Fund This: Laos in the House

To promote storytelling within the Lao-American community through a writing, performing and filmmaking workshop



Everybodyyyy! Laos in the House! It's just fun to say. Laos in the House is a project to promote storytelling and document history within the Lao-American community through a writing, performing and filmmaking workshop. Working with artists in various genres from across the country, this community-based work will be presented during the Lao New Year celebration in April-May 2015 and reflect 40 years of the Lao-American diaspora.

The focus of Laos in the House will be Lao war refugees whose upbringings did not necessarily prioritize art education, while giving voice to previously unheard stories in hopes of healing the scars of war and beginning the process of regular intercultural and intergenerational exchanges. Watch this video for more information:

Poster Premiere: Awesome Asian Bad Guys

Attend the Hollywood premiere on Saturday, May 3 at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival



I am pleased to present the fresh-off-the-press poster for Awesome Asian Bad Guys. National Film Society's wacky action/comedy webseries celebrates some of your favorite no-name Asian character actors of yesteryear, mixing it up with Stephen Dypiangco, Patrick Epino and the rest of the awesome gang for an all-new hilarious adventure. Check out the full poster:

Reporter blames Vincent Chin for his own murder?

By Jenn Fang. Cross-posted from Reappropriate.

The tragic beating death of Vincent Chin 30 years ago, breathed life into the modern Asian-American political movement. I am a child born in a world without Vincent Chin.

Published days before 2014's Asian American Heritage Month opens, Neal Rubin (@nealrubin_dn) of the The Detroit News (one of the city's conservative papers) has written one of the most bizarre, incoherent and irresponsible stories to-date on the Vincent Chin murder.

Vincent Chin's brutal death at the hands of Detroit auto workers Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz 32 years ago remains a watershed moment in Asian American history. Faced with the unmistakable evidence that Chin's killing was a racially motivated hate crime, Asian Americans across the nation united across ethnic boundaries to seek justice for Chin's murder. Despite these efforts, both killers were sentenced to no jail time and a minimal fine for their parts in Chin's death.

Under the headline "What we all assume we know about the Vincent Chin case probably isn't so", Rubin rejected the documented facts. Instead, he penned today an alternate history: a weird screed so sensationalized, incoherent, and libelous that it seems more appropriate for the pages of a tabloid magazine than a newspaper of any repute. In so doing, Rubin reopens for Asian Americans the painful memory of a traumatizing miscarriage of justice, and pours salt into the wound with unfounded hearsay.

To say that the Asian American community is outraged would be an understatement.

Serve The People Institute Inaugural Event

Friday, May 2 at the Japanese American National Museum



The Serve the People Institute is a community-driven organization that is working to document the organizing and activism of the Asian American Movement in L.A. from the 1960s through the 80s. If you're in Los Angeles, the Japanese American National Museum is hosting SPI's inaugural event happening Friday, May 2. There will be performances and speakers, including Nobuko Miyamoto, Atomic Nancy, and many more:

Eating Cultures: A Deliciously Provocative Art Exhibition

May 1-30 at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco



San Francisco! Eat up. The multidisciplinary art exhibition, Eating Cultures, is coming your way all of May. Featuring over thirty APA artists, this exhibition explores Asian American food and foodways to talk about migration, adaptation, and the central importance of food in Asian communities around the world. It's all going down at the SOMArts Cultural Center starting May 1, with some special events happening throughout the month:

Read These Blogs

Oppression at NU: "We are not all ONE Northwestern, and it's about time we talk about it." Students at my alma mater have launched a website and gallery to share the stories and experiences of marginalized community members at Northwestern University.

For Comic Hari Kondabolu, Explaining The Joke IS The Joke: Standup comedian Hari Kondabolu recently talked to the venerable Terry Gross on the public radio interview institution Fresh Air.

No Right Turn: The Surprising Truth About Asian Americans and Affirmative Action: Before you get caught up forecasting what Asian American involvement in the defeat of SCA5 could mean for partisan politics, Scot Nakagawa has a few things for you to consider.

Did Korean American graffiti artist David Choe confess to rape on podcast? On a recent episode of his podcast, artist David Choe recounted his latest "sexual conquest" -- one that sounds disturbingly close to rape.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Avril Lavigne's latest single is called "Hello Kitty." The music video is as bad as you could imagine.

2. Kristina Wong wants reparations for Yellow Fever

3. Is this man the Desi Walter White?

4. Teen suspended for asking Miss America to the prom

5. #1 Beauty Nail Salon

6. Forbidden City, USA: Chinese American Nightclubs, 1936-1970

7. Man arrested in hate crime attack on Sikh professor

8. Watch the trailer premiere for 'A Picture of You'

9. Steven Yeun to voice animated 'Chew' adaptation

10. Paul Lo sworn in as nation's first Hmong American judge

See you next week at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Join the Angry Asian Film Club at the 30th LAAPFF

Proud Media Sponsor of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, May 1-11



Los Angeles film fans! I remind you once again the 30th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival kicks off Thursday, May 1 with the Opening Night Gala presentation of the feature documentary To Be Takei, a look at the life and career of actor/activist/icon George Takei. But that's only the beginning...

