3.31.2014

Fast for Families: Call to Action on Immigration Reform

Wednesday Fast and day of social media action, April 2



This past Tuesday, March 25, Congresswoman Judy Chu and leaders of the Fast for Families campaign participated in a Google Hangout to urge the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to take action and get involved with the immigration reform movement.

Fast for Families is a coalition of faith, labor, and civil rights leaders working with impacted communities to stand with families by calling attention to the moral crisis of family separation due to our immigration system. Our broken immigration system.

The campaign has been actively working on numerous activities to stand with families and move immigration reform forward, including calling community members to pledge to participate in a Wednesday Fast, as well as a Call to Action this Wednesday, April 2.

Here are some more details:

3.30.2014

Read These Blogs



The Campaign to "Cancel" Colbert: Jay Caspian Kang breaks down the now-infamous "Ching-Chong Ding-Dong" joke, the #CancelColbert Twitter campaign, and the savvy activist that set if off.

Stephen Colbert, Racism and the Weaponized Hashtag: Jeff Yang's latest "Tao Jones" column offers another take on #CancelColbert, the power and the limitations of Twitter as a tool for social change, and what might be "the beginning of the end of Asian America's fascination with hashtag activism."

The Economic Truth About the 'Model Minority': Since the 1960s, the term "model minority" was coined to typecast the API community and pit people of color against each other. But as a recent report by the Center for American Progress concludes, the term masks economic disparities and hardships within the community.

The Model Minority is a Lever of White Supremacy: "Anti-black racism may be the fulcrum, or pivot point, of white supremacy, but the model minority myth is one of white supremacy's many levers."

Tender care and a painful goodbye to Kim Pham: Kim Pham, the 23-year-old who was fatally attacked outside of a Santa Ana nightclub, was sent to St. Joseph Hospital to be treated. The hospital staff talks about their experience tending to Pham in her final days.

3.28.2014

Disoriented Comedy in Oakland, April 5

Use the promo code STAYANGRY to get $12 discount tickets



Hey, Oakland! Who wants some laughs? Dis/orient/ed Comedy returns to the Bay Area with another amazing lineup of nationally-touring talent and local, up-and-coming Asian American and Pacific Islander female comics. Join, Jenny, Atsuko and the gang for two shows on Saturday, April 5 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

Pre-sale online tickets are available now for $20. Get yours here. But wait! Do you want save a few dollars? (Yes, you do.) Then use the discount code STAYANGRY to get $12 discount tickets. Here are some more details about the Oakland shows:

White House to honor Cesar E. Chavez "Champions of Change"

Recognition honors ten community leaders who embody the spirit of Cesar E. Chavez’ legacy

On Monday, March 31, in celebration of Cesar Chavez Day, the White House will recognize ten individuals as "Champions of Change" -- community leaders who embody the spirit of Cesar E. Chavez's legacy, representing "the values and steadfast determination of Cesar Chavez to organize ourselves for a more just tomorrow."

The Cesar E. Chavez Champions of Change include some pretty awesome folks doing amazing work, inspirational work, including Khin Mai Aung, Director of the Educational Equity Program at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Helen Gym, Board Member of Asian Americans United (and former Angry Reader of the Week). Congratulations!

Here's the full list of this year's Cesar E. Chavez "Champions of Change":

Angry Reader of the Week: Aaron Takahashi



Good readers, gather 'round. It's time 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 Aaron Takahashi.

DreamWorks animator turns his kid into an action hero

Daniel Hashimoto makes supercool special effects videos starring his 3-year-old son



Been seeing this passed around, and it's just plain impossible not to love... Every parent likes to record and share videos of their kids. They're young, they're cute, and you can show them to grandma. But when your dad is an animator for DreamWorks, your run-of-the-mill childhood videos get super-powered...

