This Faker Fit Right In With the Trump Administration

State Dept. official Mina Chang claimed to be a Harvard "alumna," among other lies.


Mina Chang's laughably fake 'Time' cover
From NBC News: A senior Trump administration official has embellished her résumé with misleading claims about her professional background -- even creating a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it -- raising questions about her qualifications to hold a top position at the State Department."

An NBC News investigation found that Mina Chang, the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, has inflated her educational achievements -- like claiming, falsely, to be a Harvard grad -- and exaggerated the scope of her nonprofit's work.

More here: Senior Trump official embellished résumé, had face on fake Time cover

'Float' is the first Pixar film to feature Filipino Americans

Bobby Rubio's personal animated short premieres on Disney+.



I won't lie: I stayed up late to watch The Mandalorian on Monday night, as soon as the new Disney+ streaming service went fully operational. I'm a Star Wars geek and I could wait no longer. With that out of the way -- it was great -- I want to make sure you watch the best film on the platform: the Pixar original animated short Float.

Directed by story artist Bobby Rubio, Float is the first Pixar film ever to feature Filipino American characters.

In Float, a father discovers that his is son is different from other kids in the most unusual way. To keep them both safe from judgement, Dad covers him and keeps him out of sight -- but when his son's ability becomes public, Dad must decide whether to run and hide or to accept his son as he is.

Rubio originally conceived the story as a comic... with a significant difference. The characters were white.

The Family That Sticks Together...

Your favorite family from the best damn movie of the year.



I just want to make sure everyone knows that this shirt exists, and if you're like me, and you believe that Bong Joon Ho's smash hit masterpiece Parasite is the best damn film of the year, you will order this shirt immediately. I won't say anything more about the film, except that if you haven't seen it yet, don't read anything and don't talk to anyone about it -- just go watch it and get your ass kicked. That is all.

Get the shirt at the Neon Shop.

This is how you make Alex Trebek (almost) cry on television

'Jeopardy' host gets choked up by contestant's heartfelt message of support.



You don't really expect to see a lot of emotional moments on Jeopardy! and you sure as heck don't expect to see Alex Trebek getting choked up. But that's what happened on Monday's night's airing of the perennial TV quiz show, when a contestant's heartfelt message of support had the host fighting back tears.

During the "Final Jeopardy" round, contestant Dhruv Gaur revealed his response to evening's final question: "What is we [heart] you Alex!" Not quite the correct response; just some real love for Mr. Trebek, who has been publicly fighting a battle with pancreatic cancer. Just before Gaur's message, Trebek had announced that he was undergoing another round of chemotherapy.

Realizing the message was intended for him, Trebek was visibly moved. "That's very kind of you, thank you," he replied with his voice cracking. Watch the touching moment, and I dare you not to get choked up too:

Brutal attack on Chinatown seniors caught on video

Suspects assaulted three elderly men in an attempted robbery.



In San Francisco, police are searching for suspects who were caught on video assaulting a group of elderly men in a violent attempted robbery on Saturday night.

Brutal attack on 3 men caught on camera in SF's Chinatown

Video of the attack shows a group of seniors walking near Portsmouth Square in Chinatown when they're approached by two suspects who begin throwing punches at them. One victim is hit directly in the face and falls down, appearing to be out cold.

The video was circulated widely on social media.

Read These Blogs

The Story of the Great Japanese-American Novel
John Okada's novel No-No Boy captures the injustice of incarcerating Japanese Americans during World War II -- and serves as a warning today for our own fractured society.

* * *
The Rise (and Stall) of the Boba Generation
How bubble tea became far more than just a drink to young Asian Americans.

* * *
Opinion: It's time for UC to stop using the SAT
Decades of research show that the SAT and ACT add little or nothing to the high school GPA's prediction of a student's performance in the first year of college.

* * *
In Conversation: Bao Phi and Jane Kim
Poet/autor Bao Phi sits down to chat with his longtime friend, San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim, to talk about everything from Lost, to Ali Wong, to stepping into their power as marginalized people.

* * *
Banchan, the Only Food I Like to Share
You can tell a lot about a Korean restaurant based on the banchan it offers.

