8.31.2014

Read These Blogs



Kinda Racist? Try Diet Racism! Do you say sorta racist stuff? Do you think it's only fair that there be a White History Month? Then we've got the soda for you! Enjoy the refreshing taste of Diet Racism. The same sweet ignorance of regular Racism, but with none of the guilt or self awareness.

The Manipulation Factor: An Asian American Take on O'Reilly, Race, and Asian Americans: Recently, Fox News gem Bill O'Reilly announced that white privilege does not exist, citing some racist crap about Asians being model minorities as evidence. Scot Nakagawa dispels O'Reilly's conclusions.

Bill O'Reilly's "Asian privilege" disgrace: The Fox News host needs some basic history lessons: Cherry-picked statistics and more race baiting from the Fox News host, in a condescending "Asian privilege" segment -- Marie Myung-Ok Lee also responds to O'Reilly's racist rant.

The Culture Canard of the Model Minority Myth: how racial gaps in academics aren't due to cultural pathology: "As Asian Americans, I believe we have a personal responsibility to not only refuse to support The Model Minority Myth, but to actively dismantle it at all costs."

Why All Communities of Color Must Demand an End to Police Brutality: In the wake of the unlawful killing of Mike Brown, other communities of color have released statements of solidarity against discriminatory law enforcement practices, as well as an urgency to collectively identify and implement solutions.

8.29.2014

Awesome Asian Bad Guys at CAAMFest San Jose!

Saturday, September 6 at Camera 3 Cinemas



All right, San Jose. It's your turn. The Awesome Asian Bad Guys are coming to get you! National Film Society's action comedy webseries makes its next stop in the South Bay as part of CAAMFest San Jose 2014. It screens Saturday, September 6 at Camera 3 Cinemas in San Jose.

In Awesome Asian Bad Guys, Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of Asian American heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord. The series is an homage to your favorite nameless Asian movie character actors of the 1980s and 90s.

Come join in the fun. Here are some details about the screening:

Angry Reader of the Week: Oliver Ike

"I can no longer eat cheap sushi and have a weird affinity for vending machines."



What is up, my friends? It's that time again. Gather 'round, because 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 Oliver Ike.

Angry Asian America Ep. 8: "What Does Ferguson Mean for Asian Americans?"

With co-host Jenny Yang and special guests Mike Song and Emily C. Chang



All right, folks. It's been a minute, but I'm pleased to share the latest episode of my web talk show Angry Asian American on ISAtv. In episode eight, co-host Jenny Yang and I are joined by our friends dancer/choreographer Mike Song and actor/writer Emily C. Chang. We try to break down the situation in Ferguson, Missouri and why it matters to the Asian American community. Also, Jeremy Lin.

Take a look:

Clara C's Epic Ice Bucket Challenge

Also starring Liam Neeson. Sort of.



I've been challenged. I've declined. I've donated. To each his own. I've pretty much tried to ignore the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that all the kids are doing these days, though I certainly will not discourage anyone from participating. But I just came across this silly little version from singer/songwriter Clara C, and I had to share.

Clara takes the challenge to the next level, getting none other than Liam Neesons in her video. Sort of. I will honestly never be able to watch this scene from Batman Begins the same way again:

74-year-old restaurant owner brutally beaten and robbed

Yong Kim, owner of Mary's Fabulous Chicken and Fish in Ann Arbor, was attacked from behind.



News out of Michigan... This week in Ann Arbor, a 74-year-old restaurant owner was hospitalized and after being brutally beaten and robbed by an unknown assailant outside of his business on Tuesday night.

Wife of Ann Arbor restaurant owner describes attack: 'They just started beating'

Yong Kim, owner of Mary's Fabulous Chicken and Fish, was leaving the restaurant and walking his to his car when someone attacked him from behind, knocking him to the ground and beating him in the head, neck and face. The suspect then took Kim's wallet and ran away.

Kim suffered several large gashes on his head, extensive swelling and bruising on his face and neck. His glasses and dentures were also broken during the attack.