Watch A Dreamworks Animator Turn His Son Into A Superhero With DIY Special Effects

Daniel Hashimoto, Coolest Dad Ever, has used some do-it-yourself special effects to turn his 3-year-old son James' everyday playtime into pint-sized, adorably awesome action movies. Under the YouTube account Action Movie Kid, he's posted videos of James getting into trouble with everything from lightsabers to grappling guns and rocket ships.

Check it out:

How about not mocking the cancer survivor marathon runner?

SELF Magazine apologizes for photo feature making fun of "lame" tutu



This magazine chose the wrong runner to mock. Health and fitness publication SELF Magazine is getting flack for running a photo making fun of a tutu-wearing marathon runner... who happens to be a cancer survivor.

Self Magazine Shames Cancer Survivor For Running Marathon In A 'Lame' Tutu

When Monika Allen, a brain cancer survivor, got an email from SELF asking for permission to feature a photo of her running a marathon, she thought that was pretty cool. The photo, snapped at last year's Los Angeles Marathon, features Allen wearing a Wonder Woman costume accentuated by a frilly tutu. She looks awesome.

But the magazine's editors thought she looked "lame." It indeed ran in the April issue, except that it was prominently featured on SELF's "+BS Meter," which made fun of the alleged "racing tutu epidemic." Monika did not know that she was giving permission to be mocked.

3.27.2014

Hari Kondabolu performs on 'Late Show with David Letterman'

"Don't freak out, white people."



Last night, I tuned in and watch the Late Show with David Letterman for the first time in years. It had seriously been a while. The compelling reason? To see one of my favorite dudes, standup comedian Hari Kondabolu make his Late Show debut. And like I've never seen him before -- all spiffed up in a suit and tie. He offers hilariously sharp observations on race in America... and looks good while doing it! Check it out:

Qatar court finds American couple guilty in death of daughter

Prosecutors accused Matt and Grace Huang of starving their adopted daughter to harvest her organs



Some awful developments out of Qatar, where we've been following the story of an American couple on trial, accused of killing their child. Matthew and Grace Huang have been found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison for the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter.

Qatari court finds American couple guilty in death of adopted daughter

The judge did not specify the exact charge for which they were convicted. But prosecutors accused the Huangs of fatally starving their daughter Gloria, who was adopted from Ghana, so that they could harvest her organs. But they say she died from complications related to an eating disorder.

The Huangs and their three young children -- Gloria and two sons, all adopted -- moved to Qatar in 2012. By Qatari standards, they're an unconventional family, which apparently fueled investigators' suspicions. Prosecutors were apparently unable to grasp why an Asian American couple could possibly want African children -- except for nefarious purposes.

Stanford Cowbell Player appears on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

Alex Chang is the undisputed star of the NCAA Tournament



The biggest star out of March Madness plays for Stanford, but he doesn't play basketball. He plays the cowbell. Alex Chang, who plays with the Stanford band's drum section, became a cult sensation after videos and gifs of his enthusiastic, wildly expressive cowbell prowess at last week's Stanford/Kansas game hit the internet.

So legendary were his skillz on the cowbell, Alex was invited to appear on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night and sit in with the show's band, The Cleotones. When Kimmel asked Alex, a mechanical engineering major, if it was a demotion to be the cowbell guy, Alex could only respond, "Does it look like a demotion?"

Marine killed by suspected drunk driver

23-year-old Andrew Silva had just returned from service in Afghanistan



Tragic news out of the Bay Area, where a U.S. Marine who had just returned from service in Afghanistan was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver Tuesday morning while riding his motorcycle.

Marines, friends honor man killed in motorcycle accident

23-year-old Lance Cpl. Andrew Silva was riding in Fremont when he was hit by a Mini Cooper speeding in excess of 80 miles per hour, throwing him from his bike. He died at the scene. Silva, who was married with a young son, had just returned last month after serving a one-year tour in Helmand Province.

The driver, 23-year-old Alexander Yohn, was arrested and booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run causing death or injury.