The festival has an awesome lineup. If you're looking for some tips on what to check out, I invite you to join me for the Angry Asian Film Club, our third annual selection of LAAPFF programs that I've picked out and highlighted for you, the good readers of this blog. I'll be hosting some of the screenings and leading Q&As with the filmmakers. Basically, check out the list, grab a few friends and let's watch some movies together.

Here are my program picks. I've seen a few of these films, but most are just interesting-looking films I picked out of the schedule, and I'm taking an educated chance on. Join me, won't you? I'll be leading the post-screening Q&A with the respective cast and crew at the following screenings.

Angry Reader of the Week: Ju Hong

It's on, my friends. You know what time it is. It's time 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 Ju Hong, the new Mr. Hyphen.

You're invited to the LA premiere of Awesome Asian Bad Guys

Star-studded screening on Saturday, May 3 at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival



All right. This is for all my people in Southern California. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is proud to present the Hollywood premiere of Awesome Asian Bad Guys, the new action/comedy web series from National Film Society. I have the pleasure of being an executive producer on this project, and I'm excited to share the fun with friends, film fans and the festival community.

Filmmaking duo Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as Stephen and Patrick, down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of Asian American heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord. The series is an homage to your favorite nameless Asian movie character actors of the 1980s and 90s.

Here's the teaser trailer again:

Kristina Wong wants reparations for Yellow Fever

Watch her tear shit up on Myx TV's reality series 'I'm Asian American and...'



I adore Kristina Wong. From the moment I met her, I've admired Kristina for being fierce, funny and utterly fearless as a performance artist, provocateur, and friend. So I was quite pleased to hear that she's being featured on Myx TV's new reality TV show, I'm Asian American and..., a documentary series focused on the diverse Asian American diaspora. Yes, Kristina Wong... reality television star. And she destroys it.

The episode title alone should get you watching. In "I'm Asian American and... I Want Reparations For Yellow Fever," Kristina sets her target on guys with an Asian fetish. It's pretty darn marvelous. Take a look:

Priscilla Ahn's 'This Is Where We Are' Tour

See Priscilla on the road in support of her latest album



You all know that I adore singer/songwriter Priscilla Ahn. And I've been enjoying the heck out of her latest album, This Is Where We Are, which has been out for a few months. This time around, she's infused her ethereal vocals and sweet folk-pop melodies with a supercool electro-pop sound. I love it.

Here's the music video for her single "Home":

Steven Yeun to voice animated 'Chew' adaptation

Animated feature based on the popular comic book series



Boom. Some hella cool news for ya fanboys... We've been following the rocky attempts to adapt the popular comic book Chew for television, but it looks like the project is going in a different direction -- an animated feature. And it will star the voices of The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun and The Guild's Felicia Day.

'Walking Dead' Actor Steven Yeun, Felicia Day Voicing Comic Adaptation 'Chew' (Exclusive)

Chew follows the adventures of Tony Chu, a "cibopath" detective who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Which means if he's investigating a murder, a bite of the victim's corpse -- yes, ew -- will do the fast detective work of figuring out how he died and who killed him. The award-winning series, co-created by John Layman and Rob Guillory, and published by Image Comics, is craazy weird fun.

Steven Yeun will provide the voice of Detective Tony Chu, while Felicia Day will voice his love interest, food critic Amelia Mintz. Pretty darn perfect casting, I think.

Join the campaign to release the #ElPaso37

More than thirty Punjabi asylum seekers remain in ICE custody without due process



In Texas, more than forty Sikh men from India -- members of a minority political party from the Punjab region -- have been detained since spring of 2013 at the El Paso Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. They fled their home country seeking asylum from persecution, only to find themselves languishing in custody here in the United States without due process for nearly a year.

Earlier this month, 37 of the detainees -- dubbed the #ElPaso37 -- initiated a hunger strike in protest of continued denials of their rights to due process. The ended after ten days, with several hospitalizations, amid promises from ICE that the detainees' paperwork would finally move forward. But so far over thirty detainees still remained in custody in El Paso.

18 Million Rising has launched a campaign to increase pressure on ICE to release these detainees and call attention to their plight. Starting today, 18MR has partnered with United We Dream to kick off a three-day protest, during which community members, activists, and organizers from across the country will inundate ICE with phone calls expressing concern about and demanding the release of the #ElPaso37.

