Read These

No, my Japanese American parents were not 'interned' during WWII. They were incarcerated
The Los Angeles Times officially halts the use of the word "internment" to describe the mass incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

* * *
What counts as an 'American name' in a changing nation
The Washington Post's Marian Chia-Ming Liu asked readers if they felt the need to Anglicize their names to fit in. She showcases just a few of the thousands of responses she received.

* * *
'RRR's' 'Naatu Naatu' made Oscars history. But South Asian dancers feel betrayed
After a milestone night for Asian and Asian American inclusion at the 95th Academy Awards, the South Asian community is still feeling the sting of being left out of the live performance of "Naatu Naatu."

* * *
Why 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' feels more like reality than movie magic
"I'll admit, this movie is a family hot pot of ridiculousness... But even though my friends have described me as cold-hearted and the Grumpy Cat meme in real life, I was unexpectedly emotional while watching it."

* * *
For Asian Americans, thrill of Oscars offset by rising anti-Asian hate
The historic success of Everything Everywhere All At Once comes almost a year after the Atlanta spa shooting, with anti-Asian attacks still on the rise.

* * *
Ke Huy Quan, Comeback Kid: The Oscar Winner on 'Everything Everywhere,' Kissing Harrison Ford and Why He's Worried About What Comes Next
Comeback kid Ke Huy Quan talks to Variety in the aftermath of his amazing, inspirational Oscar win.

* * *
Joy Ride: Adele Lim on Her SXSW Directorial Debut and Telling a Story About Messy, Thirsty Friends 'On Our Terms'
Teresa Hsiao, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, and Adele Lim wanted a film that showed young Asian women having fun and being messy, telling a story on their own terms. Joy Ride follows a young woman who goes on a business trip to Asia and decides to track down her birth mother while she's there.

Read These

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once' Is Big Winner at the Oscars
In a historic night at the 95th Academy Awards, Everything Everywhere All at Once won seven awards, including for best picture, original screenplay, directing and in three of the four acting categories.

* * *
Everything Everywhere's James Hong on bullying, 'yellowface' and his big break – at 94
He has worked with everyone from Clark Gable to Harrison Ford. Now the actor is finally getting the attention he deserves. He talks about hidden prejudice, tickling Kim Cattrall -- and his dreams for the future.

* * *
Stephanie Hsu feels at peace with the multiverse
The Everything Everywhere All At Once breakout star and Oscar nominee talks the film, her career thus far, and the magnitude of this moment.

* * *
For us weird Asians, 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' is a second chance
Jeff Yang knew of the strange, obscure, and absurd stories out there in Asian American indie film, but was shocked by the impact Everything Everywhere All at Once has had at the big box office.

* * *
The Oscars and the Pitfalls of Feel-Good Representation
Why have we become so fixated on the award prospects of the most successful members of a minority group?

* * *
'She had to hide': the secret history of the first Asian woman nominated for a best actress Oscar
Merle Oberon, a pick for best actress in 1936, was born in Bombay and spent her career passing for white.

* * *
What I Found When I Looked Into the Fate of Anna May Wong, a Hollywood Star
"There is a platitude that has often been repeated in recent years: You can't be what you can't see. These Asian pioneers in cinema prove the contrary. They were each firsts in their own right, pushing forward where there were no trails to follow."

* * *
The Family Who Tried to End Racism Through Adoption
Bob and Sheryl Guterl saw their family as a kind of "ark for the age of the nuclear bomb" and attempted to gather "two of every race."

* * *
A Photographer Frames His Own American South
Tommy Kha's portraits blend his Asian heritage with the mythology of the South.

* * *
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Monica Youn
In her fourth poetry collection, From From, poet Monica Youn explores Asian American identity existing in the space between a homeland and a country of residence/citizenship.

They Call Us Bruce 190: They Call Us Unseen

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 Yoko Okumura, Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy, the director and stars, respectively, of the horror/thriller Unseen. They discuss the challenges of crafting a story about two people connecting via FaceTime; the unique storytelling dynamic that occurs when a movie, not originally conceived as an Asian American story, is told by a director and two leads who happen to be Japanese American; And The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Unseen (hint: involves bugs).