* * *
How Red Canary Song Is Advocating for Migrant Sex Workers
Red Canary Song is a grassroots organization that advocates for migrant sex workers, supports migrant leadership, and fights against unjust policies.

* * *
BD Wong is taking 'The Great Leap' into directing
BD Wong, who starred in "A Great Leap" last year, is directing the play at the Pasadena Playhouse.

* * *
Conrad Ricamora Is Ready to Be a Leading Man
Why is Conrad Ricamora starring in the musical Soft Power in New York while filming How to Get Away With Murder in Los Angeles? Because he finally gets to play the hero.

Angry Reader of the Week: Arthur Dong

"I was born in the same hospital as Bruce Lee..."



Greetings, good people of the internet. 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 Arthur Dong.

'Fresh Off The Boat' to end after six seasons

The hour-long series finale is set to air on February 21.



It's official: Fresh Off The Boat will end this season. After six seasons, the ABC comedy -- the longest-running sitcom about an Asian American family in broadcast television history -- is coming to close next year.

Fresh Off the Boat Canceled After Six Seasons

The network reportedly informed Fresh Off The Boat's cast and crew this week that it would not be ordering further episodes, and the current season's 14th and 15th episodes would mark the end of the show's run.

Wat Misaka Throwback Jersey honors a basketball pioneer

Custom throwback jersey created by G Yamazawa.



Contrary to popular belief, Jeremy Lin was the first player of Asian descent in the NBA. In 1947, Wat Misaka, a 5-foot-7 Japanese American point guard from Utah, suited up and played three games with the New York Knicks to become the first nonwhite player in professional basketball.

Now you know. Now check out this incredibly cool Wat Misaka Throwback replica jersey, created by acclaimed poet/emcee G Yamazawa, paying tribute to the pioneering sports figure.

Produced with the blessing of Misaka's family, this handmade, custom cut and sew throwback jersey comes in black and white inspired by Misaka's championship run at Weber College, as well as a fire red Japanese colorway. Each purchase includes a retro basketball card (including randomly inserted autograph editions) designed by Gabe Gets. 20% of profits will be donated to the Special Olympics.

Get it here.

Here are some more images:

To Kurt Suzuki: About That Hat and "Having Some Fun"

Guest Post by Joseph Shoji Lachman



Kurt Suzuki, a yonsei (4th gen. Japanese American) wore one of those disgusting white supremacist hats when visiting the White House. It was horrifying, and symbolic of larger issues of Asian Americans and adjacency to white privilege.

The question I always want to pose to these garbage Japanese Americans is, how can you support a guy whose campaign and supporters have voiced support for the incarceration of Japanese Americans and have used it as a justification for oppressing other minority groups?

Suzuki couldn't even muster an apology. He said he was just trying to "have some fun." I wonder if he could go to a migrant concentration camp, look a mother and child in the eyes while wearing that hat, and claim it's just about having some fun.

I wonder if he could look me in the eye as a fellow yonsei and say it's just about having some fun.

Read These Blogs

The Kingmaker is a movie about Imelda Marcos that snubs earlier documentary
A new documentary about Imelda Marcos blatantly ignores and erases Ramona Diaz's 2004 pioneering documentary about the former first lady of the Philippines.

* * *
The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success
With "nunchi," all you need is your eyes, your ears and a quiet mind.

* * *
Americans must search their conscience and ‘google Uyghurs'
A group of activists came to a Washington Wizards game with an important message: "Google Uyghurs."

* * *
Death, migration and the loss of culture
In Chinese culture, the transition to the afterlife is memorialized in tomb-sweeping festivals and food rituals. But what happens when years of migration cause treasured family traditions to vanish?

* * *
Why I Dropped Out Of An Ivy League College Just 3 Weeks Into Freshman Year
Jenny Lu knew deep in her gut that going to an Ivy League wasn't going to be good for her mental health.

* * *
Translation and the Family of Things
Writer Crystal Hana Kim discovers her grandmother's literary secret.

* * *
How to Unlearn Everything
When it comes to writing the "other," what questions are we not asking?