8.28.2014

Coming Soon: Teen dramedy webseries 'Annie Undocumented'

Nikki SooHoo stars as an all-American teen who discovers she's an undocumented immigrant.



Inspired by a true story, Annie Undocumented is a forthcoming dramedy webseries about an all-American teenager whose world is turned upside down when she discovers that she's undocumented immigrant. Starring Nikki SooHoo, directed by Daniel Hsia and produced by Brian Yang, the series is an official selection of the upcoming 2014 New York Television Festival's Independent Pilot Competition.

Watch the trailer:

Arson-murder rap overturned, man set free after 24 years

Judge rules that the 1990 case against Han Tak Lee was based on now-discredited arson science.



Whoa. After spending the last 24 years in prison, convicted for setting the fire that killed his daughter, a man walks free. Last week in Pennsylvania, a federal judge overturned his 1990 murder-arson conviction, ruling that the case against him was based on now-discredited arson science.

Arson-Murder Rap Tossed, Han Tak Lee Set Free After 24 Years In Prison

79-year-old Han Tak Lee was released on bail Friday from the federal courthouse in Harrisburg. Lee was found guilty of purposely setting the 1989 cabin fire that killed his 20-year-old daughter Ji Yun Lee at a religious retreat in the Pocono Mountains. Prosecutor argued that the motive for murder was Ji Yun's severe depression, which had become too difficult for her family to handle.

Lee has consistently maintained his innocence over the last 25 years. Meanwhile, over the past two decades, there has been a revolution in fire science. Mr. Lee's case is one of dozens around the United States to come under scrutiny because of now-debunked beliefs about how arson can be detected.

8.27.2014

Fund This: 'Love, Work, and Other Demons'

Supernatural action comedy starring Akemi Look and George Cheung



Here's a fun-looking film project that is looking for some help... Love, Work and Other Demons is a supernatural action comedy short film, directed by Gorby Mu Fan Shih, about unrequited love, working two full-time jobs -- waiting tables and demon hunting-- and that feeling when life just gets in the way of love.

According to the project's Kickstarter, the film was born out of "late night discussions about what feminism, Asian culture, and a turtle monster should look like on the screen." Akemi Look plays asskicking tomboy hero Joanna, who must navigates heels and lipstick, all while battling actual demons.

Here's a video that gives you an idea of what they're going for:

Daniel Dae Kim to produce adaptation of 'Good Doctor'

'Hawaii Five-0' star's production company will adapt hit Korean medical drama for CBS.



It seems that Daniel Dae Kim is a fan of Korean dramas. Well, at least one in particular. The Hawaii Five-0 star has partnered with CBS to produce an adaptation of the hit South Korean medical drama Good Doctor.

Daniel Dae Kim To Produce Adaptation Of Korean Medical Drama 'Good Doctor' For CBS

According to Deadline, the show is about a brilliant doctor Aspergers who uses his special gift for solving complex cases at a Boston teaching hospital. The project, written by Adele Lim, is part of the development deal DDK's production company 3AD struck with CBS Television Studios last year.

The Return of Action Movie Kid

DreamWorks animator dad uses special effects to turn his kid into an action hero.



He's back! It's the return of Action Movie Kid! Daniel Hashimoto likes to record videos of his 3-year-old son James doing everyday, average kid stuff. But when dad is an animator for DreamWorks, those everyday, average videos get super-powered, and little James becomes Action Movie Kid!

Using the power of Adobe After Effects, Daniel makes awesome videos of James in a variety of epic situations, from lightsaber shenanigans to cliffhanging shenanigans. After posting them to YouTube under the channel Action Movie Kid, young James' adventures became a big hit. Now he's back for a season two of sorts.

AMK Volume 2 is a compilation of all the latest adventures. Take a look:

This Ferguson business owner is tired of Darren Wilson supporters and their bullshit

"I am speaking English, do you understand that? You stupid jackass!"