3.26.2014

State Senator Leland Yee arrested on corruption charges

Connected to FBI investigation also involving notorious Chinatown gangster



Uh oh. California State Senator Leland Yee has been arrested on public corruption charges. This morning in San Francisco, Yee was taken into custody amid FBI raids of his office in Sacramento, as well as multiple searches and arrests in a multiagency sweep across the Bay Area.

State Sen. Yee arrested on public corruption charges

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the raids are connected to a fatal shooting from about five years ago, and may involve a notorious former Chinatown gangster, Raymond "Shrimp boy" Chow.

Fund This: Restaurant dreams live on at Pi Dan Noodle House

Allison Chen was two months away from opening her first restaurant when she unexpectedly passed away.



Allison Chen had a dream of opening up a restaurant that serves fresh, authentic dishes from Taiwan and China. But one month from opening Pi Dan Noodle House in Uptown Oakland, she unexpectedly passed away.

Now, Allison's friends and family are picking up where she left off, and they're rallying folks to help reach her dream. They're raising funds to cover the remaining construction and equipment costs needed to open up Pi Dan in June 2014. Can you help make Allison's restaurant dream a reality?

Watch this video for more information:

Poet Franny Choi wields words like muthaf*ckin' machetes

To the Man Who Shouted "I Like Pork Fried Rice" at Me on the Street



Stop what you're doing and watch this video of poet Franny Choi performing her piece "Pork Fried Rice," dropping destruction and laying waste to a cat caller -- the man who shouted "I like pork fried rice" at her on the street. She kiiilllls this. A wordsmith's act of greasy revenge for all who have been on the receiving end of these countless ignorant-ass cracks. Take a look:

Parminder Singh Shergill Was Shot Two Months Ago: Why Won't Police Tell Us What Really Happened?

By Kishwer Vikaas. Cross-posted from The Aerogram.



Shortly after 9 a.m. on January 25, Parminder Singh Shergill, a 43-year-old U.S. Army Gulf War veteran, was shot by two police officers in Lodi, California, a small town 40 miles south of Sacramento. According to officers, he charged at police with a folding knife. Testimony from neighbors says otherwise. Within a week after the shooting, the officers, Scott Bratton and Adame Lockie, were back on the streets.

Shergill bled to death on the curb -- seven houses from the one where he stayed with his mother. Much later, as his brother, Sarabjit, bathed his body for the memorial service per Sikh tradition, he counted 14 bullet holes. Fourteen. "It is like 14 shots going through my own heart," said Shergill's sister Kulbinder Sohota in an interview with The Sacramento Bee in a front-page story that ran this past Sunday.

Two months after the incident, the Lodi Police Department has said little about Shergill's death. According to the Bee they have released no autopsy information, witness interviews, or 911 call records.

3.25.2014

Former city employee sentenced to prison for taking bribes

Samuel In accepted $30,000 in bribes while working as a building inspector for the city of Los Angeles

Asians behaving badly... building inspector corruption edition! This week in Los Angeles, a retired city employee was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for taking bribes while working at the Department of Building and Safety.

Ex-Los Angeles building inspector gets 2 1/2 years for bribes

Samuel In, a 37-year former city employee who pleaded guilty to felony bribery last year, is one of five former Building and Safety employees facing charges as a result of a 2010 bribery investigation by the FBI. In addition to prison time, he was ordered to pay $30,000 to the city of Los Angeles.

In admitted to accepting at least $30,000 worth of bribes -- mostly from Korean-speaking business people -- while handling properties as a city employee:

"Royals" parody skewers Hollywood's sassy sidekicks of color

"Typecast," written and performed by Tess Paras



If you can handle another take on Lorde's "Royals," check out this funny parody, "Typecast," written and performed by actress Tess Paras. It's a funny lament on the plight of being a performer of color in Hollywood, and enduring the cattle call of auditions for the limited chance to play shining roles like "White Girl's Nerdy Friend," "Oversexed Asian" or "Urban Girls with Flavor." Take a look:

3.24.2014

Conversation with Directors Zhang Yimou and Ang Lee

Thursday, March 27 at New York University



New York film fans, check this out. Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee and celebrated Fifth Generation Chinese director Zhang Yimou are having a public conversation this Thursday at NYU. The talk will be moderated by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker and professor Christine Choy of Tisch School of the Arts. So you know it's going to be a lively time. It's happening March 27 in Cooper Union.