Want to participate? Here's what to do:

Rhythms and Sounds: Celebrating Our #APIVOICES

Friday, April 25 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center



Hey, Oakland. On Friday, April 25, come to the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for Rhythm and Sounds show, with local API performers sharing their craft on stage. The theme is "Celebrating our #APIVoices" and showcases artists who won a recent video contest held by the OACC. The event is free and open to the public. More info, including a list of performers:

Lawsuit says police aided Little Saigon loan shark

Business owner alleges Westminster cops provided "muscle" for loan shark



Loan sharks. Corrupt cops. Threats. Intimidation. There was something shady going down in Little Saigon, and one local business owner wasn't going to take it anymore. According to a federal lawsuit filed against the Westminster police department, a loan shark used cops as enforcers to shake down a local businesswoman.

Lounge owner sues Westminster police in loan shark claim

Hanh Le says she was victimized in a loan shark operation organized by Kevin Khanh Tuan Do, the owner of a construction firm, over $170,000 he allegedly lent her to open and run a Little Saigon lounge, charging 60% annual interst. The lawsuit alleges that police officers formed a "team" to provide muscle for Do.

According to Le, multiple officers harassed and intimidated her, pulling her over on bogus traffic stops and showing up and her lounge unannounced, pushing her to pay the monthly installments.

Forbidden City, USA: Chinese American Nightclubs, 1936-1970

Arthur Dong's new book chronicles the era of the Chinese American nightclub scene



This kind of stuff blows my mind. If you want to talk about pioneers in Asian American entertainment... Arthur Dong's new book, Forbidden City, USA: Chinese American Nightclubs, 1936-1970, is a fascinating look at the Chinese American nightclub scene, which peaked in San Francisco during World War II.

With previously unpublished personal stories, and a treasure trove of vintage images and rare artifacts, the book is an insightful chronicle of this little-known era of Asian American nightclubs and performers, circa 1930s and 40s, who defied multiple barriers to pursue their showbiz dreams.

#1 Beauty Nail Salon

Spoken word written and performed by Paul Tran



Sharing this thoughtful and powerfully simple spoken word video, #1 BEAUTY NAIL SALON. Written and performed by award-winning poet Paul Tran, and directed by Jess X Chen, the piece offers provocative personal and political take on the Vietnamese beauty salon industry. Take a look:

Avril Lavigne's latest single is called "Hello Kitty." The music video is as bad as you could imagine.

Gwen Stefani was doing this sh*t like ten years ago.



Oh, come on. Avril Lavigne is back, and is the latest pop star to take part in the time-honored tradition of cultural appropriation, taking a big dip into a silly approximation of kawaii aesthetic. The video for the craptastic tune, "Hello Kitty," features four expressionless Asian backup dancers (of course), a trip to the sushi chef, and a stroll down a Japanese street, complete with giggling schoolgirls -- cuz all that sh*t is soooo Japaneeeeeeese:

White House to honor "Champions of Change" for Affordable Care Act outreach to AAPIs

Recognition honors eleven community leaders' work to educate AAPIs about access to health care

This week, the White House and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will honor eleven advocates and community leaders as "Champions of Change" for their work to educate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders about the Affordable Care Act.

The event, to be held at the White House this Thursday, April 24, will celebrate the leadership, commitment, and hard work of navigators, consumer assisters, community health centers, and other individuals or organizations that have focused on ensuring that AAPIs fully benefit from health reform.

Some facts about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders and health care access: One in four Korean Americans is uninsured; nearly 40% of Asian American women over the age of 40 haven't had a routine mammogram; one in four Asian Americans over the age of 18 -- and one in three Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders -- have not seen a doctor in the last year.

Thursday's event will recognize outreach and education efforts to provide nearly two million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with quality, affordable health care. Here are the Champions of Change -- special shout out to my old friend Priscilla Huang, Policy Director for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

8th Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference

Saturday, April 26 at NYU Kimmel Center



Heads up, New York! This Saturday, April 26, is the 8th Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference. The theme this years is "Roots," focusing on how history shapes our contemporary understandings of the APA community. Network and workshop with locally based speakers and performers and help build solidarity and initiative both within the APA community and beyond. Here's more info:

Internships at the Japanese American National Museum

Apply for a paid summer internship position with JANM in Los Angeles

Hey students! Internship opportunities! If you're going to be in Los Angeles this summer, and you would like to work in a world-class museum, the Japanese American National Museum is looking for qualified individuals to fill a number of paid internship vacancies.

Take particular note of the Exhibitions Internship. You'll get to work directly on JANM's upcoming major exhibition "Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty." Yes, they're putting together an exhibit dedicated to Hello Kitty, and you'd get to help!