Things have taken weird turns in Ferguson, Missouri, where weeks of community unrest over the fatal police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown have given way to tensions between protestors and supporters of Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed Brown. Today, we tip our hat to one local business owner, who interrupted a TV interview to tell Wilson supporters to get the hell out.

8.26.2014

CAAMFest San Jose, September 4-7

Presented by the Center For Asian American Media



Bay Area! South Bay film fans, specifically. This one's for you. The Center for Asian American Media proudly presents the return of CAAMFest San Jose, a four-day festival of film premieres, conversations with media makers and parties. It's happening September 4-7 at Camera 3 Cinema in downtown San Jose.

CAAMFest San Jose kicks off with a special screening of Rea Tajiri's Yuri Kochiyama: Passion For Justice, commemorating the life and legacy of Yuri Kochiyama. Screenings and events, including the Opening Night screening of Geeta and Ravi Patel's Meet the Patels, continue throughout the rest of the weekend.

Here this year's CAAMFest San Jose PSA:

Hey Minnesota! Are you Southeast Asian? Take this survey.

Research study on early childhood education in Southeast Asian communities.



This is for all my people in Minnesota... The state's Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans is looking for folks to participate in a research study on Early Childhood Education among Southeast Asian families in Minnesota, including the Cambodian/Khmer, Hmong, Karen, Lao, and Vietnamese communities. Take the online survey, and you'll help CAPM inform valuable research and funding for the Southeast Asian community.

Here are some more details on who's eligible to take the survey:

Watch John Cho in the full first episode of 'Selfie'

New ABC comedy premieres September 30



The upcoming ABC comedy Selfie, starring John Cho and Karen Gillan, is a contemporary re-imagining of My Fair Lady. The show is definitely noteworthy, among other reasons, because it features an Asian American leading man, front and center, in the Henry Higgins role. When's the last time you saw that? Pretty much never.

Selfie follows Eliza Dooley, who has 263,000 followers hanging on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But one lonely day she has a revelation: being friended is not the same as having actual friends. She asks marketing guru Henry to 'rebrand' her self-obsessed reputation and teach her how to connect with people in the real world.

The show doesn't premiere until next month, but you can the watch first episode in its entirety right now:

True Detective's Cary Fukunaga wins Emmy for Best Director

And the internet discovers its newest man-braided crush.



Well, the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards were presented on Monday night, and somewhere in between Sofia Vergara being summarily objectified and Breaking Bad winning, it was the usual mostly white affair.

But big congratulations to Cary Joji Fukunaga, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Director for a Drama Series for his work on HBO's True Detective. If you've seen the show, you have to admit it's one hell of an accomplishment, considering that Fukunaga directed all eight episodes of the acclaimed cable crime drama's first season. It's basically an eight-hour-long movie.

Mr. Fukunaga also instantly earned himself a legion of fans during the Emmy broadcast, with Twitter users collectively swooning and fanning themselves over his suddenly-realized panty-exploding hotness. With the help of those party-in-the-back man-braids, the red-hot filmmaker cleaned up quite nicely.

Here's the moment everyone realized Cary Joji Fukunaga is hot:

8.25.2014

40th Anniversary of Lau vs. Nichols Decision

National Conference on the Rights of Linguistic Minorities, September 12



If you're in San Francisco, scholars and educators will be gathering for a conference commemorating the 40th anniversary the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lau vs. Nichols, a ruling that recognized the rights of linguistic minorities in public education. The conference will revisit the case and examine its impact on linguistic minorities and disabled Americans in education and other areas of public service. It's happening Friday, September 12 at the Chinatown Campus of City College of San Francisco.

Here are some more details:

Job Opportunity: Policy Director, SAALT

SAALT seeks an experienced policy professional with a background in immigrant or civil rights.

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national nonpartisan non-profit organization whose mission is to elevate the voices and perspectives of South Asian individuals and organizations to build a more just and inclusive society in the United States. They recently announced a job opening for a Policy Director.