Here are some more details:

Music Video: Big Phony blasts off in "The Hours"

From his latest album 'Long Live the Lie'



Take a low-tech apocalyptic journey into space... with Big Phony! Here's the music video for "The Hours" by singer/songwriter Bobby Choy, aka Big Phony, from his latest album Long Live the Lie. It's a weird little thing with space helmets, rocket ships, and a fantastic journey through the cosmos. Take a look:

Us: Six-second singing sensations get a record deal

Husband-and-wife folk-pop duo sign with Republic Records



If you're familiar the music of the husband-and-wife folk-pop duo known as Us, then you've probably spent some time on Vine. Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado have amassed a fan following and made a name for themselves by creating short-but-sweet, wildly popular and incredibly adorable 6-second covers on their Vine account. And now they've landed themselves a record deal.

Folk-Pop Duo Us Becomes Vine's First Major Label Signing (Exclusive)

Us already had a decent-sized following on their YouTube channel. But when Michael and Carissa started recording and uploading their playfully mysterious six-second covers to their Vine late last year, of everything from Katy Perry to John Legend, it got them some serious love -- including the attention of major record labels.

The duo has signed a deal with Republic Records:

Badass Bruce Lee Street Art: Francais Edition

Kickin' it courtesy of OakOak



"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." - Bruce Lee

This badass little blast of urban Bruce comes courtesy of French street artist OakOak.

(Thanks, Nick.)

More Than Half of Asian American Teens are Bullied in School


Saw this infographic posted on the Giant Robot's Twitter last week... We've seen this statistic shared before, but it's worth repeating and reinforcing. And seriously, it hasn't become any less upsetting.

According to survey data released in 2011 by the US Justice Department and Education Department, Asian Americans endure far more bullying in U.S. schools than any other ethnic group, and compared to other teens, Asian American teens are three times as likely to face bullying on the internet.

A report released last year by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and The Sikh Coalition revealed that half of all Asian American students surveyed in New York City have been the target of bias-bullying and harassment, mirroring national statistics.

And according to a report released earlier this month, more than half of Sikh school children are bullied.

Throw in the scores of stories I've posted the years about young Asian Americans who have taken their lives after enduring bullying, violence and harassment in school, and it's all a stark, powerful reminder that we need continued efforts to confront and combat this issue.

Stand up and speak out!

3.23.2014

Read These Blogs



The Stanford band's cowbell player is the undisputed star of the NCAA tournament: This guy has March Madness fever. And the only cure is more cowbell. Crazy Stanford Cowbell Player, meet the internet.

Why I Support Affirmative Action: One Asian American Perspective: Jason Fong is a 14-year-old California high school student and supports affirmative action, against arguments that California's SCA5 measures will hurt Asian Americans in the college admissions process.

See the moment a physicist learns his life's work on the Big Bang theory is valid, pops open Champagne: Watch Stanford Assistant Professor Chao-Lin Kuo show up at the doorstep of Professor Andrei Linde to deliver some good news: your 30-year-old Big Bang theory of how the universe began has finally been backed up with scientific evidence. Pop that champagne.

My Whirlwind Rise to Jeopardy!Fame -- and Villainy: Our man Arthur Chu on how he became the "Viral Villain" of Jeopardy! during his amazing, infamous winning streak on the popular game show.

Meet the Man Behind Lil Jon & DJ Snake's "Turn Down for What" Video: An interview with Dan Kwan, the co-director and star of the wildest, most pelvic thrustinest music video of all time.

