*

8.28.2022

Read These



What Can Bruce Lee Tell Us About Our Contemporary World?
Daryl Joji Maeda on how the historical and political forces of the late 20th century made a cinematic icon.

* * *

For 'disabled oracle' Alice Wong, rest is a radical act
Alice Wong, founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, titled her memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life, as a nod to her Chinese zodiac animal sign.

* * *

A Chinatown Boy Scout troop has endured against all odds for 108 years. Can it survive today?
Founded in 1914, Troop 3, based in San Francisco's Chinatown, is believed to be the oldest Boy Scout troop west of the Mississippi.

* * *

'If You Can Make a Salad, You Can Make Kimchi'
Kimjang, the act of preparing kimchi, allows Koreans of the diaspora to keep the tradition alive -- and invites everyone to join.

* * *

'Industry' Star Ken Leung on Eric's Big Promotion and Navigating the Show's Financial Jargon
Ken Leung, who plays volatile boss Eric Tao in HBO's financial drama Industry, talks about showing a more vulnerable side to his character in Season 2, and how he wraps his brain around the show's dense finance-speak.

* * *

What Arden Cho Learned About Speaking Up: "I Was Taught Not to Rock the Boat"
How Arden Cho risked her career over her pay inequity dispute and found a role on the Netflix law firm drama Partner Track.

* * *

Shefali Shah, Tanuj Chopra On DCP Vartika’s Journey, Tackling Social Issues And Pandemic Impact In 'Delhi Crime' Season 2
"They came for the crime but stayed for the characters." The Indian crime drama Delhi Crime returns to Netflix for a second season, with Shefali Shah back as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi and U.S.-based indie filmmaker Tanuj Chopra on board as showrunner and director.


8.26.2022

They Call Us Bruce 170: They Call Us Partner Track

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.

In this episode, we welcome Arden Cho, star of Partner Track, and Helen Wan, author of the original book that inspired the Netflix series. They discuss Helen's real-life career as a corporate attorney that inspired the novel, how Ingrid Yung became Ingrid Yun, and the convergence of timing and talent that finally made this adaptation possible. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

8.21.2022

Read These



My Dad and Kurt Cobain
When Hua Hsu's father moved to Taiwan, a fax machine and a shared love of music bridged an ocean.

* * *

An L.A. mob once massacred 18 Chinese people. Now, a push to never forget the racist assault
More than 150 years after racist mob violence claimed the lives of 18 Chinese people in Los Angeles' Chinatown, city officials have put out a public call for ideas to memorialize this mostly forgotten moment in history.

* * *

How Japanese American Incarceration Was Entangled With Indigenous Dispossession
"Until recently, Japanese American incarceration and American Indian dispossession have often been treated as unrelated discussions. In reality, different oppressions reinforce and bolster one another."

* * *

Japanese American Incarceration for Children: Brandon Shimoda on Reading with His Daughter
“I did not grow up with children's books about Japanese American incarceration. There were not many."

* * *

‘Pachinko’ author Min Jin Lee on wrapping up trilogy about Korean life
A Q&A with Min Jin Lee on writing, activism and anti-Asian violence.

* * *

The Year of Michelle Yeoh
She’s been a beauty queen and an action hero, but now with the awards buzz of Everything Everywhere All at Once and that Avatar sequel on the horizon, Michelle Yeoh finds herself at the zenith of the Hollywood firmament. It’s no surprise if you've been paying attention.

* * *

Aklasan Fest, the only Filipino punk festival in the U.S., celebrates its return
Featuring 15 bands from across the country, Aklasan Festival in San Francisco is the only Filipino punk festival of its kind, prioritizing the often unheard and unseen voices of punk.

* * *

‘Easter Sunday’ Writer Ken Cheng on How He Celebrated Filipino Culture Through the Film's Comedy
Easter Sunday screenwriter Ken Cheng details how he told a culturally specific story with universal appeal and the film's wild journey to the screen.


8.19.2022

They Call Us Bruce 169: They Call Us Free Chol Soo Lee

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.

In this episode, we welcome Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, directors of the documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, which tells the story of a community's landmark fight to free an innocent man. They discuss the important legacy of the case, why they were compelled to shine a light on this singular moment, the generational responsibility of unearthing our stories. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

8.17.2022

They Call Us Bruce 168: They Call Us Wesley Chu

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.

In this episode, recorded live at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, we welcome novelist Wesley Chu, author of the epic fantasy The Art of Prophecy. He talks about writing fight scenes, allowing his characters to do what they want to do, and why this wuxia-inspired novel is the story he's been wanting to tell his whole life. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

8.14.2022

Read These



Racist and sexist disinformation is sowing divisions among Asian Americans
A new report spotlights how disinformation not only pits Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders against other marginalized groups but also sows divisions within the community itself, sometimes to intentionally diminish its collective political influence.

* * *

The New York Times’s Interview With Yuh-Line Niou
Yuh-Line Niou is a state assemblywoman in New York's 65th District, representing parts of Lower Manhattan since 2017. She is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's newly drawn 10th district.