Read These

'I Don't Take a Single Second for Granted': Asian and Asian American Nominees on the Oscars
It was a record year for actors, but directors, musicians and other artists of Asian descent are also up for statuettes. We asked many of the contenders to reflect on their work.

* * *
Asian Actors Have Been Underrepresented at the Oscars For Decades. Here's the History.
A record number of actors of Asian ancestry were recognized with Oscar nominations this year, led by Michelle Yeoh of Everything Everywhere All at Once, who's up for best actress. Historically, Asian stars have rarely been part of the Academy Awards.

* * *
Hong Kong's Ageless Action Hero
Nearing 60, Donnie Yen, the last of a golden era of martial arts stars, looks back on an unparalleled career—and forward, to his role in the new John Wick film.

* * *
Why Everyone Will Be Talking About Steven Yeun's New Netflix Series
Steven Yeun plays a smolderingly angry, increasingly desperate general contractor in the new Netflix dark comedy Beef.

* * *
Ali Wong Gets Dramatic
Boundary-pushing stand-up Ali Wong tests her limits with an intense part on Netflix's Beef and a new real-life role as a divorced mom: "Whatever happens, I'm in my first trimester of life right now."

* * *
Hari Kondabolu on Comedy, Race, and Being a Queens Kid in Maine
Comedian Hari Kondabolu talks about seeing space for himself on the screen, discovering how to be in the world and the first joke he was really proud of.

* * *
How 'Unseen' Director Yoko Okumura Cast Against the Hollywood Grain in Debut Film
Yoko Okumura's feature-length directorial debut Unseen is about a women who is kidnapped by her obsessive boyfriend and held captive in the woods.

* * *
With Turning Red, Domee Shi Explores Uncharted Animated Waters
Domee Shi, director of Pixar's Turning Red, on the joys -- and weight -- of being a trailblazer.

* * *
Kung Fu Nuns of Nepal Smash Convention
In Himalayan Buddhism, the religious roles of nuns have long been restricted by rules and customs. But one sect is changing that, mixing meditation with martial arts and environmental activism.

They Call Us Bruce 189: They Call Us Everything Everywhere All at Once Again

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 revisit the film Everything Everywhere All at Once, now in the thick of awards season and on the cusp of Oscars glory, with an epic super-sized compilation of our previous conversations with Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Daniel Kwan, and of course, Michelle Yeoh -- who now all happen to be Academy Award nominees.

Read These

Randall Park Breaks Out of Character
Randall Park made his career in amiable roles like Louis on Fresh Off the Boat, but his directorial début, Shortcomings, is full of characters who are, in his word, "shitty" people.

* * *
Schools unprepared to help Asian American students navigate racial trauma
Amid recent high-profile attacks and the larger surge in anti-Asian hate, young Asian Americans -- for whom the leading cause of death was suicide even prior to the pandemic -- are calling on schools to invest in the sustained mental health resources they need to cope.

* * *
Stephanie Hsu on Lessons Learned from Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan
Actress Stephanie Hsu dishes on her Academy Award nomination for Everything Everywhere All at Once, lessons learned from her veteran co-stars and being a future bingo night winner.

* * *
She’s Oscar-Nominated, but Hong Chau Hopes to Stay an Underdog
Nominated for best supporting actress for The Whale, actress Hong Chau never dreamed of being a performer. But she has turned into a force of nature," says co-star Brendan Fraser.

* * *
'Everything Everywhere' Producer Jonathan Wang Unlocks the Secret of the Daniels' Success
Oscar nominated producer Jonathan Wang explains how he became the "third leg" of the Daniels and why the success of Everything Everywhere should be seen as a counterpoint to Top Gun: Maverick.

* * *
For a Film About Korean Adoptees, a Group Effort
In Return to Seoul, a French adoptee repeatedly visits her birth country of South Korea. Neither filmmaker Davy Chou nor star Park Ji-Min were adopted, but they got help from friends.

* * *
How 'Physical 100,' Netflix's Korean reality gauntlet, destroys misconceptions around Asian bodies
"The major contribution here is that it completely destabilizes the ways we link up race and ability."

Greta Lee and Teo Yoo Star in A24's 'Past Lives'

Celine Song's decades-spanning romantic drama premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival.



Damn, that's a hell of a trailer. Here's your first look at Past Lives, writer/director Celine Song's decades-spanning romantic drama starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro. The film premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival is scheduled for release this year.