3.21.2014

'American Revolutionary' now playing in New York City

One-week theatrical run March 21-27 at AMC Loews 19th St. East 6



If you're in New York City, make sure you take some time out to catch this amazing film... American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs is now playing a one-week theatrical run at AMC Loewes 19th St. East 6, now through March 27. Directed Grace Lee, the documtary is an illuminating portrait of legendary 98-year-old philosopher and activist Grace Lee Boggs. Here's the trailer:

Volunteer for the UC Berkeley SASC Summer Institute

Mentorship program for Southeast Asian high school students, June 18-22


This summer, UC Berkeley's Southeast Asian Student Coalition will be hosting its 2014 Summer Institute, a five-day educational and mentorship program for Southeast Asian high school youth to engage in workshops, dialogues, and a variety of peer-bonding activities promoting higher education, cultural awareness, and other subjects. The all-expense paid program runs June 18-22 at Cal.

SASC is currently looking for volunteers to help run the program. Duties may include (but are not limited to) driving and picking up mentees, cooking, cleaning, setting up, etc. They need your help to get this thing running smoothly and make it a rewarding experience for all participants.

Here's some more information about volunteering for the SASC Summer Institute:

Angry Reader of the Week: Tamiko Wong



Hey everybody! It's that time again. Time for you 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 Tamiko Wong.

Lousiana school board settles religious harassment lawsuit

Federal lawsuit alleged sixth grader was routinely belittled for being Buddhist



Last week in New Orleans, the ACLU settled lawsuit with a Louisiana school board on behalf of a sixth grader who says he was routinely harassed by teachers and administrators because of his Buddhist beliefs.

Settlement In Suit Involving La. Buddhist Student

The federal lawsuit, filed in January, alleged that a teacher at Negreet High School in Sabine Parish declared that Buddhism was stupid. It also said the school regularly incorporated Christian prayer into classes and school events and scrolled Bible verses on an electronic marquee in front of the school.

The student, a lifelong Buddhist of Thai descent, enrolled at Negreet earlier this year and quickly became the target of religious harassment by the school's staff. When his parents raised the issue with school officials,the superintendent told them that "this is the Bible belt" and suggested they change their son's faith.

3.20.2014

Midwest Asian American Student Union 2014 Spring Conference

March 28-30 at The Ohio State University



Midwest, represent! It's not too late to register for the Midwest Asian American Student Union's (MAASU) 2014 Spring Conference, happening March 28-30 at The Ohio State University. This year's conference theme is "ReImagine." College students from around the region will be gathering to hear from speakers, attend workshops, and engage in conversations about APIA leadership, education and activism.

Here are some more details about the conference:

Contestant's blind guess kicks ass on 'Wheel of Fortune'

Emil pulls the right out answer out of his butt, wins $45,000



Call it luck. Call it skillz. Call it being graced with the blessing of the game show gods. This guy solving a near-impossible final Wheel of Fortune puzzle with a crazy first guess is the stuff dreams are made of.

Wheel of Fortune Contestant Solves Impossible Puzzle With First Guess

Watch Emil's reaction -- hell, everybody's reaction -- as he pulls the correct answer, seemingly, from out of his butt with just two letters, surprising the crap out of everyone. He runs away with a cool $45,000, but not first without a pat-down from host Pat Sajak. Give that man his money:

Sneaky teen climbs to the top of the World Trade Center

"Back on that parkour flow"



Who is the New Jersey teenager who snuck out of his house in the dead of night, slipped past multiple layers of state-of-the-art security -- including a sleeping guard -- and climbed to the top of One World Trade Center?

Teenager's Climb to Top of World Trade Center Is Under Investigation

That would 16-year-old parkour enthusiast Justin Casquejo of Weehawken, who had himself a little 104-story adventure over the weekend. Casquejo was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with criminal trespassing. But not before he conquered the top of the tallest building in the western hemisphere.

According to Port Authority Police, the kid climbed through an opening in the exterior fence surrounding construction site, made his way up some scaffolding to the sixth floor, took an elevator to the 88th, climbed the staircase to the 104th, snuck past the snoozing security personnel, and made his way on to the roof, where he hung out for about two hours, including climbing all the way up the building's antenna.