The Policy Director, based in SAALT's office in Takoma Park, Maryland, will develop, direct, and implement SAALT's legislative, administrative, and public policy agenda and activities.

Here are some more details about the position:

Music Video: DANakaDAN wonders "Is There Anybody Out There?"

From the album 'Stuntman,' inspired by his Korean American adoption story



Just wanted to make sure I shared this latest music video from my friend Dan Matthews, aka DANakaDAN: "Is There Anybody Out There" featuring Clara C. The track, from his album Stuntman, is inspired by Dan's personal journey as a Korean American adoptee, searching to find a connection with his birth family.

Check it out:

Man arrested after breaking into home, leaving behind wallet

Jonathan Phan broke in, took off his clothes, and got into a bed with a sleeping woman.



Catching up on news of the criminally creepy and sleepy... In Santa Ana, California, a man was arrested after breaking into a home, taking off his clothes and climbing into bed with a sleeping woman. He ran off, but was eventually arrested because he left behind his driver's license, among other important items. Oops.

Suspected burglar arrested after being found in woman's bed

29-year-old Jonathan Phan allegedly broke into the residence last month by climbing through a window, then removed his clothes, and fell asleep at the foot of a woman's bed. When the woman woke up and saw him, she screamed, prompting Phan to get the hell out of there by jumping out of the window.

In the commotion, Phan forgot to gather his belongings, including his pants, cellphone and wallet -- which contained his identification. That made things kind of easy for police.

'Origin Story' explores Kulap Vilaysack's tangled family tree

Feature documentary follows her quest to meet the father she never knew.



Kulap Vilaysack is an actor/writer/comedian who you might know from her popular podcast "Who Charted?" (She was also on this hilarious Message to the Producers of Hawaii Five-0.) I'm a fan.

Kulap is peeling back the layers of her personal story and directing her first feature documentary, Origin Story, exploring her tangled family tree to find out who she is. She describes is as "a feature-length, international quest with stops in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Laos to meet the biological father I never knew."

She's currently in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign to finish the film, and asking for help via Indiegogo. Here's the official trailer:

Roy Choi is opening a healthy fast food chain

Hopes Loco'l will compete with the likes of McDonald's and Burger King



You cannot stop this guy. The Roy Choi empire continues to grow, and now he's taking aim at fast food. The chef/restaurateur who jumpstarted the food truck movement recently announced that he's working on a fast food chain concept aimed at offering low-income communities nourishing, healthy food.

Roy Choi, SF's Daniel Patterson Opening Fast Food Spot

This week at Copenhagen's MAD Symposium, Choi announced that he's partnering with Bay Area chef Daniel Patterson to create a new fast food concept called loco'l, meant to go toe-to-toe with the likes of McDonald's and Burger King, offering communities healthy choices while keeping prices competitive.

Racist attack on Australian train passenger caught on video

Asian woman verbally abused with racist and sexual slurs



I don't know what it is about Australia and racist shit happening on public transportation, but here's another recent incident caught on video, in which an Asian woman is verbally abused with racist and sexual slurs.

Vicious racist attack caught on camera

The incident happened last week on a train in Perth, where an Asian woman was taunted by another woman who got in her face and verbally assaulted her with a tirade of slurs for apparently no reason at all.

Newspaper employee fired for "Chinky Winky" and "Dinky Doo"

Philadelphia Public Record issues apology for printing racial slurs



In case you missed it, last week's edition of the Philadelphia Public Record ran a photo of Asian American community members with a caption that included racist made-up names, including "Chinky Winky" and "Dinky Doo." The paper has since issued an apology, and the editor responsible for the slurs has been fired.

8.24.2014

Read These Blogs



Three Ways AAPIs Can Help Seek Justice for Michael Brown: "In an attempt to interrupt my own sense of paralysis, I've repeatedly asked myself: Why should AAPIs care about Ferguson, and what can we do to help? The answer is this: As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Ferguson is a call to action and solidarity."