Past Lives follows Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

Take a look:

A24 is Auctioning Off (Almost) Everything from Everything Everywhere All At Once

Online charitable auction featuring original and iconic props, wardrobe, and set pieces.



If you're an Everything Everywhere All at Once superfan like me, you can't get enough of Daniels' multiverse jumping sci-fi action adventure comedy. But how about owning an actual piece from the movie?

A24's online charitable auction platform A24 Auctions is offering fans a chance to own a piece of movie history. Starting Thursday, February 23, 12:00 PM (ET), you can bid on the original and iconic props, wardrobe, and set pieces from Everything Everywhere All at Once. How about Jobu Tapaki's bedazzled Elvis costume? Hot dog hands? Racacoonie? The Auditor of the Month trophy? Yup.

100% of each of the auction's proceeds will be donated to one of the three charities that filmmakers The Daniels selected: Laundry Workers Center, Transgender Law Center and Asian Mental Health Project.

Read These

This comedian just won a $550,000 prize. Up next: A boundary-pushing Culver City show
Part of the world may have moved on from COVID-19, but performance artist Kristina Wong is reliving the worst of the pandemic night after night as part of her solo show, "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord."

* * *
Chinatown's Hidden Poverty: How a Big Family Struggles To Survive in a Tiny Room
For the Yus, simple survival in San Francisco while struggling with poverty is filled with challenges, but the harsher question is whether they will ever find a way out of their one room SRO and into a home of their own.

* * *
While Florida targets Black history, Texas Republicans plan to make life miserable for Asian Americans
If Texas' proposed SB147 is enacted, the bill would ban citizens from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from buying property or real estate in Texas. At least 11 other states are considering similar legislation.

* * *
Letters from the Japanese incarceration camp at Santa Anita
Ted Fujioka was 17 years old when he was forced into an incarceration camp during World War II, and he wrote letters to a high school teacher. Decades later, those letters made it back to Ted's nephew Darrell Kunitomi, historian for the Los Angeles Times.

* * *
How 'Broker' and 'Return to Seoul' reveal hard truths about Korean adoption
Two critically acclaimed films about South Korean adoption were recently released depicting different sides of the adoption story: Broker and Return to Seoul. To better understand how these films speak to real-life adoptees, Jae-Ha KIm talked to Korean academics, human rights experts, and adoptees.

* * *
Sandra Oh's Sense of Purpose
Sandra Oh discusses Hollywood survival skills, winning the lottery, and her interest in telling “messy" Asian American stories.

* * *
Portraying Asian Americans Positively and the “Messiness That is Life in Any Community"
When Kathryn Ma wrote her new novel The Chinese Groove, she said it felt risky to write a Chinese character who was behaving badly.

They Call Us Bruce 188: They Call Us White Savior

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 Eric Nguyen and Scott Burman, creators of White Savior, a hilarious comic book spoof of white savior stories (à la The Last Samurai, The Great Wall). They talk about their creative partnership, the unique confidence of white guys, and why the time was right for a samurai skewering of this tired and tiring narrative trope.

Twenty-two Angry Years

Happy Angryversary.



This one snuck up on me. Happy Valentine's Day, to all who celebrate. But by pure coincidence, today also happens to the be the anniversary of this website. Yes, on this day twenty-two years ago, just after midnight, I hit publish on the very first iteration of Angry Asian Man. Powered by some very rickety HTML code and a little bit of that dumb fearlessness of the new millennium internet era, I just started blogging. I didn't even know what I was doing was referred to as blogging. But that's how this journey began. Now 22 years and counting.

Of course, this website is not quite what it used to be, as the day-to-day blogging has scaled back significantly and my energy and attention have been diverted to other concerns. Health, money, family, and gravity (and a global pandemic) have all collected their cut of my 24 hours. But I've been keeping busy with other personal and professional projects, maintaining a voice on social media, and still devoted to this community called Asian America, no matter how many times it inflates and breaks my heart.

So this is the annual post. Another ring on the tree trunk and another opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to all the supporters, especially the ones who have been here since year one. Thank you to all the great friends this website has brought into my life; you are easily the best thing about this journey. Thank you to all the creators and collaborators; let's make more great stuff. And thank you to my partner in crime Joanna, who has held my hand on every step of this path.