The "inattentive" security guard was fired.

3.19.2014

Introducing 'Angry Asian America' on ISAtv

I'm on the YouTubes! New web talk show with co-host Jenny Yang



All right! This has kind of been a long time coming, but I'm pleased to share the premiere of Angry Asian America, my brand new web talk show with the fine folks at ISAtv. Each episode, my co-host Jenny Yang and I will be talking about news and culture from the APA community, plucking stories from the blog to discuss with special guests. For this inaugural installment, we're joined by two of my favorite people, Phil Wang of Wong Fu Productions and Jen Wang of Disgrasian. Check it out:

3.18.2014

National AAPI Enrollment Week of Action Google+ Hangout

Wednesday, March 19 at 5:00pm ET

There are under two weeks left in the open enrollment period for individuals to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The deadline is March 31. Have you gotten covered yet?

Tomorrow afternoon, as part of AAAPI Enrollment Week of Action, the White House Initiative on AAPIs will host a Google+ Hangout with senior HHS officials and community leaders to answer questions from the public about the Affordable Care Act and why it matters to AAPIs. It's happening Wednesday, March 19 at 5:00pm ET.

Participants in the Hangout will include Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, Meena Seshamani, Deputy Director in the Office of Health Reform, and other community leaders who will be answering your questions. Here are some more details:

Colorado mom accused of faking son's cancer for donations

Sandy Thi Nguyen received $25,000 in community donations



Asians behaving badly... fake kid cancer scam edition! In Colorado, a woman has been arrested for perpetrating a hoax that her 6-year-old son had cancer and accepting thousands in community donations.

Arapahoe County mother accused of faking 6-year-old son's cancer, accepting thousands in donations

According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, Sandy Thi Nguyen accepted $25,000 in donations after convincing her child, other family members, and the community at large that her young son was suffering from leukemia. She was arrested on charges of theft and criminal impersonation to gain benefit.

The community began raising money for the boy last fall -- charity walks and everything -- because hell, who's not going to give money to the kid with cancer? They raised thousands of dollars in donations for the Nguyen family... who apparently used the funds for a trip to Disneyland, among other things.

The sheriff's office launched an investigation last month when the Department of Human Services received information that the boy may not actually have cancer.

See Ki Hong Lee run in 'The Maze Runner' trailer

Based on the popular sci-fi young adult book series



Whoa! Check out the newly released trailer for The Maze Runner, the upcoming feature film based on popular young adult dystopian book series of the same name by James Dashner. It's sort of got a sci-fi action Lord of the Flies vibe. You'll catch a good glimpse of actor (and former Angry Reader of the Week) Ki Hong Lee as Minho, a major character from the books. He does a lot of running in the trailer:

Mom jumps under rolling car to save her kids

Mindy Tran used her "body as a speed bump" to stop her runaway car



Call them badass motherly instincts. In Massachussetts, a woman suffered a crushed knee and dislocated shoulder and hip when she threw herself under her car -- a human speed bump -- to save her two children inside.

Lawrence mom used 'body as speed bump' to save twins from rolling car

Last month, Mindy Tran parked her Honda Accord into her garage and got out, when the car started rolling -- with her twin toddlers buckled inside! As the car lurched forward, before it rolled down her steep driveway towards traffic, Tran dove into action, using her body as a speed bump to slow it down enough before one of her neighbors ran over to help.

3.17.2014

MOCA Presents Moving Images of Chinatown

Thursday, March 20 at the Museum of Chinese in America


New York! On Thursday, March 20, the Museum of Chinese in America is screening five original short films by local filmmakers that showcase Chinatown, commissioned as part of the Chinatown Film Project in 2009. The screening is happening alongside the Museum's latest exhibitions, Portraits of New York Chinatown and A Floating Population. After the screening, join in on a dialogue about representations of Chinatown. Here's more:

Jose Antonio Vargas' 'Documented' to get theatrical release

Immigration documentary to open in New York and Los Angeles before CNN broadcast



Mark your calendars. The feature documentary Documented, written, directed and produced by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, will be released in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles this spring before its national television broadcast on CNN.

