Google Doodle Celebrates Screen Icon Anna May Wong

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Celebrating Anna May Wong
Today's Google Doodle is a beautiful slideshow celebrating the life and career of screen icon Anna May Wong, the first-ever Chinese American movie star in Hollywood. The slideshow, created by illustrator Sophie Diao features snapshots of Wong's life, from her humble beginnings working in her parents' laundry to some of the more famous characters she portrayed in the more than 50 movies she appeared in over her career.

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LEGO 2020 Chinese New Year Playsets
Look, if you're not celebrating the Lunar New Year with an official LEGO 2020 Chinese Lunar New Year playset, then you're missing out. There's the very cool Lion Dance playset (882 pieces) featuring 5 dancing lions, 8 minifigures (including a man in a rat costume to mark the Year of the Rat), a percussionists' stage, a detailed temple gate and more. There's also the Chinese New Year Temple Fair playset (1664 pieces) featuring an ornate Chinese temple, stalls displaying an array of LEGO barbecue dishes, candy, toys, vases and dough figurines, plus 13 minifigures and a baby figure. Red envelopes included!

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MSG in Chinese food isn't unhealthy -- you're just racist
"To this day, the myth around MSG is ingrained in America's consciousness, with Asian food and culture still receiving unfair blame. Chinese Restaurant Syndrome isn't just scientifically false — it's xenophobic." Asian American activists, restaurateurs and medical professionals are calling monosodium glutamate's bad rap outdated, racist, and unscientific.

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What It's Like to Never Ever See Yourself on TV
Charles Yu, author of the forthcoming new novel Interior Chinatown, reflects on a lifetime of watching television, never seeing yourself reflected on the screen, and the generational feedback loop the denial of subjectivity creates for Asian Americans and America at large.

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Awkwafina is Nora From Queens
Awkwafina's new series Nora From Queens premieres tonight on Comedy Central. The half-hour scripted comedy is inspired by her real life growing up in Queens, New York. Raised by her Dad (BD Wong) and Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn) alongside her cousin (Bowen Yang), Nora Lin leans on her family as she navigates life and young adulthood in outer borough-NYC.

"Ching Chang Chong": Piers Morgan Mocks Chinese on Live TV

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Piers Morgan's response to royal's Chinese ad sparks outcry
Hey look! It's Piers Morgan being a racist asshole on live TV! The Good Morning Britain host was talking about Peter Phillips (I just learned that this is Queen Elizabeth's grandson) starring in a Chinese commercial for Jersey Fresh Milk, when he mocked the ad's Mandarin voiceover, saying -- you guessed it! -- "ching chong chang," or something to that effect. Just couldn't help himself with that shit. I'm just surprised he didn't pull his eyes back.

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Green Lantern: Legacy
The new graphic novel Green Lantern: Legacy, written by Minh Le and illustrated by Andie Tong, offers a new twist on the emerald ring-wielding DC Comics superhero. When 13-year-old Tai Pham inherits his grandmother's jade ring, he soon finds out it's more than just a piece of jewelry. Suddenly he's inducted into a group of space cops known as the Green Lanterns. He is about to learn that being a superhero takes more than just a ring. Does Tai have the willpower and the imagination to uphold his ba's legacy?

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Apple Books


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"I'm plus-sized and Asian..." A Comic by Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee
"I'm so grateful to be living during the body-positive movement. I follow a ton of plus-sized women on social media. Any time I want a pick-me-up, I can look to them for inspiration. Some days, I look at myself in the mirror and wink at myself and say, 'Dang, you look good."=' There are times when people tell me: 'You're perfect sized!' 'You don't look fat!' 'Stop worrying!' This is sometimes hard to accept, having grown up in an Asian community."


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Missing: 16-year-old Yuping Guo, last seen in Hesperia
In Southern California, authorities are asking for the public's help locating a 16-year-old student visiting from China who has been missing since last week. Yuping Guo, who was traveling with a group for a four-day trip to the United States, was last seen leaving a host family's home in Hesperia on January 17. Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding Guo’s whereabouts to contact Detective J. LaDuke or Deputy J. Garay at (760)947-1526 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760)956-5001.