Let's keep this going. There is more great stuff to come in year 23 and beyond.

Why Do Asian Americans Love "Bizarre Love Triangle"?

Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday?



Asian Americans, we have an anthem. If you are Asian American of a certain age, there is a song that can immediately pull us into circle formation on the dance floor like synth siren's song. I am, of course, talking about "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order. If you know, you know. But why? What is about this specific track that has resonated so strongly with a generation of Asian Americans?

Our friend, sociology professor, DJ and music scholar Oliver Wang is formally asking the questions about "Bizarre Love Triangle" and doing some important work for the culture. Through a research study entitled "Bizarre Love Theories," he intends to get to the bottom of why New Order's 1986 dance chart hit has been embraced as an unofficial anthem of Asian America. And he needs your help. Check it:

Read These

As a reporter, I’d braced myself to cover mass shootings. My first was in my own community
"As a journalist in the U.S., I knew covering a mass shooting was a matter of when, not if... It never occurred to me that the first mass shooting I covered would take place in my community."

* * *
How a Bruce Lee mantra empowered me to try new things
Illustrator Hyesu Lee overcame her fear and tried to do something she always wanted to do.

* * *
Brandon Tsay, still grieving, gets the 'hero' treatment in Washington
While Brandon Tsay was welcomed in Washington and lauded as a hero for his courageous actions in Monterey Park, he's still processing his emotions just a few weeks after the mass shooting.

* * *
Biden's about to have a Cabinet opening. Asian American lawmakers have a favorite.
Julie Su, deputy labor secretary, is widely viewed as the frontrunner to take over the department's top job.

* * *
You Think You Understand Thai Culture Because You Eat at Thai Restaurants? Think Again
A government campaign drove the popularity and similarity of Thai menus, but they left out an ingredient: the experiences of actual Thai people.

* * *
The Curry Trap: How a Continent's Worth of Food Got Mashed Into One Word
American ignorance about Indian cuisine is flattening and hurtful.

* * *
Delia Cai's Small-Town Romance Goes Beyond The Tropes
With her romance novel Central Places, Delia Cai deploys the familiar Hallmark movie plot to tell a different story, offering readers an unflinching examination of what it means to be an Asian American in small-town America, enclosed in an ultra-romantic shell.

* * *
Jeremy Lin on 38 at the Garden doc, Linsanity, Asian hate - Los Angeles Times
Jeremy Lin talks about the Oscar-shortlisted documentary 38 at the Garden and how his career impacted the Asian American community.

* * *
How Rajiv Surendra Went from Mean Girls to the Renaissance Man of Your Dreams
He made a name for himself playing Kevin G in Mean Girls. Since then, Rajiv Surendra has built an enviable life for himself centered on his creative pursuits.

First Look at Adele Lim's Raunchy Comedy 'Joy Ride'

Here's a first look image for Joy Ride, the upcoming raunchy comedy from director Adele Lim (co-screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians), and starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu.

Written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, Joy Ride is described as a "hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure."

The movie follows Audrey (Ashley Park), whose business trip to Asia goes sideways when her chances of closing a big deal suddenly hinge on her tracking down her birth mother.

To do so, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film also stars Ronny Chieng, Desmond Chiam, Alexander Hodge, and Chris Pang. Joy Ride is set to hit theaters June 3 from Lionsgate.

More here: Ashley Park goes for a wild Joy Ride in first look at Adele Lim's hard R-rated comedy

Of Course Your Chinese Spy Balloon Jokes Are Racist

"Weather Barroon"



The appearance of a Chinese surveillance balloon over North American airspace last week inspired about a thousand hand-wringing discussions about spying and safety. And, predictably, racist jokes.

Case in point, this tweet from Joel R. Carter Jr., a state senator from Mississippi who immediately went to the tired and shitty place for this comic gem to take a jab at the Biden Administration. Carter posted an edited image of the balloon with the words "Weather Barroon (Totary NOT for spying)."

Some classic shit, Joel. You really got 'em good.

Read These

How a Lunar New Year celebration became a fight for survival
L.A. Times interviewed survivors, combed through dispatch recordings, and reviewed videos taken the night of the shooting to piece together what happened inside Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Lunar New Year's Eve.

