They Call Us Ji-young Yoo

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 actress Ji-young Yoo, star of Freaky Tales and Expats. She talks about the cathartic act of fictionally beating the crap out of some Nazis; capturing the specific fun and weird ("Bay shit") vibes of 1987 Oakland, from her punk wig to nailing the accent in Freaky Tales; feeling a sense of belonging in Hong Kong and acting toe-to-toe with the likes of Nicole Kidman for her breakthrough role in Expats; and how her career journey may or may not include going back to take those two last credits to finish college. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Freaky Tales.

They Call Us Vicki Tan

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 Vicki Tan, digital product designer and author of Ask This Book a Question: An Interactive Journey to Find Wisdom for Life's Big and Little Decisions, a one-of-a-kind guide to smarter decision-making based in the science of cognitive bias and the wisdom of storytelling. Vicki shares her journey of writing the book, the significance of diversity in storytelling, and how her background in product design informs her approach to helping others navigate life's big and small questions -- including that immediate, persistent question: what should we have for dinner tonight? (Answer: mapo tofu, of course.)

They Call Us Scam Factory

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 discuss the evil, manipulative, and highly organized world of online scams with journalists Nelson Wang, who became the target of a "pig butchering" crypto scam, and Denise Chan, host of the Wondery podcast Scam Factory, which exposes the brutal reality behind these ripoff operations. There's a scam for everybody. They talk about the increasingly creative and sophisticated ways that scammers prey on their victims, how that scammer on the other side might actually be a victim of a scam themselves—trafficked and trapped—and the bizarre corporate infrastructure behind some of these scam factories. Pizza party!

They Call Us Stephen Park

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 veteran actor Stephen Park, who discusses his iconic roles in projects like Do the Right Thing, Fargo, and In Living Color; the racist incident on the set of Friends that inspired his viral 1997 mission statement on Asian American representation in Hollywood; the ongoing challenges he's faced as a person of color in the industry; and a reconciliation of sorts with his own Korean identity, thanks to working with cool directors like Bong Joon-ho. Also: the unintended complexities of being known as Steve versus Stephen.

They Call Us Asif Ali

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 comedian and actor Asif Ali, star of the Hulu crime comedy series Deli Boys. We discuss evolution of South Asian roles from stereotypes to complex characters, and how the show puts a chaotic, hilarious twist on the mini-mart narrative. Asif talks about his professional journey in comedy, how he had to create his own opportunities (including some not-entirely-truthful hustling by his manager, aka his brother), and why it's okay to NOT be chill about seeing yourself on a billboard. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Deli Boys.

They Call Us Dustin Nguyen

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 veteran actor Dustin Nguyen, star of the indie crime drama The Accidental Getaway Driver, a uniquely Vietnamese American story -- inspired by true events -- surprisingly told as a humanistic character study. He talks about the rage, hurt and loneliness of his character; his decades-spanning career journey and the evolution of his roles in Hollywood, from 21 Jump Street to V.I.P.; and his transition to filmmaking in Vietnam (and back). Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making The Accidental Getaway Driver.

They Call Us Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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 diversity advocates and experts Mia Ives-Rublee and Sumi Pendakur to discuss the impact of the current political climate on Asian American activism and identity. They talk about the importance of diversity in higher education in shaping identities and worldviews, the assault on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the wake of Trump's executive orders, the challenges of leadership in uncertain times, and the alarming normalization of extremist ideologies. Also: pre-emptive chickenshit, Nazi salutes, and dangerous dumplings.