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'Kung Fu' Movie Remake Set At Universal
Universal Pictures has optioned the rights to the 1972 TV series Kung Fu for a contemporary-set action movie that will be directed by David Leitch, the co-director of John Wick and director of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde. The original Kung Fu infamously starred David Carradine, who is not Asian, as a Chinese martial arts master. Legend has it, the show was conceived by Bruce Lee, who didn't get the role because the network believed America wasn't quite ready to see an Oriental man star in his own TV show. Here's my question: is anybody really clamoring for a Kung Fu remake?

Could 'Parasite' win Best Picture at the Oscars?

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



'Parasite' Makes History With Best Cast Win at SAG Awards
Parasite won the SAG Award for best performance by a cast in a motion picture on Sunday night, making history as the first foreign-language film to win in the category. Park So-dam, Lee Sun-kyun, Choi Woo-shik, Lee Jung-eun and Song Kang-ho were among the castmembers that took the stage to accept the award. The honor furthers the possibility of Parasite -- which earned South Korea its first-ever Academy Award nomination -- making a very serious run at becoming the first non-English-language film to ever win the best picture Oscar.

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ICE deported 25 Cambodian immigrants, most of whom arrived in the U.S. as refugees
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly deported an estimated 25 Cambodian immigrants last week. The group largely consisted of individuals who arrived in the country legally as refugees after the Vietnam War but have been convicted of crimes. While this was the first round of repatriations this year, it's just the latest in an increased wave of deportations in the Southeast Asian community under the Trump administration.

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Body Found in Alhambra Identified as Missing San Gabriel Woman With Dementia
Coroner's officials on Saturday identified a woman whose body was discovered in a drainage ditch near an Alhambra golf course Friday afternoon as a 71-year-old woman with "severe dementia" and other medical problems who went missing from her San Gabriel home earlier this week.

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Train Like An Astronaut: Kelly Marie Tran and Naomi Ackie
Kelly Marie Tran and Naomi Ackie recently spent the day at NASA's Johnson Space Center training like astronauts and learning about NASA's plans to explore the Moon with the new Artemis program, which includes landing the first woman and next man on the lunar surface by 2024. See Tran and Ackie training with NASA astronauts Meghan McArthur and Jessica Watkins on a gravity offload system, in the Orion crew capsule, an exploration rover and more. Literally more action than they saw in The Rise of Skywalker.

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16th Annual Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City
If you're headed to the film festivities in Park City, Utah this week, join the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience -- now in its 16th year -- in celebration of the wide range of films and creative projects by Asian Pacific filmmakers at the 2020 Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals. There will be multiple events to attend from Friday, January 24th to Sunday, January 26th. Learn more here.

Read These Blogs

New census ads speak to Filipino, Vietnamese, other undercounted Asian American groups
The Census Bureau has begun rolling out ads in multiple languages -- including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese -- to encourage people in hard-to-reach communities to participate in the congressionally mandated headcount.

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Why Is Vietnamese Food in America Frozen in the 1970s?
Forty years after the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese restaurants in America are still a tribute to a time and a place that no longer exists: 1970s Saigon.

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Why Doesn't the Academy Nominate Asians for Best Actor?
Even when predominantly Asian movies earn Academy Award nominations -- from The Last Emperor to Crouching Tiger to Parasite -- the actors in them don't receive nods for their acting.

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‘Parasite' was one of the best-acted movies of 2019. Why didn't the Oscars recognize that?
Despite the critical acclaim for Parasite, the Oscars still snubbed the film's actors for nominations, highlighting an ongoing issue of Hollywood seeing Asians as indistinguishable and interchangeable.

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How the Movie 'Parasite' Confronts Native Stereotypes
One major symbol that director Bong Joon Ho prominently places in Parasite to illustrate the absolute ignorance of the upper class is the young Park boy's obsession with what the film calls the "American Indian."

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Class as Smell: The Universality of Parasite
Margaret Rhee on stench and Parasite: "Out of all the senses, smell means a proximity even more intimate than touch, because it is the embodiment of a person." (Contains spoilers.)

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A Tale of Two Awkwafinas
Rapper, comedian, and actor Nora Lum, aka Awkwafina, on her two identities: "This is the one that's performing, and this is the one that's at home having a panic attack."