* * *
When comfort food means a heaping plate of Tex-Mex
"My love of Tex-Mex is the story of my family's journey and the hardships they faced, what they lost and what they gained. It is a story that begins in a riverside village in rural Guangdong province in southern China, long before I am born."

* * *
Dancing Past 60: ‘I Actually Forget That I Am Aging'
On this dance team at a Queens community center, being a grandma is a plus.

* * *
This 'Queer Eye' Clip Shows the Impact of 'No Asians' in Gay Dating
Queer Eye's recent visit to Japan shows the heartbreaking results of discrimination.

* * *
These Gen Z Americans fell in love with the sport of their immigrant parents
The Future Stars School of Cricket is a Virginia-based youth club comprised mostly of children whose parents are from South Asia.

* * *
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Ali Wong's Glasses—According to Ali Wong
"Glasses are like shoes for your face": The comedian shares the story behind some of her favorite frames.

* * *
Where’s My Biopic? Actress Anna May Wong
A tribute to the pioneering, ahead-of-her-time career of actress Anna Mae Wong.

* * *
She Invented Banana Ketchup & Saved Thousands of Lives. Why Have We Never Heard of Her?
The legendary story of María Orosa, the Philippines' greatest war hero.

Your Halloween Costumes

Submit your awesome costume photos for our annual Halloween gallery.



What are you rocking this Halloween? Show us your stuff! In what has become a fun tradition on this website, we invite readers to submit photos of your cool, funny, scary, adorable and totally-not-racist costumes for our annual Halloween gallery, just for fun. Email or tag me on social media. We can't guarantee everyone will make it into the gallery, but don't be afraid to share! The world should see and enjoy your awesome costumes. Super-cute kid costumes are particularly welcome.

Keep checking back here for updates:

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 81: They Call Us Love Boat

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're talking about LOVE BOAT! We discuss the infamous Taiwanese culture and language study tour with filmmaker Valerie Soe, director of the documentary Love Boat: Taiwan, and writer Abigail Hing Wen, author of the forthcoming young adult novel Loveboat, Taipei.

Preity G Zinta and Vir Das to star in potential 'Fresh Off The Boat' spinoff

'Magic Motor Inn' will center on an Indian American family.



Plans for a Fresh Off the Boat spinoff, centering on an Indian American family, are underway. The series, tentatively titled Magic Motor Inn, will likely be led by Bollywood star Preity Zinta and actor/comedian Vir Das, who are set to guest star on an upcoming episode of Fresh Off the Boat.

'Fresh Off the Boat' Casts Vir Das and Preity G Zinta as Stars of Potential Spinoff

Written by Fresh Off the Boat writer-producer Rachna Fruchbom, the episode centers around an Indian family whose daughter attends school with Eddie. Das and Zinta will star as the girl's parents. The episode would reportedly serve as the basis for the proposed spinoff, which would go through the regular pilot process.

John Cho inspects a really gross bathtub in 'The Grudge'

Watch the trailer for the new remake of the Japanese horror classic.



Wait, a Hollywood remake of a remake of an Asian horror movie... starring an actual Asian person? Actually starring John Cho, actually. In this trailer for the upcoming new take on The Grudge, we see Cho as a real estate agent named Peter Spencer arriving at a spooky house and inspecting a really yucky bathtub. Later, we see poor Peter taking a shower... and more yucky things happen. Dude needs some new shampoo.

Take a look:

This is the Most Insanely Detailed Bruce Lee Statue

80th Anniversary Bruce Lee Tribute Statue from Blitzway



Holy crap. Next year would have been Bruce Lee's 80th birthday. It's hard to imagine the famed martial artist as anything but a young man, but here's an awesome tribute that immortalizes Lee in his finest form.

This highly detailed, 1/4 scale 80th anniversary Bruce Lee Tribute Statue from Blitzway features a mixture of polystone, PVC, and fabric type elements that make this one of the realest looking Bruce figures in your collection. The statue stands about 21.5 inches tall, standing on a stylized base and a flag diorama.

But this one's only for the true Bruce fans -- it'll set you back $499. Pre-order it here.

Here are some more images: