8.30.2019

Angry Reader of the Week: Andrea Walter

"Enjoy your life, it's frigging awesome you are here."



Hey, everybody! It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Andrea Walter.

8.25.2019

Read These Blogs


"Me love you long time" Sticks Around For A Really Long Time
The racist, sexist phrase that will not die.

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A Love Letter To My American Father's Chinese Accent
"If the words of our roots are uncomfortable for some, then our beautiful accents are weaponized to dehumanize us."

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An Uneven Playing Field: The Complex Educational Experiences of Asian Americans
Asian Americans are viewed as the success story of American education, but there's more than meets the eye.

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Cross-cultural umami in the form of Vietnamese staple Son Fish Sauce
The story of Son Fish Sauce and its owners Danny and Albee Tran is neither a refugee nor a diaspora narrative.

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How to Draw Yourself Out of a Creative Funk
Malaka Gharib, the author of the coming-of-age graphic memoir I Was Their American Dream, shares her tips.

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Meet the Designer Connecting Anyone Arrested in NYC With a Free Lawyer
Meet Stephanie Yim, Co-Founder and Director of Design at Good Call, a tech nonprofit focused on early legal intervention for people arrested in New York.

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Overlooked No More: Lau Sing Kee, War Hero Jailed for Helping Immigrants
Kee was awarded for his bravery in World War I, but later became a convicted criminal when he skirted discriminatory laws to help immigrants move to America from China.

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How Japanese and Mexican American farm workers formed an alliance that made history
Along with other migrant groups, workers of Japanese and Mexican heritage have been central to the story of modern American agriculture.

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MariNaomi is Making Space for Marginalized Comic Artists
The Advocate asks bi Japanese American graphic novelist MarniNaomi about her work, podcasting, marginalized artists, and overthrowing the patriarchy.

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these striking portraits of asian men explore what it means to be 'the all-american'
Photographer Andrew Kung's new photo book The All-American examines how traditional ideas of masculinity and Americanness have complicated Asian identity.

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Brittany Runs a Marathon Star Utkarsh Ambudkar Is Inescapable
Utkarsh Ambudkar, the multi-hyphenate star of the new rom-com Brittany Runs a Marathon talks to GQ about being Lin-Manuel Miranda's BFF, Mulan, helping Indian guys on Tinder, and more.

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Lilly Singh: From YouTube Superwoman to NBC Late Night TV Trailblazer
An online star with 15 million subscribers dives into the white-hot center (emphasis on white) of broadcast television with A Little Late as the first openly bisexual woman of color to sit in a talk show host's chair: "I'm very much all or nothing."


8.23.2019

Randall Park joins the cast of Marvel's 'WandaVision'

'Fresh Off the Boat' star will reprise his role as Agent Jimmy Woo.



Jimmy Woo will be back! Randall Park will return to the Marvel universe in the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision as FBI Agent Jimmy Woo, reprising his role from Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Details are scant, but the series will star Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen reprising their roles as Vision and the Scarlet Witch from the Marvel film franchise. And it's apparently going to be weird.

Marvel made the casting announcement Friday at the D23 Expo. The cast will also include Kat Dennings reprising her role as Darcy Lewis from the Thor movies, and Kathryn Hahn as a "nosy neighbor."

More here: Kat Dennings, Randall Park, and Kathryn Hahn join Disney+'s WandaVision

Ming-Na Wen joins the cast of The Mandalorian

'Agents of SHIELD' star will appear in the highly anticipated 'Star Wars' live action series.



From Deadline: Ming-Na Wen, already a Disney staple as the voice of Mulan in the iconic original animated film and as a star of ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., has been confirmed as a cast member of The Mandalorian, the upcoming Star Wars universe series for Disney+.

Ming-Na Wen Joins Cast Of ‘The Mandalorian’, Securing Disney Franchise Trifecta

Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed the news Friday during D23 Expo, where Wen was one of the recipients of the annual Disney Legends honors. No word about her role in The Mandalorian -- the first live-action Star Wars series -- but if you ask me, they're wasting everybody's time if her character isn't at least a little bit badass.

But here's the first official trailer for The Mandalorian:

Andrew Koji to star as Storm Shadow in 'Snake Eyes'

'Warrior' star will play Snake Eyes' arch enemy in G.I. Joe spinoff.



Because you can't have a Snake Eyes without a Storm Shadow. Andrew Koji, star of Cinemax's Warrior, will play the ninja Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe spinoff Snake Eyes. He'll star opposite Crazy Rich Asians breakout Henry Golding, who'll play the title role as Snake Eyes.