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Author Meng Jin On 'Little Gods'
Meng Jin's debut novel Little Gods is about a 17-year-old whose journey to China reveals the life of her mother, a former physicist who died in America.

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Migration and the Remains of US Empire
"The way we talk about history matters. And this is especially true in the case of the Philippines, which, in many ways, served as a laboratory for America’s imperial ambitions."

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How Mako Helped Pave Way for Asian American Actors in 1965 With L.A. Theater Group
Makoto Iwamatsu, also known as Mako, was nominated for an Oscar in 1966 for Sand Pebbles. He also co-founded East-West Players, an Asian American theater group in Los Angeles.

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Lana Condor Invites Us Home
To All The Boys I've Loved Before star Lana Condor shares that a casting person once asked her "to be more like Hello Kitty," whatever the hell that means.

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Kumail Nanjiani Thinks Immigrant Stories Can Still Be Hopeful
Comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani discusses Little America, his new anthology series on Apple TV Plus, and why "despite all the issues, I personally do feel optimistic about this country."

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Artist-in-Residence Jerry Ma: A Comic Book Odyssey
In A Chinatown Odyssey, graphic novel artist Jerry Ma retells the classic Chinese tale of the Monkey King in a modern, urban setting, and takes us on a journey through the 1980s Chinatown of his childhood.

"Stop the Asian Invasion"? Yeah, we're coming to get you.

Racist car decal spotted on the streets of Alhambra, California.



Well, I suppose it's convenient when racists identify themselves. Especially while driving. This decal, urging no one in particular to "STOP THE ASIAN INVASION!" was spotted on a truck last week on Valley Blvd. in Alhambra, California. That also appears to be a racist caricature of an "Asian" ace in a coolie hat.

A sharp-eyed driver named Steve Kuo spotted the decal and snapped a photo and posted it on the Monterey Park Life Facebook group, imploring the internet to "find this person and contact his boss."

'Little America' is a Love Letter to Immigrants

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Little America
Inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine, and produced by the likes of Kumail Nanjiani and Alan Yang, Little America is a new anthology scripted series that tells funny, romantic, heartfelt and surprising stories about immigrants who come to the United States from all over the world. It's a marvelous series that premieres today on Apple TV+. I particularly enjoyed "The Grand Prize Expo Winners," written and directed by Tze Chun, and "The Manager," directed by Deepa Mehta and written by Rajiv Joseph.

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Evelyn Yang reveals she was sexually assaulted by her OB-GYN
Evelyn Yang, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, revealed for the first time she was sexually assaulted by her gynecologist when she was pregnant with her first child in 2012. In an interview with CNN, Yang said she kept the assault a secret, and only told her husband many months after their son was born. She said she decided to go public now after being moved by stories from voters she met on the campaign trail.

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Andrew Yang Explains Why the Democratic Debate Was So White
Andrew Yang didn't hit the required thresholds set by the Democratic National Committee to participate in Tuesday night’s presidential debate, which left only white candidates onstage in Iowa. On Wednesday's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Yang offered his explanation for the whiteness of the debate: "What I said at the debate before this one [is that] fewer than 5% of Americans donate to political campaigns. You need disposable income to contribute to campaigns, and you need some form of security in order to run for office. So what happened on the stage last night reflects the inequities and realities in our economy."

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Apu Will No Longer Be Voiced By Hank Azaria
Hari Kondabolu's documentary The Problem with Apu examined the Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and the character's impact on stereotypes of South Asians. Hank Azaria, who has performed the voice for over 30 years, says he will no longer be doing the voice of the Kwik-E Mart proprietor. "All we know there is I won't be doing the voice anymore, unless there's someway to transition it or something," Azaria tells Slash Film. Here's hoping the show doesn't get rid of Apu altogether. This is an opportunity to re-cast the voice, revamp Apu and do something interesting with the character.

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WTF Episode 1089: Randall Park
Randall Park is on the latest episode of WTF with Marc Maron, talking about his Hollywood career, the approval of his Korean immigrant parents, his friendship with Ali Wong, and the magic of a root canal.

Angry Reader of the Week: Paul Bae

"With my binoculars I can see Harry and Meghan mowing their lawn."



Hey, everybody! You know what's up. 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 Paul Bae.

