Rest in Peace, Wai Ching Ho

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Wai Ching Ho, 'Daredevil' and 'Iron Fist' Actress, Dies at 82

Wai Ching Ho, best known for her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing crime boss Madame Gao in Daredevil, Iron Fist and The Defenders, has died. She was 82. Her Hollywood career spanned over forty years, with roles in Fresh Off the Boat, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, and Turning Red, among many others.

Most recently, Ms. Ho starred in the excellent narrative podcast Aunties. Written by Kevin Yee, and also starring Rosalind Chao and Lauren Tom, it's a fun comedy/mystery series that follows three Chinatown shopkeepers who secretly fight crime and gentrification. I highly recommend checking it out on Audible.

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What a subway ride with white supremacists taught me about America

"On the Fourth of July, while I was on my way to a party, I found myself riding a Washington Metro train surrounded by hundreds of masked white supremacists. A subway car is supposed to be one of society’s great equalizers. But it was the last place I expected to reflect on what it means to be an American."

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Dallas man sentenced after admitting anti-Asian bias motivated 2022 salon shooting

In Dallas, a man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to a hate crime for shooting three women inside a Korean-owned hair salon. 41-year-old Jeremy Theron Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon classified as a hate crime for firing more than a dozen rounds at Hair World Salon in Dallas' Koreatown in 2022. According to investigators, Smith had apparently "experienced delusions" that Asian people were trying to harm him.

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San Francisco Chinatown’s historic Great Star Theater seeks emergency funds to stay open

The Great Star Theater in San Francisco is asking for the public's support to stay afloat. The historic Chinatown theater launched a GoFundMe campaign this month seeking $45,000 in donations to cover essential operating expenses. The nonprofit venue, which celebrated its centennial last year, is described as the last remaining Chinese theater in any Chinatown in the United States.

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Gemma Chan Shares Update On Anna May Wong Biopic: "It's A Really Resonant Story"

Gemma Chan shares that her upcoming biopic on Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American movie star, is "still in development," with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi and playwright David Henry Hwang adapting Graham Russell Gao Hodges’ 2012 biography Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend.

They Call Us The Furious

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 actor, martial artist, and stuntman Brian Le of MartialClub, whose credits include Everything Everywhere All at Once, Paper Tigers, and this summer's gritty action thriller The Furious. He talks about his humble beginnings from watching kung fu flicks on bootleg VHS, to making YouTube videos with his brother Andy as self-taught action stars; getting to work with some of the world's best film fighters in The Furious -- and the steep learning curve of making action movies in Asia; and channeling his inner baby to play the unstoppable henchman Ho. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making The Furious.

They Call Us Asian American Voters

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 check in with Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), and Karthick Ramakrishnan, Executive Director of AAPI Data, to get a pulse on the upcoming midterm elections. They discuss the challenges of voter engagement — including new and ongoing barriers to voting (and how you can take action); significant data trends across Asian American and Pacific Islander voter demographics; some of the urgent issues affecting AAPI voters; and key races to keep an eye on that could shape the future of our democracy. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of the upcoming midterm elections.

They Call Us Noma's Kevin Jeung

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 Kevin Jeung, Chef of Research and Production at the legendary restaurant Noma -- named the World's Best Restaurant -- which is finishing up a 16-week residency in Los Angeles. He talks about neglecting to inform his parents when he dropped out of college to pursue cooking full time; the culinary experimentation (both failure and success, but mostly failure) that happens inside Noma's Fermentation Lab; and what the $1500 per seat menu actually looks and tastes like. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of doing a restaurant pop-up in Los Angeles.

We Are One Step Closer to "Bruce Lee Day" in California

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

California bill to create Bruce Lee Day heads to Gov. Newsom

In case you hadn't heard: we are one step closer to Bruce Lee Day. A plan to officially designate May 17 as Bruce Lee Day in California is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk after winning unanimous approval in the state. The bill would honor the martial arts icon's impact on film, culture and Chinese American history, and would make Lee the first Chinese American commemorated with a day in California.

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Eugene, Springfield Asian American households still may be targeted by burglary ring

Despite recent prosecutions of a burglary ring targeting Asian American business owners and households in Oregon, local law enforcement say there has been an increase in organized burglary activity, and Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander households in the Eugene and Springfield communities could still be at risk.

