3.08.2024

They Call Us Bruce 233: They Call Us Asians in Baseball

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 Kim Cooper and Scott Okamoto, co-hosts of the podcast Asians in Baseball, just in time for spring training. They discuss the current renaissance of Asian and Asian American players in Major League Baseball; becoming a baseball fan in this extraordinary moment; Shohei Otani's ass; the Lenn Sakata Fan Club; and the unifying love of Kim Ha-Seong. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of Asians in baseball.



3.01.2024

They Call Us Bruce 232: They Call Us Olivia Cheng and Dianne Doan

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 Olivia Cheng and Dianne Doan, stars of the badass action series Warrior (now on Netflix!). They talk about how the show has embodied the fighting spirit of Bruce Lee; some of the initial trepidation and concerns they had about their roles; and why Olivia is the Ginger Rogers of Warrior. Also: a guest appearance from Dianne's dog and why Olivia's early role as "Dim Sum Girl #1" actually completes an interesting full-circle moment.



2.27.2024

Get Your Official Stay Angry Hoodie

By request, we've put it on a hoodie.


The official "Stay Angry" shirt design is now available as a hoodie! It has been truly wonderful to see this shirt out the wild, rocked by awesome people. By request, we've put it on a hoodie. We've printed up a limited test run of this popular design, so get it while you can. Perfect for staying angry in cooler weather.

Illustrated by Irene Koh, the iconic design is printed on a lightweight, super-soft white, 52/48 Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton/polyester Bella + Canvas sponge fleece unisex pullover hoodie, with white drawcord, pouch pocket, ribbed cuffs and waistband. It's cozy, but not super bulky. I like to layer it under a jacket.

Get it here: Stay Angry Always Hoodie

2.26.2024

They Call Us Bruce 231: They Call Us Past Lives

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 Asia Society in New York City, Jeff welcomes newly minted Academy Award nominee Celine Song, writer/director of Past Lives. (Spoiler warning!) They discuss the real-life autobiographical moment that inspired her film's bilingual, bi-cultural center; telling a story about the people who hold and know the different parts of ourselves; and how things might have ended up differently for Nora and Hae Sung if they just had better tech and a stronger internet connection.



2.25.2024

Read These


Netflix Just Quietly Added the Best Martial Arts Epic You Haven't Seen
Max never truly knew what to do with Warrior, but the series will find a new audience on Netflix.

* * *

Asian Americans Are Often Invisible in Polling. That's Changing.
Polling Asian Americans while accurately reflecting the diverse difference in opinion within the community has traditionally been expensive. Few pollsters have made the investment, leaving Asian Americans without a voice in public opinion polls, which are seen as a key part of the democratic process. Without survey data, there’s little information about what issues matter to Asian Americans.

* * *

Lunar New Year traditions were abstract until my grandmother died
"Most years, I visit my family in Taiwan for Lunar New Year. And each trip, since I was very small, I have found myself before a family altar, with a stick of smoking incense in my hands, wondering exactly what I’m supposed to do, think or say...But something clicked during this year's trip to Taiwan."

* * *

The Divided Landscape of Indian American Politics
"You can tell that an ethnic group is really flourishing in the United States when they start to produce prominent xenophobes and racists, particularly of the anti-Black variety. The trajectory from victim to victimizer is one of the surest markers of upward social mobility... One of the few intriguing developments in the 2024 Republican primary is fresh evidence that Indian Americans -- or at least a significant cohort of them -- might join this longstanding trend."

* * *

Some Authors Were Left Out of Awards Held in China. Leaked Emails Show Why.
The Hugo Awards, a major literary prize for science fiction, have been engulfed in controversy over revelations that some writers may have been excluded based on their perceived criticism of China or the Chinese government. After weeks of suspicion in the science fiction community, newly released emails show that the awards were likely manipulated because of political concerns.

* * *

Ed Park's Korean-American Epic Blends Conspiracy and History
"Park is not writing a historical novel, hoping to dramatize some episode or series of episodes in the past. He is building an alternate history of Korea and its relationship to the United States in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, telling a story by mining and transforming the historical record. And it begins with a question that returns again and again, until it is almost like a chant in a protest: What is history?"

* * *

For Dallas Liu and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Zuko and Iroh's relationship 'was the most important thing'
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Dallas Liu, who play Iroh and Zuko in Netflix's new live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, were already huge fans of the original animated series when they were cast as the beloved uncle-nephew duo.

* * *

These Grandmas Are Going to the Oscars
In the documentary short Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, filmmaker Sean Wang chronicles the inner lives of his grandmothers, 96-year-old Yi Yan Fuei (Nǎi Nai) and 86-year-old Chang Li Hua (Wài Pó). Now, the film is nominated for an Academy Award.

2.22.2024

They Call Us Bruce 230: They Call Us Nai Nai & Wài Pó

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 Sean Wang, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary short Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, a love letter to his own grandmothers. He talks about making an unapologetically personal film about the everyday lives of these two extraordinary women, why Wài Pó wields a sword, and the amazing gift of getting to experience the film's success as a family. Also: The Good, The Bad, and WTFarts of making Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó.



2.16.2024

They Call Us Bruce 229: They Call Us The Most Asian Costco

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 ring in the Year of the Dragon and welcome back friend, journalist and fellow podcaster Ada Tseng to talk about her Los Angeles Times piece which asked and answered a very important question: Which are the "most Asian" Costcos in Southern California? They discuss why the wholesale chain holds a particular appeal for Asian American shoppers, the specialty items you can only find at the Most Asian Costcos, and the spiritual journey of purchasing Kirkland clothing. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of Costco.



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