comedy event that will decimate American society." I, for one, welcome said destruction.

'Mulan ' trailer promises swords, sorcery and swooshy hair

Let's get down to business, the new Mulan trailer is here. Disney just released the full trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated feature, and it promises lots of swords, sorcery and swooshy hair.

The trailer offers a bigger glimpse of film's take on the mythic Chinese woman warrior. Liu Yifei stars as Hua Mulan, the dutiful daughter who disguises herself as a male soldier to take her father's place in China's army against invading forces. As fans have figured out by now, this Mulan appears to be more of a straight-ahead adventure epic, dropping the musical numbers and zany sidekicks for battle scenes and kung fu.

We also get significant first looks at some of the major characters, including Gong Li as the sorceress Xian Lang (who appears to possess the ability to transform into a hawk), Jason Scott Lee as the villainous Bori Khan, Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, Ron Yuan as Sergeant Qiang, Jet Li as The Emperor.

Take a look:

Read These Blogs

Andrew Yang seems invisible to the mainstream media - just like most Asian Americans
Asian Americans are often invisible in American culture, and judging by the experience of presidential candidate Andrew Yang, even more so in politics.

* * *
As Supreme Court decision looms, undocumented Asians say they must speak up or risk losing DACA
Undocumented Asians are talking more about their immigration status after years of watching Latinos and other communities of color speak out.

* * *
What happens after your story goes viral? The outpouring of support helped ailing 'Donut City' owner
A year ago, Stella and John Chhan were the subject of a viral story when Stella had a brain aneurysm. Locals bought out the donuts at their shop in Seal Beach so John could visit his wife every day. Now, she’s back behind the counter.

* * *
‘Float’ Director Bobby Rubio on Unconscious Bias and Pixar's First Filipino American Character
Pixar story artist Bobby Rubio made his directorial debut with the animated short Float on Disney Plus -- the first Pixar work to feature a Filipino American animated character.

* * *
Never Too Soon: A Conversation with Leland Cheuk
Leland Cheuk, author of the novel No Good Very Bad Asian, talks about comedy, identity, and whether today’s representations of diversity in the comedy and writing worlds are authentic.

* * *
Rams rookie safety Taylor Rapp wants to 'show that Asians can play'
Taylor Rapp, safety for the Los Angeles Rams, is trying to change the narrative.

* * *
No, Simon Cowell, it's not 'time for UK-Pop'
Forget about Simon Cowell. The Korean music industry has been trying to internationalize K-Pop, recruiting talent from around the world to leverage and expand its international fan base -- and raising a lot of questions along the way.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 83: They Call Us Thankful

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.

On this special Thanksgiving-themed episode, recorded live at the Edison Theatre in Long Beach, we welcome some good friends -- actress Tess Paras (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), screenwriter Thuc Doan Nguyen (The Bitch Pack) and writer Shirley Li (The Atlantic) to talk politics, culture and the year in Asian America.

Read These Blogs

The Mandalorian: Deborah Chow Reveals the Inspiration For the Baby Yoda Rescue
The first female director of a live-action Star Wars story drew from her father's love of Hong Kong action.

* * *
Dial Up!
How the Hmong diaspora uses the world’s most boring technology to make something weird and wonderful.

* * *
Understanding the Struggles of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
"New findings from a study of California’s diverse Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) population reveals that while little attention has been paid to the economic vulnerabilities of this population, nearly one-out-of-four (23%) of AAPI Californians report working and struggling with poverty."

* * *
Is Andrew Yang 'reclaiming' stereotypes with Asian jokes? Experts say not so much.
"The reality is that Asian Pacific Americans are much more diverse and by playing into stereotypes without challenging them, Yang minimizes the challenges faced by many in the Asian Pacific American community."

* * *
Chinese Roast Duck, but Make It Turkey
With juicy meat and extra-crisp skin, Thanksgiving turkeys cooked in the manner of ducks are keeping Chinatown barbecue restaurants busy across the United States.

* * *
How a family-owned music label conquered YouTube — and PewDiePie
The Indian music label T-Series boasts 118 million YouTube subscribers and billions of views a month, de-throning the most-subscribed user PewDiePie earlier this year.

* * *
Best Supporting Grandma? For 'The Farewell,' an Oscar Campaign Begins
Lulu Wang's indie hit, starring Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen, may be an awards contender, but that doesn't mean the film is easily categorized.

* * *
Already a star in China, US fame comes to 'Farewell' actress
While actress Zhao Shuzhen, who plays the beloved NaiNai in The Farewell, was previously unknown to most American audiences, the 75-year-old is not only a veteran of stage and screen in her native China, she's also a big star.

* * *
Brenda Song on Her New Series Dollface, the Disney Channel Years, and Growing Up
The comedic performer got candid about growing pains and heartbreak.