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@thesavbananas G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S😮‍💨 @Kelsie Whitmore #savannahbananas #bananaball #fergie #glamorous ♬ original sound - thesavbananas

Watch Savannah Bananas give Kelsie Whitmore legendary entrance with champagne and Fergie

You gotta smile at the Savannah Bananas giving pitcher Kelsie Whitmore, one of the baddest players in baseball, the glamorous entrance that she deserves, complete with champagne and Fergie. Already a veteran and trailblazer in the women's baseball, she was the first overall draft pick in the inaugural Women's Pro Baseball League, set to debut this year. So yeah, a fitting walk up, Bananas-style.

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'The Fast and the Furious' took the Asians out of an Asian American story

"Fans of modified Japanese import cars, like me, have a love-hate relationship with the $7 billion Fast and Furious franchise. On one hand, the movies helped popularize modified Japanese cars. People all over the world fell in love with them and the import car culture they publicized. On the other hand, the movies left out so, so much of the story."

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The Outer Threat

Constance Wu stars in the new sci-fi thriller The Outer Threat, in which the discovery of extraterrestrial life forces an astrophysicist and his family to flee from their home, pursued through the countryside by a relentless and anonymous danger. Their escape for their lives tests the limits between cosmic truth and paranoia. The Outer Threat hits digital platforms on July 10.

They Call Us Jenny Yang's Good Egg Immigrant Grocery Store Standup Comedy Tour

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 back comedian, writer, podcaster, and sister in rice Jenny Yang to catch up, kick off the summer, and spread the word about her Good Egg Immigrant Grocery Store Standup Comedy Tour, in which she jokes about growing up as a "good" immigrant kid, the importance of food to our cultures, and her own failed fertility journey. Jenny shares about the personal struggles that led her towards her first standup special and a nonprofit comedy tour benefitting immigrants rights organizations -- performed in immigrant grocery stores around the country. We're talking durian, bok choy, air conditioning, bad lighting, and Jenny's jokes. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of Jenny's fertility journey.

Senator Andy Kim Pepper Sprayed by ICE Agents

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

ICE agents pepper-spray protesters, N.J. senator in clash outside Delaney Hall in Newark

U.S. Senator Andy Kim was pepper sprayed by ICE agents during a protest outside the Delaney Hall immigrant detention facility in New Jersey. He was part of crowd of demonstrators responding to a hunger strike inside the Newark facility, organized by inmates in an effort to stop inhumane conditions, including poor-quality food and subpar medical care. Kim said he had trouble breathing after being caught in the cloud of pepper spray deployed by federal agents. "What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country," the senator said. "It's a sad day."

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BTS is releasing limited edition hotteok-flavored Oreos

So I guess this is happening! Global music stars BTS are partnering with Oreo, the world's #1 cookie, to create a limited edition Oreo & BTS cookie. Paying homage to the band's Korean roots, the cookie features a brown sugar pancake creme inspired by the street snack hotteok, on an original purple wafer (a first for Oreo) with 13 unique cookie embossments. Rolling out across more than 80+ countries, the Limited Edition OREO & BTS Cookies will be available for presale starting on June 1 before hitting retailers in the U.S. starting on June 8.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 2 | Official Trailer

In case you missed it, here's the official trailer for season two of Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We see the Aang Gaang is back, plus the introduction of fan-favorite Earthbender, Toph (Miyako). Season two continues Avatar Aang's quest to master the four elements to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. The highlight for me? Live action Joo Dee, assuring us that "there is no war in Ba Sing Se." (If you know, you know.)

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Feds say Colombian crew targeted Asian Americans in series of Oregon, Washington burglaries

Last week in Oregon, two men pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in a sophisticated burglary ring which targeted the homes of Asian American business owners in the Northwest. 34-year-old Derinson Martinez-Grandas and 27-year-old Steven Alexander Quiroga-Solano each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods. They were part of a group of at least suspects who burglarized four homes in early October 2025, staying in short-term rentals as they moved between cities and looked for potential victims, all of them Asian American small business owners in Oregon and Washington.

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MC Jin, Pacific Music Group Launch Family Style Records Imprint

Pacific Music Group has launched Family Style Records, a new hip hop imprint led by MC Jin, debuting alongside Jin’s new single, "Humble Flex," in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. The label launches with a four-act roster: MC Jin alongside Korean sibling duo Lil Cherry and Goldbuuda, 13-year-old Indonesian rapper Nada (Nada Askana), and Brooklyn-bred Chinese-American rapper Khantrast.