Why Ferguson Matters to Asian Americans: "I write this post to express my solidarity and rage, and to offer a response to the disturbing question that I've heard asked, and that demands an answer: Does Ferguson matter to Asian Americans?" The answer is yes.

As an Asian American, I Care About Ferguson and Race Relations: "We cannot understand the state of race of the United States without learning about the complex racial history of the United States, one that includes blacks, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans."

Ferguson's Other Race Problem: Riots Damaged Asian-Owned Stores: If you can disregard the terrible headline, this is a good article on Ferguson's Asian American-owned businesses who remain supportive of their community, despite suffering looting and damage.

Bitter Fruits: On Ferguson and the Ghosts of the Philippine-American War: "A child snatched from a mother and gleefully fired upon by a group of drunken soldiers, the casual order to slaughter anybody over the age of ten, an eighteen-year-old gunned down by some half dozen bullets at close range -- these are by no means equivalent horrors. But they do make a nation of ghosts."

8.22.2014

Family Reunion: A Storytelling Show

Presented by Disoriented Comedy, Thursday, August 28 at Echoes Under Sunset



This for all my friends in Los Angeles... Disoriented Comedy invites you to Family Reunion, an evening of storytelling co-presented by Angry Asian Man, Tuesday Night Project, Kaya Press and Mishthi Music. A fun lineup of everyday folks talkin' story, no notes. It's happening Thursday, August 28 at Echoes Under Sunset.

Here are some more details about the show:

Philadelphia paper prints photo caption with racist names

"Me Too, Chinky Winky and Dinky Doo."



Oh hell no. If you happen to peruse the pages of this week's Philadelphia Public Record, then you'll see some racist copyeditor's idea of a joke. Please note that "Chinky Winky" and "Dinky Doo" are not real names.

Philadelphia Newspaper Calls Asians "Chinky Winky" and "Dinky Doo"

In the August 21 print edition of the free weekly tabloid, Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla is pictured at a Chinatown fundraising event with several Asian American supporters. The photo's caption includes, among several other made up names, "Me Too," "Chinky Winky" and "Dinky Doo." I see what you did there. Asshole.

The best part about this bullshit is that the publisher is defending the caption as a "proofreading error":

Angry Reader of the Week: Julia Cho

"I am an actor, not the writer.



Hey folks! Allow me to introduce you to 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 Julia Cho.

Harry Reid makes bad Asian jokes to a room full of Asians

"One problem that I've had today is keeping my Wongs straight."



Awww, come on. When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addressed the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce this week, he thought he'd get the crowd going with a couple of jokes... and dropped this fine comedic gem: "I don't think you're smarter than anybody else, but you've convinced a lot of us you are."

Harry Reid's Joke to Asians: You're Not Smarter Than Everyone Else

Before he got off stage, he capped things off by quipping, "One problem that I've had today is keeping my Wongs straight." His comments, of course, were recorded and proliferated by a Republican opposition group:

NYPD accused of cover-up in fatal patrol car collision

Video footage suggests police are lying about the crash that killed pedestrian Ryo Oyamada



In case you weren't sufficiently angry at bad police... Last year in New York City, a Japanese student was struck and killed by a police patrol car while crossing the street. The victim's family and community members have pressed authorities for the truth about the accident, to no avail. But newly released security camera footage appears to show that the NYPD is lying about the crash and may have tried to cover up the incident.

Video Points To NYPD Cover-Up After Cop Fatally Ran Over Pedestrian

On February 21, 2013, 24-year-old Japanese student Ryo Omayada was killed by an NYPD cruiser as he was crossing the street in Queens. The police report claims that the patrol car, driven by Officer Darren Ilardi, was responding to a 911 call and had its emergency lights and sirens activated at the time of impact. However, witnesses say the cruiser's lights were not turned on until after the collision.

Newly released video from NYC Housing security cameras in the area appears to contradict the NYPD's account and strongly suggests a coverup in the response to Oyamada's death. Gothamist breaks down the footage, edited from two different cameras:

8.21.2014

Jeremy Lin gets a wax statue at Madame Tussauds

Watch Jeremy see his statue for the first time.