* * *
Asian Americans can no longer be silent on gun laws. We must confront threat on our community.
Stop AAPI Hate: We support ending gun violence, but we are not usually part of the policy conversations. AAPI organizations are uniting to advocate for action.

* * *
Daughter of slain Monterey Park dance hall leader hopes to reopen studio
Ming Wei Ma was the manager of Star Ballroom Dance Studio. His daughter, Mary, wants to remember her father, not by his tragic final moments, but by the community he sustained through his love of dance.

* * *
The US Values Asian Work More Than Asian Lives
Well-meaning comments about Asians being diligent and dutiful workers is precisely part of the problem.

* * *
A Love Letter to Restaurant Cooks
"Restaurant work is exhausting, thankless, and full of petty frustrations... But within that reality, unfolding daily, you also meet multifaceted, wondrous, vibrant people at all stages of life."

* * *
Corky Lee and the Work of Seeing
Ken Chen looks at the late llegendary photographer Corky Lee's archive. "But what also becomes clear when looking at Lee's photographs is how what it meant to be Asian American then is not what it means now: the historical specificity and limits of an identity designed to be capacious."

* * *
Activist Alice Wong reflects on 'The Year of the Tiger' and her hopes for 2023
NPR interviews activist/writer Alice Wong, author of the memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life.

* * *
12 Books About Coming of Age as an Asian American
Delia Cai, author of Central Places, recommends stories that capture the complexities of young adulthood.

Read These

A Terrifying Sign of Assimilation
"Ours is a nation where the unimaginable has somehow become inevitable. If Mr. Chou, Mr. Tran and Mr. Zhao committed mass shootings, they did so not because they were Asian but as Americans. Mass murder may be the fullest act of assimilation possible into a culture that has proudly chosen as its colors the red of innocent blood, the white of panicked eyes and the hazy blue of semiautomatic smoke."

* * *
The Joy And Connection Of Ballroom Dance Will Outlast The Monterey Park Shooting
For decades, Star Dance's spacious hardwood floors drew professionals and amateurs alike to Monterey Park's downtown. But on Saturday, violence shattered the community's celebration of the Lunar New Year, when a man opened fire during one of the studio's busiest nights of the year, killing 11 people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s and injuring at least nine others.

* * *
Why the Monterey Park shooting feels like an attack on Asian America
"To be sure, violence -- whether or not it is driven by prejudice -- happens everywhere in the U.S. But given the political climate since 2020, it is hard for Asian Americans to not automatically think that hate is the force behind any attack in our communities."

* * *
An Asian American Grief
May we all find peace in the new year.

* * *
Marie Kondo's life is messier now - and she's fine with it
Marie Kondo is a bit frazzled since giving birth to her third child in 2021. Like most of us, she’s having trouble keeping up with all of it. Never fear, though: She is still sparking joy. It’s just that, these days, that doesn't hinge on having a tidy house.

* * *
Grace Young Wants to Keep Chinatown Restaurants in Business
Culinary historian Grace Young became an activist after the Covid pandemic hurt long-established businesses in New York and beyond.

* * *
The Pen Ten: An Interview with Franny Choi
Franny Choi doesn't see dystopia as science fiction. In her poetry collection The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On, she writes about the dystopias that are happening now, and historically, to marginalized people everywhere.

They Call Us Bruce 187: They Call Us Heartbroken

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 break fron our usual format and take a moment to react to the mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. This one's kind of raw.

Read These

Authorities identify 72-year-old man as suspected gunman in Lunar New Year mass shooting
Authorities have identified the man responsible for a deadly shooting inside a Monterey Park dance studio as Hemet resident Huu Can Tran, 72.

* * *
Lunar New Year shooting: A grim moment in Monterey Park, America's first suburban Chinatown
"Sometime between 1970 and 1990, Monterey Park became America’s first suburban Chinatown, where swift demographic changes heralded conflicts over language, signs, a changing business scene and political voice. In 2023 it is a city once again in flux, but as a tight-knit community whose residents typify what it means to be an Asian American -- and the spectrum within."

* * *
After Indiana Univ. stabbing, Asian American students haven't received enough support from school
The suspect, Billie Davis, told Bloomington police that she targeted the student, who survived, for "being Chinese," adding, "It would be one less person to blow up our country."