'G.I. Joe' Spinoff 'Snake Eyes' Finds Its Storm Shadow in 'Warrior' Star

Directed by Robert Schwentke, from a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos, the story will reportedly center on Snake Eyes' origins where he tries to join a clan of shadowy ninja assassins.

"Yeah, I pushed you": Anti-vaxxer assaults Calfornia lawmaker

And streamed it live on Facebook.



An anti-vaccine activist was cited for misdemeanor assault Wednesday after shoving a California lawmaker who has worked to tighten the state's laws for childhood vaccinations.

'Yeah, I pushed you': Anti-vaxxer cited for assaulting lawmaker while live-streaming on Facebook

54-year-old Kenneth Austin Bennett livestreamed the confrontation on Facebook, showing him exchanging words with state Senator Richard Pan before shoving him on the sidewalk near the capitol in Sacramento.

Pan, a pediatrician, has authored several bills that limit exemptions for child vaccinations, including legislation that prohibits parents from opting out of vaccinating their school-age children on account of personal beliefs.

His efforts have made him the target anti-vaccination activists, including screaming protestors, online harassment and death threats. But this is apparently the first time things have gotten physical.

8.19.2019

Administrator stabbed to death at Cal State Fullerton

Suspect described as "an Asian man in his mid-twenties with black hair."



From The Orange Country Register: A retired administrator was stabbed to death Monday morning at Cal State Fullerton, with police deploying bloodhounds to try and track down the suspect.

The victim, a man of Asian ethnicity in his late 50s, was found with multiple stab wounds inside a gray car in Parking Lot S at College Place and Langsdorf Drive. He was working as a consultant at the university.

No motive for the killing was known.

More here: Retired administrator stabbed to death at Cal State Fullerton, with police looking for the suspect

8.18.2019

Read These Blogs


Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Bruce Lee Was My Friend, and Tarantino's Movie Disrespects Him
NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a friend and student of Bruce Lee, believes filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was sloppy, somewhat racist and shirked his responsibility to basic truth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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America's Exclusionary Past and Present and the Judgment of History
The Trump Administration's immigration policies are part of the shameful legacy of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which ushered in a new, discriminatory governing framework for U.S. borders.

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My Grandfather, A Killer
"I never met my grandfather, Lolo Vicente, but I'd heard stories about him. On our living room wall, there's a picture of him. He was handsome. Dad said he was strict, but he never talked about him coming to America, much less that he killed someone."

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Op-Ed: Asian women fought the West's slave trade. And then they were written out of history
In the early 20th century, people like Tien Fuh Wu were key players in the fight against sex trafficking, a pervasive form of slavery in the West.

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Their 'Tough' Mom Was Also The Navy's 1st Asian American Woman Officer
To siblings Flip and Christine Cuddy, Susan Ahn Cuddy was "Mom." But she was also a Korean American lieutenant in the U.S. Navy who trained pilots to shoot down enemies during World War II.

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Skin Lightening Is Fraught With Risk, But It Still Thrives in the Asian Beauty Market—Here's Why
Skin lightening products are still in demand in Asia, but these products can be harmful.

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Here's What to Know About the Mulan Boycott
The current political turmoil in Hong Kong has extended to an unlikely battleground: Disney's live-action remake of Mulan. On Thursday, an online protest emerged against the film after its star, Liu Yifei, expressed support for the Hong Kong police on social media. Here's what to know about the developing controversy.

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In 'Blinded By The Light,' A Brown Immigrant Finds Himself in the Music of the Boss
Deepa Iyer writes about her personal connection to the immigrant story at the center of the new Bruce Springsteen-loving film, Gurinder Chadha's Blinded By The Light.

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Before "Crazy Rich Asians," YouTubers Paved the Way for Better Asian Representation
YouTube was filled with Asian-American creators telling their stories long before Hollywood became invested.

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Padma Lakshmi Has Always Been a Comedy Nerd
Padma Lakshmi has emerged as an unlikely comedy curator, centering POC comics and not white men in general.

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'Hook' Child Star Shares Advice to Young Actors: "Be 12. You’re Fine"
Dante Basco, who played Rufio in 1991's Hook, reveals how he helped his niece, Ella Jay Basco, prepare for her own breakout in Warner Bros.' Birds of Prey.


8.16.2019

Angry Reader of the Week: Derek Mio

"I live other lives on camera and make people laugh on stage."


Photo: Tommy Garcia

Hey, everybody. You know what time it is. It's about 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 Derek Mio.

8.15.2019

Henry Golding to star as Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe spinoff

'Snake Eyes' will focus on the origins on the fan-favorite character.