The Greatest Revolutionary Kids Web Series is Back

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Radical Cram School Season 2
The greatest revolutionary kids web series is back for a second season. Radical Cram School, featuring performance artist and comedian Kristina Wong, is an award winning digital series where Asian American kids ages 6-12 explore the power of their identities, revolution, and social justice through puppets, community storytelling, and comedy. All six episode of season 2 are available on YouTube now.

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Are Asian Americans White? Or People of Color?
"Borrowing from W. E. B. Du Bois' color-line metaphor, some racial justice activists have asked whether Asian Americans are “left or right of the color line.” How we answer these questions bears important implications for movements for racial justice and equity. These are also questions that we have both confronted as womxn who are a second-generation queer Punjabi American and a second-generation Hong Konger American."

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The Lovebirds
Behold, the trailer for The Lovebirds! This looks like my kind of romcom. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani star as Leilani and Jibran, who experience a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a bizarre crime. As their journey to clear their names takes them from one extreme circumstance to the next, they must figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night. In theaters April 3.

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Queens native Awkwafina to be the voice of the No. 7 subway train for a week
Awkwafina, who recently got robbed of an Oscar nomination for her performance in The Farewell, will soon have a starring role as the voice of the No. 7 subway train to Flushing. Riders will hear the rapper/actor, who is a Queens native, handling conductor announcements on the No. 7 train over the next week, in promotion of her new Comedy Central show Nora From Queens.

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A Chinatown Odyssey by Jerry Ma
In New York, Pearl River Mart presents its latest art exhibition, A Chinatown Odyssey, opening Saturday, January 18. Through striking illustrations, graphic novel artist Jerry Ma retells the classic Chinese tale of the Monkey King in a modern, urban setting, and takes us on a journey through the Chinatown of his childhood.

Watch the Oscar-nominated short doc 'In the Absence'

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



In the Absence
The documentary short In the Absence, directed by Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam, documents the sinking of the South Korean passenger ferry MV Sewol in 2014. As a result of the ineptitude of the first response to the emerging situation, over three hundred people lost their lives -- most of them schoolchildren. Years later, the victims' families and survivors are still demanding justice from national authorities. The 29-minute film has nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject. Watch it here.

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Brooklyn school board member suspended for referring to Asian students as "yellow children"
In Brooklyn, a school board member is set to face suspension over racially insensitive remarks directed at Asians in a group email exchange. Community Education Council 22 Jackie Cody has been under fire for referring to Asian parents and students as "yellow folks" and "yellow children" in an online forum for school leaders in September. Last week, the school board approved a resolution to ask the schools chancellor to suspend Cody for two months.

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Fried For The Night
Los Angeles producer/DJ TOKiMONSTA, just dropped her latest song "Fried For The Night," featuring Atlanta duo EarthGang, from her upcoming album Oasis Nocturno. "Everyone has a moment where they feel fried and burnt, but what about those moments you feel fried and turnt?" TOKiMONSTA says. "EarthGang brought their special magic to the studio and we made something other worldly. This song is dedicated to those psychedelic moments where our reality opens up a new point of view."

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Jessica Henwick on 'Underwater' and Her 6-Month 'Star Wars' Audition
Perhaps everybody's a little tired of Star Wars takes by now, but am I the only one a little blown away by the revelation that Jessica Henwick had been in the running to play Rey in The Force Awakens? In this interview with Variety, she reveals that the Star Wars audition lasted "fucking six months." She obviously didn't get the role, but was ultimately cast as X-Wing pilot Jess Pava in Episode VII. But damn, it makes you wonder.

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APAICS Congressional Fellowship and Internship
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies is seeking young AAPI professionals and students who are looking to increase their experience in public policy and service. Apply to the APAICS Congressional Fellowship (deadline: January 24) for young professionals and the APAICS Congressional Internship (deadline: February 27) for undergraduate aged students -- paid programs providing opportunities to build leadership skills, encourages political engagement, and fosters interest in public service careers.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 87: They Call Us Oscar Nominations

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 New Year! On this episode, we get back into it, just in time to debrief this year's Academy Award nominations. We talk about The Good, The Bad and The WTF: all the love for Parasite, the disappointing lack of love for The Farewell, and why the hell our faaaaaavorite actress Scarlett Johansson got nominated twice.