Immigration Doc 'Documented' Will Get Theatrical Release Prior to CNN Airing

The film, which chronicles Jose's experience as an undocumented immigrant and an activist for immigration reform, will be released theatrically and digitally, opening at the Village East Cinema in New York on May 2 and the Landmark Regent in Los Angeles on May 9. It will then air on CNN on June 29.

Watch the trailer:

Third victim dies after SXSW car collision

26-year-old Sandy Thuy Le was hit by a car outside a nightclub in downtown Austin



If you've been following the tragic news out of Austin, then you've heard about the suspected drunken driver who plowed through a crowd outside a nightclub at the South By Southwest music festival last week, killing two and injuring twenty-two others. A third victim died from her injuries this morning.

Third person dies after SXSW collisions

26-year-old Sandy Thuy Le had been on life support in critical condition since the accident occurred. She was with a group of friends standing outside The Mohawk nightclub last Thursday when she was hit by a car that crashed through a barricade. 27-year-old Jamie West and 35-year-old Steven Craenmehr were killed that night.

Nobody Loves An Angry Asian Man 2014: Elmer

Reader rocks his Angry Asian Man shirt on the Chinese New Year Run


Well, of course I had to share this.

Check out the badass photo of Elmer, the good reader who sported his "Nobody Loves An Angry Asian Man" shirt while running the Chinatown YMCA's 36th Annual Chinese New Year Run for the Kids last month in San Francisco. (It seems to be an annual tradition.) As you can see, the California skies took a rare break from the drought that day, adding to Elmer's badassness. Stay Angry, good sir.

Want to rock this shirt like Elmer? Order yours from Blacklava.

More than half of Sikh school children are bullied

"Go Home, Terrorist": A Report on the Bullying of Sikh American School Children



Last week, the Sikh Coalition released a groundbreaking national report on the endemic bullying of Sikh school children in America. The report was released at a briefing in the U.S. Capitol Building organized by the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus, the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, and the Sikh Coalition.

"Go Home, Terrorist": A Report on the Bullying of Sikh American School Children

The report found that the majority of Sikh children, just over 50%, endure school bullying. Even worse, over two-thirds of Sikh children report that they are bullied in school. The report is based on surveys and focus groups of over 700 Sikh school children and interviews of over 50 Sikh students in four metropolitan areas: Seattle, Indianapolis, Boston, and Fresno during 2012 and 2013.

The report cites the need for federal data on the bullying of Sikh school children to better target efforts to solve the issue. In addition, the absence of or negative representation of Sikhs in school textbooks nationwide is cited by the report as an opportunity to better combat or mitigate school bullying.

Here's video from the briefing, which included remarks from Rep. Mike Honda:

3.16.2014

Read These Blogs



Mom tries to teach adorable daughter a life lesson: This is possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen.

I Am Made In Bangladesh Too: An Open Letter to American Apparel's Now-Famous Model: Taz Ahmed responds to the "Made in Bangladesh" American Apparel ad of a topless model: "The thing is I'm Bengali, American, a Muslim, a non-hijabi woman, and I'm also an Angeleno. I work constantly to break the mainstream conventional narrative I'm constantly placed in. And I don't think that makes me any less important to the mosaic that is LA. In fact, LA is littered with women like this, like me. My Los Angeles embraces this diversity and my mosaic is beautiful. Whereas the LA in this marketing campaign is tinged with Islamophobia and xenophobia."

I am Arthur Chu, #3 winningest Jeopardy contestant in regular-season play in history, with 11 straight victories and total cash winnings of $298,200. Ask me anything. After getting ousted from Jeopardy last week, Arthur Chu, the so-called "Villain of Jeopardy," did a Reddit AMA.