* * *
Redefining the 'New' in Lunar New Year
Some younger Asian Americans are creating their own Lunar New Year holiday traditions, putting a spin on lessons they've learned.

* * *
Their Children Are Their Retirement Plans
The offspring of many East Asian immigrants are raised to support their elders in their later years. That gives a segment of Americans challenges others don't face.

* * *
A Professor Who Challenges the Washington Consensus on China
Jessica Chen Weiss argues that Biden's China policy is contributing to an "action-reaction spiral."

* * *
What My Father's Martial Arts Classes Taught Me about Fighting Racism
The goal of martial arts is self-defense. But what happens when the violence is as atmospheric as racism itself?

* * *
Randall Park's Long Wait for Shortcomings
Fresh Off the Boat star Randall Park makes his directorial debut with the adaptation Adrian Tomine's graphic novel Shortcomings, an Asian American story he waited 15 years to tell.

* * *
How the Team Behind 'The Accidental Getaway Driver' Sought to Make a Culturally Sensitive Film
Producer Andy Sorgie, director Sing J. Lee and a team of consultants-turned-producers immersed themselves in the Southern California enclave of Little Saigon to tell the true-life story of an elderly Vietnamese war veteran whose life is changed by one fateful passenger pickup.

They Call Us Bruce 186: They Call Us Missing

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 filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, writer/director of the hit thriller Searching, and writer/producer of its follow-up feature Missing. He talks about why 2018's Searching is now a period piece, the seemingly simple but actually super-complicated process of telling a story that unfolds entirely on screens, and why he and the team are not in any rush (for now) to make a third movie in the "Searching Cinematic Universe."

First Look Photos of Disney's 'American Born Chinese'

Adaptation of Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel stars Michelle Yeoh, Daniel Wu, Ke Huy Quan and more.



Disney+ has unveiled some new first look photos of its upcoming adaptation of American Born Chinese, based on the beloved graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. The series has shaped up to be something of a reunion for actors Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu, who also star in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which is currently cleaning up in its awards season run.

Adapted by Kelvin Yu, the "genre-hopping action comedy" series follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), the son of Chinese immigrants who struggles with assimilating in the United States. Jin escapes into fantasy realms to grapple with his emotions and encounters spiritual creatures from Chinese mythology like Sun Wukong the Monkey King, played by Daniel Wu, and Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, played by Yeoh.

Check out the photos:

Indiana University Student Stabbed in Anti-Asian Attack

The suspect said she stabbed the victim because it "would be one less person to blow up our country."



It would be nice to not live in fear of literally being stabbed in the head for being Asian.

In Bloomington, Indiana, a woman has been charged after an 18-year-old Indiana University student repeatedly was stabbed in the head on a public bus in an anti-Asian attack. The suspect told police she stabbed the victim because the victim was "Chinese," adding that it "would be one less person to blow up our country."

The victim told investigators she was standing and waiting for the exit doors to open on a Bloomington Transit bus Wednesday afternoon when another passenger began striking her in the head multiple times with a folding knife. Surveillance footage showed that the suspect and the victim had no interaction leading up to the assault.

56-year-old Billie R. Davis has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery. According to NPR, Davis has not been charged with a hate crime because Indiana is one of four states that lack a comprehensive law. So this is, officially, just a regular head stabbing attack -- not a hate-motivated head stabbing attack.

More here: Indiana's Asian American community is grieving after a bus stabbing attack

Read These

I Am Michelle Go's Father. I Am Marking Her Death Where She Lived.
"It has been exactly one year since the death of our daughter, Michelle Alyssa Go. On Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at around 9:30 a.m., Martial Simon viciously shoved Michelle in front of an oncoming subway train at the Times Square station. She was 40 years old. We now return to Manhattan to pay our respects to our daughter in the city she came to love."

* * *
Gwen Stefani: "I Said, 'My God, I'm Japanese'"
Fourteen years after the debut of her Harajuku Lovers fragrance collection, Gwen Stefani essentially tells Allure that she learned nothing about cultural appropriation.

* * *
Crime Concerns Drove Asian Americans Away From New York Democrats
Worries about public safety, especially attacks against Asian Americans, caused some in the once-reliably Democratic bloc to vote Republican last year.