* * *

Yuh-Line Niou on Her Especially Personal Run for Congress
From representation to disability policy, she says there’s a common theme: Courage.

* * *

Asian American Voters Rallied for Democrats in 2020. Will They Again?
The Democratic party confronts a mood of frustration among the rising electoral force that helped vault it to power. The campaign in Georgia will test that bond.

* * *

Big projects like the Sixers’ arena plan have often threatened Philly’s Chinatown. But the AAPI community always fights for the neighborhood.
For 150 years, Philadelphia's Chinatown community has fought for its life as big development project after project has targeted the neighborhood, threatening not only its existence but its unique authenticity -- most recently with the 76ers’ proposal for a new arena in the neighborhood.

* * *

My ICU Summer: A Photo Essay
Alice Wong’s months in the ICU highlights the steep costs of medical care for disabled individuals and their families due to a broken healthcare system.

* * *

A New Documentary Sheds Light on a Pivotal Movement in Asian American History
Social justice activism in the Asian American community today owes much of its legacy to the pivotal case of Chol Soo Lee, whose heartbreaking, remarkable, and undeniably complex story is the subject of a new documentary.

* * *

The Metamorphosis of Mindy Kaling
Starting with her rise to fame on The Office to now creating some of streaming’s biggest hits, the actress, writer, and producer has transformed Hollywood. But her most fulfilling project yet is happening behind the scenes—as a mother, mentor, and mogul.

* * *

Sujata Day on Her Search For Samosas As Good As Mom’s
Director and writer Sujata Day recalls a restaurant in L.A. she yearns for the most.


8.12.2022

They Call Us Bruce 167: They Call Us Yuh-Line Niou

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.

In this episode, we welcome congressional candidate Yuh-Line Niou, who is running for the House of Representatives in New York's newly drawn 10th district. She talks about truly representational politics, making the legislative process more accessible for all, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of running for congress. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

8.10.2022

They Call Us Bruce 166: They Call Us Katherine J. Wu

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.

In this episode, we welcome journalist Katherine J. Wu, who covers science as staff writer for The Atlantic. She talks about joining science with storytelling, where we went wrong (and right) with our collective pandemic response, and the most erroneous assumptions we're making about COVID right now. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

8.07.2022

Read These



What It Means to Be Asian in America
In a new Pew Research Center analysis based on dozens of focus groups, Asian American participants described the challenges of navigating their identity in a nation where the label "Asian" brings expectations about their origins, behavior and physical self.

* * *

How a tiny Chinatown bookstore became a hub for authentic Asian American stories
Yu and Me Books, the first Asian American female-owned bookstore in New York, highlights titles from immigrants and people of color, with a special focus on Asian Americans.

* * *

To 'Free Chol Soo Lee,' Asian Americans had to find their collective political voice
NPR talks to Julie Ha, co-director of the new documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, which tells the story of a 20-year-old Korean American man imprisoned for a murder he did not commit -- a case that became a pivotal moment for the Asian American community.

* * *

Jo Koy's 'Easter Sunday' puts Filipinos front and center
Comedian Jo Koy stars in Easter Sunday, the first big studio movie with an all-Filipino ensemble.

* * *

Tia Carrere in "Easter Sunday" Marks a Profound Change for Filipinos in Hollywood
Tia Carrere, who cemented herself in Hollywood three decades ago as the iconic Cassandra Wong in Wayne's World, appears in the family comedy Easter Sunday -- the first time in her prolific, 30-year-plus career that she is playing a Filipino.

* * *

Nobody wanted to make 'Squid Game.' Now it’s making history
For a very long time, no one wanted to make Squid Game. Now it has 14 Emmy nominations.

* * *

Paper Girls Star Ali Wong on Comics, Erin's Journey, and Her Childhood Dreams
Ali Wong, who stars as adult Erin in the series Paper Girls, talks about her relationship with the Paper Girls comic book, the dynamic between the two Erins, and her childhood dreams.

* * *

88Rising's NIKI is Owning Her PAST - and Taking a Cue from Taylor Swift
Filled with reproduced and never-before-heard music, NIKI's second album is an exploration of her start in the industry -- and a taste of where she wants to go from here.


8.05.2022

They Call Us Bruce 165: They Call Us Jo Koy

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.

In this special bonus episode, Jeff talks to Jo Koy, comedian and star of the movie Easter Sunday. He talks about the execs who told him his Filipino American story was "too specific," getting the backing of none other than Steven Spielberg, and doing it for the culture. For the culture!

They Call Us Bruce 164: They Call Us Lou Diamond Phillips

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.

In this episode, we welcome the man, the myth, the legend: actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who appears in the new movie Easter Sunday. They discuss how Filipino Americans are having a moment, LDP as LDP, achieving "icon" status, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being ambiguously Filipino. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

8.02.2022

They Call Us Bruce 163: They Call Us Simran Jeet Singh

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.

In this episode, we welcome Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and author of the book The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform You Life. He talks about his journey of faith, dad jokes, his refusal to give in to negativity, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being Sikh.