I've never really understood the appeal of celebrity wax statue museums. They sort of creep me out. But I guess that's how you know you've really made it -- when someone wants to make an awkward life-sized facsimile of you out of wax. This includes Jeremy Lin, who just got the wax treatment.

San Francisco's Madame Tussauds to unveil Jeremy Lin figure

On Thursday, your favorite Asian American point guard became the latest local celebrity to get a statue -- complete with purple and gold Los Angeles Lakers uniform -- at Madame Tussauds at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Jeremy grew up just down the freeway, in Palo Alto.

Here's video of Jeremy, with his family, seeing the statue (and touching it) for the first time:

Man arrested in hate crime hit and run

Driver called Sikh victim a "terrorist" before running him over with his truck



Update on this case... In New York, police have arrested a man in connection with the hate crime attack on a Sikh man who was seriously injured after being run over and dragged by a pickup truck.

Driver Accused of Calling Sikh Man a Terrorist, Mowing Him Down With Truck

55-year-old Joseph Caleca is accused of mowing down 29-year-old Sandeep Singh with his truck last month in Queens. The two men apparently got into a verbal altercation in which Caleca called Singh a "terrorist" before hitting him with his truck, dragging him several feet and driving away.

8.19.2014

AAJA speaks out on Ferguson

Asian American Journalists Association urges local authorities to respect the rights of journalists



The Asian American Journalists Association, of which I am a dues-paying member, has issued a statement on the events happening in Ferguson, Missouri in response to the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown.

AAJA urges authorities in Ferguson, Mo., to respect the rights of journalists

In particular, AAJA condemns the actions taken by local authorities against journalists covering the unfolding events in Ferguson, citing threats, arrests, and violence against reporters and photographers who have been trying to cover the story on the ground as it unfolds. According to the statement, authorities have "disrupted the work of getting out the facts in a challenging environment."

Here's the full statement:

8.18.2014

East West Players Presents 'Animals Out of Paper'

Opens September 4 - October 5 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre



East West Players, the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, celebrates its 50th anniversary season with Animals Out of Paper by Rajiv Joseph and directed by Jennifer Chang. The play centers around a world-renowned origami artist whose neatly-arranged life is disrupted by a teenage prodigy and his school teacher. If you're in L.A. from September 4 until October 5, you can catch a performance at the David Henry Hwang Theater. Here's more info:

Keanu Reeves to star as Japanese American assassin in 'Rain'

Action drama series based on the bestselling books



Whoa. Looks like Keanu Reeves is jumping into television. The Matrix star will produce and play a Japanese American assassin in Rain, an hourlong action drama based on the bestselling book series by Barry Eisler.

Keanu Reeves To Star In & Produce Action Series 'Rain' For Slingshot Global Media

Rain will be the first series from the newly launched Slingshot Global Media. They don't have a writer for the series yet, but Rain will draw from an extensive series of novels that follow the exploits of John Rain, "a half-Japanese, half-American contract assassin" who specializes in killing without making it look like killing.

Filmmaker shares adoptee experience in 'American Seoul'

YouTube vlog series on growing up as a Korean American adoptee



Zeke Anders is a Southern California-based filmmaker who recently launched a five-part YouTube vlog series "American Seoul," sharing about his experience growing up as a Korean American adoptee in a white, middle-class family in the Detroit area. It's an insightful personal piece about identity and belonging.

Check it out:

Violent bus robberies targeting Asian women

Five attacks in San Francisco's Visitacion Valley neighborhood



Heads up to folks in San Francisco... Police are investigating a recent series of violent robberies targeting Asian women on Muni and bus stops in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood.

Series of violent Muni robberies targeting Asian females

According to San Francisco Police, the suspects are a group of teens riding Muni, looking for victims. There have been five attacks since the end of July. All of the victims have been Asian women.