* * *
Why Michelle Yeoh's 'shut up' at the Golden Globes was profound for Asian women
"We have to live with these stereotypes and expectations of being demure and diminutive on the daily. So to witness that on such a big stage of something like the Golden Globes was profound."

* * *
Is Stephanie Hsu the 'Dark Horse' of Award Season?
Stephanie Hsu, who plays Joy/Jobu Tupaki in Everything Everywhere All at Once, may not be as well known as her co-stars, but her role is crucial enough to deserve awards consideration.

* * *
American Born Chinese: Uncovering Asian American Stories With Cartoonist Gene Luen Yang
Gene Luen Yang's beloved graphic novel American Born Chinese is currently being adapted into a TV series on Disney+ starring Ben Wang, Michelle Yeoh, Chin Han, Yeo Yann Yann, Daniel Wu, and Ke Huy Quan.

* * *

They Call Us Bruce 185: They Call Us New Year 2023

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 new year with one last look back at the year that was, in the kind of super-sized conversation they only reserve for two of our perennially favorite guests: Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of Diaspora. We discuss personal developments, the tired and tiring buzzwords of diversity, and finally falling to COVID-19. We also go three rounds of a special new year edition of The Good, The Bad and The WTF: Boost, Mask and Unknown Variant, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find an updated COVID vaccine near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.

Read These

America's Covid Test Requirement for Chinese Travelers Is a Farce
"By treating only Covid from China as a real danger and domestic cases as presumably milder, the U.S. government effectively endorses the centuries-old tropes of Asians as the 'diseased other' and the notion that the coronavirus is, in fact, the "'China virus.'"

* * *
I May Have Started a Rumor About K-Pop, and It May Be Ruining My Life
Euny Hong addresses a rumor that K-pop is funded by the Korean state – a rumor she may have started.

* * *
The Etiquette Guru Who Broke Up With a Boyfriend Over Text
Sara Jane Ho offers practical manners for a new, global world.

* * *
Why South Asians are the most politically liberal of all Asian Americans
South Asians are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the U.S., especially in battleground states. And out of all Asian Americans groups, they are the most politically liberal.

* * *
The Best Woks
Wirecutter set out to find the best wok. They spoke with experts and then got to work sautéing, frying, and steaming. One clear winner stood out.

* * *
Q&A: Iris Yamashita, Author of ‘City Under One Roof'
In City Under One Roof, the debut novel from Academy Award-nominated writer Iris Yamashita, a stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building.

* * *
Everything Everywhere's Ke Huy Quan is, all at once, an awards contender
The child star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies is back in the spotlight, joining the Marvel universe, and, smart money says, the Oscars nomination list.

* * *
The Dave Bautista Method
After hanging up his wrestling tights, Dave Bautista could've made an easy living cranking out one brainless, explosion-happy blockbuster after another. Instead, he's improbably emerged as a serious thespian trapped in an action hero's body, and the who's-who of Hollywood auteurs keep lining up to work with him.

Read These

| Casinos Target a Vulnerable Clientele: Older Asian Gamblers
Although there is limited research on the prevalence of gambling by race, studies have shown that Asian Americans are at greater risk of developing a gambling disorder than the population as a whole. The gambling industry's efforts to lure Asian customers will be a significant factor looming over the upcoming application process for new casino licenses in New York.

* * *
Oakland's Next Mayor Highlights Political Rise of Hmong Americans
Sheng Thao, the daughter of refugees, will become the nation's most prominent Hmong American politician when she leads the California city of 440,000 residents.

* * *
PBS NewsHour's New Co-anchor Prefers Jobs That Scare Her
Amna Nawaz was recently promoted from chief correspondent to co-anchor of PBS News Hour.

* * *
American Girl makes history with its first South Asian Girl of the Year doll
The iconic doll brand American Girl has named Kavi Sharma, an Indian American girl from New Jersey who loves to sing, as its 2023 Girl of the Year.

* * *
Dolly De Leon On Her Golden Globe Nomination And What It Means To The Filipino Community
Filipino actress Dolly De Leon has received major recognition and attention this awards season for her exceptional performance as Abigail in the film satire Triangle of Sadness.

* * *
Atsuko Okatsuka on Finding Levity in Scary Situations and Her First Comedy Special
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka discusses her HBO Max special, The Intruder, as well as the role her "unconventional upbringing" had in discovering her calling.