From The Hollywood Reporter: Paramount has found its ninja warrior. Crazy Rich Asians breakout Henry Golding is in negotiations to star in Snake Eyes, a G.I. Joe spinoff centered on the popular commando from Paramount in partnership with Skydance and AllSpark Pictures.

Robert Schwentke, who helmed two installments of the Divergent franchise, is directing the action project that has Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner among the producers.

Snake Eyes is the ninja commando that first appeared in the 1980s as part of Hasbro and Marvel Comics' relaunch of the toy line, dubbed G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

More here: Henry Golding to Star in G.I. Joe Spinoff 'Snake Eyes'

8.12.2019

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 73: They Call Us The Terror

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, we welcome Alex Woo, co-creator and showrunner of AMC's The Terror: Infamy. We discuss the responsibility and challenges of telling the story of Japanese American incarceration, and The Good, The Bad and WTF of scary Asian stories.

Dante Basco to direct 'The Fabulous Filipino Brothers'

'Hook' and 'Avatar' star will make his directorial debut in the dark romantic comedy.



Dante Basco, best known for his role as Rufio in Steven Spielberg's Hook and as the voice of Prince Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender, will make his directorial debut in The Fabulous Filipino Brothers. And it looks like he's bringing his whole family along for the ride.

Set in Basco's hometown of Pittsburg, California, and starring Dante and his brothers -- Darion, Dionysio and Derek -- the dark romantic comedy weaves together four vignettes, narrated by their sister, Arianna Basco.

The story follows the brothers and their shenanigans. One of them ventures off to a cockfight for reciprocity while one flies to old Manila where an old flame is rekindled. Another brother delves into the hidden sensuality of Filipino cuisine, while the last brother, struggles to heal deep wounds and finds love in an unexpected package. All this, leading to a shotgun wedding in the backyard of the family house.

More here: Dante Basco To Make Directorial Debut With 'The Fabulous Filipino Brothers'

Trump uses "accent" to mock Asian leaders at fundraiser

Because this is just regular shit he does on a Friday.



So this is where we're at. The President of the United States can openly mock Asians and it barely registers a shrug, because it doesn't even make the top ten list of Shitty Things Trump Said or Did on a Friday.

Trump Used Asian Accent to Mock US Allies at Fundraiser

At a Hamptons fundraiser hosted at the home of SoulCycle and Equinox majority owner Stephen Ross last week, Trump reportedly mimicked Korean and Japanese accents -- as if he knows the difference -- and mocked South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. He also re-declared his love for Kim Jong-Un, his BKF (Best Korean Friend).

8.11.2019

Read These Blogs


For Japanese Americans, 'The Terror' is personal
Season two of AMC's anthology The Terror brings the nightmare of Japanese American mass incarceration during World War II to the fore, bringing new attention to this underexamined chapter in American history.

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Where Does Trump's 'Invasion' Rhetoric Come From?
The racist language used by the president—and the alleged El Paso shooter—to describe immigrants originated on the West Coast more than a century ago.

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One is Chinese. One is American. How a journalist discovered and reunited identical twins
An amazing story of the reunion of twins separated as a result of China's one child policy.

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Towards Chinatown
Faced with the possibility of losing of her mother, Melissa Hung contemplates another loss -- of her mother tongue.

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The Case of the "Disappearing" Poet
Why did a white poet see the success of writers of color as a signal of his own demise?

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Cease to Exist: Exploring the Manson Horrors While Pregnant
Neelanjana Banerjee goes down the rabbit hole of Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders while the author herself is eight months pregnant.

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Unintelligent Asians Are Smart for Television
Jason Mendoza, London Tipton, Miggy Park, Josh Chan... these characters are shattering tired stereotypes by showing that there are plenty of ways to be Asian.

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Bruce Lee & Hollywood's “Better at Being Asian than Actual Asians" Problem
The disrespect to Bruce Lee and his legacy in Quentin Tarantino's latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood speaks to a long line of Hollywood nonsense when it comes to whitewashing.

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Once Upon a Time's Bruce Lee Actor Was "So Conflicted" About Fight Scene
Mike Moh weighs in on his contentious fight scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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Rams rookie Taylor Rapp hopes to inspire Asian American athletes
For Taylor Rapp, being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams is not just about getting to play under the NFL lights.

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Good Trouble's Sherry Cola On Alice's Journey To Comedy & Confidence
An interview with real-life comedian Sherry Cola, who plays aspiring comedian Alice on Good Trouble.