Three of the suspects have been arrested, but more may be involved in the robberies. KTVU has obtained surveillance footage from the most recent attack, which happened on August 6:

8.17.2014

Read These Blogs



Thank You, Black Internet, for Bringing #Ferguson to Me: "As hundreds of Black residents in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson march into another day of protests against the murder of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown; a threatened, but still open, Internet thrust the story into widespread, necessary visibility."

White supremacy's latest round: Retracing the real history of Ferguson: "The shooting of Michael Brown is not a sudden, excessive, abusive or random imposition of state power. It is rather a reminder of a certain state of the world that has been in existence for centuries -- from slavery, to Black Codes and Jim Crow, both designed to maintain the indentured servitude of blacks, to "stop and frisk" policing."

Men Without a Country: Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, My Father and Me: Arthur Chu on police brutality and the failure of the justice system for people of color: "I can pretend to belong here better than Trayvon and Mike Brown were ever given the chance to. But however hard I try, however well they treat me, I know this is not my country."

Why We've Been Seeing More 'Yellowface' In Recent Months: The Mikado, Katy Perry, TopShop bracelets. Is 'Yellowface' getting popular, or are we just noticing it more?

Roundtable: The Past And Present Of 'Yellowface': A roundtable discussion on Asians in popular media, the differences between "yellowface" and "colorblind casting," and the link between yellowface and blackface.

8.15.2014

Awesome Asian Bad Guys in Seattle!

Two free screenings, August 23 and 24.



This is for all my people in Seattle... The Awesome Asian Bad Guys are coming to get you. National Film Society's action/comedy webseries Awesome Asian Bad Guys is hitting the road hard, and is making its next stop with two screenings as part of the Seattle Asian American Film Festival's Summer Series.

We're Screening Twice in Seattle!!

In Awesome Asian Bad Guys, Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of Asian American heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord. The series is an homage to your favorite nameless Asian movie character actors of the 1980s and 90s.

You can go to the outdoor screening on Saturday, August 23 at Chinatown's Hing Hay Park (bring your friends! bring a chair!) or Sunday, August 24 at The NVC Hall. Stars Yuji Okumoto and Stephen Dypiango will be in attendance. And best of all, both screenings are free! Here are some more details about the screenings:

Sim Bhullar is the first NBA player of Indian descent

7-foot-5, 360-pound center signs contract with Sacramento Kings



Prepare yourself for SIMSANITY.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings announced that they've signed 7-foot-5, 360-pound center Sim Bhullar to a contract. That makes him not only the NBA's tallest player, he is the league's first player of Indian descent.

Meet Sim Bhullar, the Kings' 7-foot-5 center project and the NBA's first player of Indian descent

Bhullar, who hails from Canada, turned heads -- he's kind of hard to miss -- while playing two seasons for New Mexico State, where he averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. He went undrafted, but was invited to play with the Kings last month in the NBA's summer league tournament.

Sim tweeted about his NBA contract, exclaiming "Dreams do come true!"

Angry Reader of the Week: Doris Truong

"I'm a huge fan of bacon and craft cocktails (preferably, both simultaneously)."



What's up, everybody? 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 Doris Truong.

Fund This: The Green Turtle Action Figure!

The star of 'The Shadow Hero' joins the Amazing Heroes retro-style action figure line



Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew's graphic novel The Shadow Hero resurrects an old, obscure Golden Age comic book hero, The Green Turtle, and re-imagines his origin story as the first Asian American superhero.

The book is fantastic, and I can't recommend it enough. If you're a fan of The Shadow Hero, and you're as geeky as I am, then you'll be pleased to hear that a Green Turle action figure is in the works. Yes!

Amazing Heroes is a series of 4.5" retro-style super hero action figures based on obscure comic book heroes of yesteryear, created by the Fresh Monkey Fiction. If you've never heard of characters like Stardust the Super-Wizard, The Black Terror or Silver Streak, I can't blame you. But they're part of a small collection of superheroes getting the action figure treatment -- and the Green Turtle has been included as part of the lineup.