Saturday Night Live Faces Backlash for Adoptee Parody: South Korea's Saturday Night Live recently caused an uproar after running a skit parodying a grown-up adoptee's reunion with his Korean birth mother.

Thoroughly Modern Millie at NNHS is Thoroughly Racist: A community member speaks out about the outdated, derogatory Asian stereotypes in a local high school's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

3.14.2014

CAAMFest 2014 Presents Awesome Asian Bad Guys

Catch the world premiere of National Film Society's action comedy webseries



It's time. If you're in the Bay Area, you're invited to the world premiere of the action comedy web series Awesome Asian Bad Guy, presented as part of CAAMFest 2014. It screen Thursday, March 20 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas in San Francisco, and Friday, March 21 at the Oakland Museum of California.

Follow National Film Society -- our friends Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco -- as they are tasked with recruiting a team of washed-up Asian action movie villains to take down a notorious crime lord. Starring Tamlyn Tomita, Yuji Okumoto, Al Leong, Randall Park, Aaron Takahashi, Dante Basco and George Cheung, it's a fun romp full of wacky gags and pop culture nostalgia.

Here are some more details:

Pinkberry co-founder sentenced to 7 years in prison

Young Lee chased down and beat homeless man with a tire iron



Damn. Remember this case? The co-founder of popular frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry has been sentenced to a maximum seven years in prison for chasing down a homeless man and beating him with a tire iron.

Pinkberry co-founder gets 7 years for beating homeless man

49-year-old Young Lee, a kickboxer turned architect turned yogurt shop entrepreneur, was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon for the June 2011 attack on Donald Bolding. The altercation apparently started when Bolding, who was panhandling on the side of the road, flashed a sexually explicit tattoo at Lee's car.

That's when Lee went off:

Angry Reader of the Week: Jae Jin


Photo: Eun

All right! 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 Jae Jin.

John Cho to star in ABC's 'Selfie'

Single camera comedy is a modern take on 'My Fair Lady'



Awww yeah. John Cho's got a new TV gig. The Star Trek and Harold & Kumar star, last seen in a recurring role on Fox's Sleepy Hollow, has been cast as the male lead in the new ABC comedy pilot Selfie.

John Cho Cast In ABC's 'Selfie'

The single-camera comedy, from Suburgatory creator Emily Kapnek, centers on Eliza Dooley, a self-obsessed twentysomething social media star who is more concerned with "likes" than being liked. Cho will play her co-worker Henry, a self-assured marketing expert who decides to "re-market" Eliza's bad reputation.

Yeah, it's a modern take on My Fair Lady. And John Cho is Henry Higgins!

The Most Athletic Pelvic Thrusting in a Music Video Ever

"Turn Down For What" music video features Asian dude as Pelvic Pied Piper



What. Did. I. Just. Watch? I've been trying to summon the proper words after watching this bizarre, crazy-ass music video for "Turn Down for What" by DJ Snake and Lil Jon. Initial reaction: ouch.

The video, directed by Daniels, features an Asian dude with an invincible, uncontrollable crotch that appears to be possessed by unnatural forces... compelling him to literally tear down the ceiling and lead the entire building in a flailing, face-melting, frenzied celebration of shaking ya ass. It's disturbing, mesmerizing and hilarious.

And I'm not kidding about the face-melting:

3.13.2014

CAAMFest 2014 Presents Directions in Sound, March 20 & 22

Discover the hip-hop and rock beats from Korea, Vietnam and the Bay Area



Bay Area, time to get down to some kickass sounds... CAAMFest 2014 presents the festival's annual music showcase Directions in Sound. Discover the hip-hop and rock beats from Korea, Vietnam and the Bay.

This year features two events, a Korean Showcase with Love X Stereo, Glen Check and Rock N' Roll Radio, and Here Comes Treble, with DJ Roza, DJ ThatGirl, DJ Umami, Cynthia Lin and the Blue Moon All-Stars, Rocky Rivera and the U.S. debut Vietnam's Queen of Hip Hop, Suboi.

Here are some more details about the shows:

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