8.09.2019

Angry Reader of the Week: Lawrence Kao

"I tell stories and pretend to be other people in different circumstances."



Hello, good readers of this website. 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 Lawrence Kao.

8.05.2019

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 72: They Call Us Lulu Wang

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, we talk to Lulu Wang, writer/director of the acclaimed indie film The Farewell, now in theaters everywhere. She talks about telling a story "based on an actual lie" and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of making this deeply personal film.

8.04.2019

Read These Blogs


Close the Curtain on 'Miss Saigon'
Why is a musical that perpetuates a Western fantasy of Asians as small, weak and effeminate still so popular?

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'Miss Saigon' Ages Horribly In Era Of #MeToo And Authentic Representation
It's time that we revisit problematic musicals from the past and reevaluate their optics when it comes to poor representation of people of color, women and other marginalized communities.

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Bruce Lee's family calls 'Once Upon a Time' 'a mockery.' Is it insult or homage?
Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood includes an unnecessary stuntman scene that Bruce Lee's family finds disrespectful to the martial arts icon's legacy.

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The NBA has never forgiven Linsanity for being the Great [White] Hope
To understand how Jeremy Lin is viewed today is to understand what went into Linsanity to begin with.

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Jeremy Lin Is a Long Way (Emotionally) From Linsanity
It has been an emotional few days for players in the N.B.A., but none struck a chord quite as much as Lin, a former star grappling with what could be the end of his career.

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What is a concentration camp? It's an old debate that mostly started in California
Japanese Americans and Jews have been arguing for decades over how and when to use the term “concentration camp" — and, in many ways, it all started in California.

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My grandmother died without knowing she had cancer. Was it really 'a good lie'?
Truth, lies, and Chinese culture.

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The workers who make Korean barbecue possible deserve better
Behind the scenes, Korean barbecue is a labor intensive dining experience, and the people making it possible need more respect, pay, and benefits.

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Protesters Killed A Plan For A Koreatown Homeless Shelter. But That's Just The Beginning Of The Story
Homelessness is up 86% in Koreatown. Here's how the neighborhood has been responding.

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She Was Filipino Food's Greatest Champion. Now Her Work Is Finding New Fans.
Years after her death, the writer Doreen Gamboa Fernandez is gaining a following among Filipino American chefs for the way she explored the cuisine from the bottom up.

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Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong
Author Gayle Romasanta is on a crusade to recover the story of Filipino American labor organizer Larry Itliong, empowering young leaders to follow in his footsteps.

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The Incendiaries Author R.O. Kwon on Why She Came Out as Bisexual on Twitter
Bestselling novelist R.O. Kwon explains the importance of sharing her identity.

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On the Road with Mitski
Singer/songwriter Mitski who writes achingly intense songs about private yearnings, has spent the past year in performance venues packed with fellow-loners.

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All Eyes on Hadestown's Eva Noblezada
Introducing the 23-year-old star of this season's standout musical, Hadestown.

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Why Marvel Phase 5 Needs a Shang-Chi/Jimmy Woo Team-Up Movie
Even before his first movie hits theaters, Shang-Chi and the Agents of Atlas is too easy a sequel to imagine.


8.02.2019

Angry Reader of the Week: Bobby Hundreds

"I feel most comfortable in the cracks - between worlds."



What's up, internet friends? 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 Bobby Kim aka Bobby Hundreds.

That Time Hasan Minhaj Got Hilariously Dragged... by His Dad

'Patriot Act' host once got sent to the principal's office over a cheating scandal.



Comedian Hasan Minhaj, host of Netflix's Patriot Act, was recently on The Tonight Show to take part in a segment called "Storytime," in which he and host Jimmy Fallon told real-life stories. The designated theme: embarrassing parents. Minhaj told a story about the time in high school when he masterminded a cheating scam -- and got caught. Called into the principal's office, the real reckoning came when the school called Minhaj's dad... who showed up and proceeded to embarrass the hell out of him.

Check it out:

8.01.2019

Henry Golding rumored to play villain in 'Black Panther 2'?

Rumor has it, the 'Crazy Rich Asians' star is being considered to play Namor the Sub-Mariner.



Wait, more Asians in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? No, I'm not talking about Shang-Chi. We covered that. I'm talking about rumors that Henry Golding might star as the new villain in Black Panther 2.

Crazy Rich Asians Star Reportedly Being Eyed For Black Panther 2 Villain

This is rumors of the rumorest kind, but rumor has it that Henry Golding, star of Crazy Rich Asians, is being considered for the role of Namor the Sub-Mariner in the sequel to Ryan Coogler's global hit 2018 movie.

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