They're currently in the middle of Kickstarter campaign to get the figures produced. Check it out:

'Big Trouble in Little China': The Play

Casting call seeks actors for theater production based on John Carpenter's 1986 cult classic



Got this casting call passed along to me, and I just had to say whaaaaaaat... So somebody is producing a play based on Big Trouble in Little China, to be staged in December at the Great Star Theater in San Francisco.

In John Carpenter's 1986 cult classic film, Kurt Russell stars as an all-American trucker who gets dragged into a centuries-old mystical battle in Chinatown. It's full of martial arts and weird Asian magic shit. I've always felt a little ambivalent about the movie, but I know has a special place in the hearts of a lot of movie fans.

Ham Pants Productions and Foul Play Productions will be doing a limited run of two shows on December 12 and 13, and they're looking for primary actors for the main roles. You really can make a theater show out of anything. At least it's not a musical... right?

Sikh hate crime victims demand action

"This is not a Sikh problem. This is a human problem."



This week in New York City, three Sikh men -- all violently attacked because of their turbans in separate hate crimes -- called on the city's government and police leaders to enact policy reforms to address violence and discrimination against minority communities. Two of the incidents have occurred within the last three weeks.

At a press conference organized by the Sikh Coalition, Dr. Jaspreet Singh Batra, a medical scientist, recounted how he was attacked and injured last Thursday on Roosevelt Island. Sandeep Singh, a business owner and father, spoke via video because of the seriousness of his injuries, after being run over and dragged by a driver in a pick-up truck on a public street in Queens late last month.

Both assaults, which were accompanied by racial and religious slurs, occurred almost one year after Dr. Prabhjot Singh was attacked in Harlem. Dr. Singh joined the men in solidarity.

Calling on Mayor De Blasio and Police Commissioner Chief Bratton to address the hate and violence, Singh said "This is not a Sikh problem, although Sikhs are being attacked. This is a human problem, a New York City problem, and an American problem about how we take responsibility for each other."

Here is Sandeep Singh's statement:

8.14.2014

Generation VLT by Fung Bros

SPONSORED POST



The Fung Brothers are at it again with a hilarious and heartwarming glimpse into the struggles of young Asian Americans growing up in immigrant households: Generation VLT.

Four different scenarios (including one starring the Fung Brothers themselves) depict the battles young Asian Americans sometimes face while pursuing what they love to do. The Fung Brothers hope its message can empower today's Asian American youth:

8.13.2014

Watch the first trailer for 'Revenge of the Green Dragons'

"The True Story of New York's Most Notorious Street Gang"



We have the newly dropped trailer for the crime drama Revenge of the Green Dragons. Directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the movie is based on a 1992 New Yorker article that chronicled the underworld of Asian American gang life in 1980s and 90s New York City.

8.12.2014

CBD 2014 Youth Conference: "Breaking Barriers"

Sunday, August 17 at the Asian American/Asian Research Institute



This is for young folks in New York City... Chinatown Beautification Day began in 2003 as a project of the Chinatown Youth Initiative to address concerns that Manhattan's Lower East Side had become neglected in the aftermath of 9/11. CBD has evolved into a two-day event that includes a cleanup and conference, bringing together youth from all the around city for a unique learning experience.

The Youth Conference segment of Chinatown Beautification Day is happening this Sunday, August 17 at the Asian American/Asian Research Institute. There will be a variety of workshops, as well as words from keynote speaker Juliet Shen, the activist and writer behind Fascinasians.

Here are some more details about the conference:

Apply to the Community Engagement Academy 2014

Community organizing and voter training training, August 22-24 in Los Angeles



Attention young leaders! Are you interested in empowering your community through voter engagement and community organizing? Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles invites you to the Community Engagement Academy 2014, a three-day community organizing and voter training geared towards building power in Asian America, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Southern California.

It's happening August 22-24 at the Asian Youth Center in San Gabriel. Here are some more details about the training:

angry archive