Here are some more details about the positions:

Shanghai Restoration Project on 'Last Call with Carson Daly'

Dave Liang interviewed on NBC's late night show



Awesome! My friend Dave Liang, the musician/producer behind The Shanghai Restoration Project, recently appeared on NBC's Last Call With Carson Daly. Wait, what is that? If you don't know, then you obviously haven't been up watching NBC past 1:30 in the morning. Oh, but I have. In this segment, Dave talks about the process of combining traditional Chinese instruments with hip hop and electronica to create his unique sound.

Check it out:

Paul Lo sworn in as nation's first Hmong American judge

Judge Lo takes his spot on the Merced County Superior Court bench



Last week in California, the Merced County Superior Court swore in its newest judge to the bench and made history. Paul Lo is the first person of Hmong descent to become a judge in the United States.

Merced County's Paul Lo becomes first Hmong judge in U.S.

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Lo, a veteran attorney, to the Superior Court bench in late December.

On Friday, in front of packed audience of family, friends and community members at The Merced Theatre, Lo took the oath of office, put on his official judge's robe, and shared the emotional story of his family and the people who paved the path for him to become the first Hmong American judge:

Watch the trailer premiere for 'A Picture of You'

Writer/director J.P. Chan's feature film debut



Check it out! This is the exclusive trailer premiere for A Picture of You, the new indie drama/comedy from writer/director J.P. Chan, starring Andrew Pang, Jo Mei and Jodi Long. J.P. has directed a number of award-winning shorts over the years, but this is first feature, and it's great.

Estranged siblings Kyle and Jen travel from New York City to rural Pennsylvania to pack up the home of their recently deceased mother. While there, they inadvertently make a shocking discovery that turns their world upside-down. It's a funny little drama about loss, family, secrets, making up and moving on.

Here's the trailer:

Teen suspended for asking Miss America to the prom

Patrick Farves disrupted a school assembly with an invitation for beauty queen Nina Davuluri



It was cute. Maybe a little obnoxious. This guy probably had to know, realistically, he wasn't going to get a "yes" when he asked Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri to the prom at a school assembly. But hey, YOLO, or whatever the kids are saying these days. Alas, no date... and the stunt got him suspended.

High Schooler Suspended for Inviting Miss America To Prom

He knew he'd get in trouble. Administrators warned 18-year-old Patrick Farves not to make a scene when Davuluri visited Central York High School in Pennsylvania last week. But that didn't stop him from inviting the beauty queen to his senior prom during the Q&A session. It earned him three days suspension.

But while Davuluri's travel schedule will not allow her to attend Central York High's prom, Miss America is kind, and appealed to school officials to rethink the suspension. She issued the following statement on the official Miss America Facebook page:

Is this man the Desi Walter White?

Cops discover sophisticated meth lab in million-dollar lakefront home


Not an actual photo of the suspected meth lab
Asians behaving badly... meth lab edition! This is some Breaking Bad-esque news out of Ohio, where authorities busted a methamphetamine lab last week being operated out of a man's lavish lakefront home.

51-year-old Madhu Dutta, who lives alone (and apparently makes drugs) in a million-dollar home in Sheffield Lake, is charged with possession of precursors or chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine, manufacture of methamphetamine and permitting drug abuse in real estate.

He also apparently has a pretty good grasp of chemistry. According to the lorain County Drug Task Force, Dutta's setup -- a "thionyl method" methamphetamine lab -- is unique and the first of its type in the state.

Man arrested in hate crime attack on Sikh professor

20-year-old suspect charged in assault on Prabhjot Singh



In New York City, a suspect was arrested in the hate crime beating of Sikh Columbia University professor Prabhjot Singh, who was harassed and brutally assaulted while walking on the street last year.

Hate Crime Charge in NY Attack on Sikh Professor

20-year-old Christian Morales was booked on aggravated harassment charges as a hate crime in connection with the September 21, 2013 assault on Singh, who wears a turban and a long beard as an observant Sikh.

According to police, Morales was one of several young men on bicycles who surrounded Singh in upper Manhattan and called him "terrorist" and "Osama" before punching him in the face and pulling on his beard.

According to police, he is the only person in custody, but the investigation is still ongoing.

Read These Blogs

Chinatown Sartorialist: Valerie Luu and Andria Lo make their way through the streets of San Francisco's Chinatown, interviewing senior residents about their awesome fashion choices.

I Can't Believe I Now Have To Convince White People That I Like White People: White people, could you please stop flipping out when the topic of white privilege comes up? A message from Kristina Wong.

What I learned in My First Year as a Female Startup CEO: Yunha Kim, CEO of the San Francisco-based startup Locket, shares her top 3 pros and cons of being a woman in tech.

Carjacking victim describes his life one year after Tsarnaev encounter: One year later, meet the guy known as Danny, the 27-year-old carjacking victim whose poise under pressure saved his own life and helped bring the alleged Boston Marathon bombers to justice.

Model Minority Suicide: Five Reasons, Five Ways: "For Asian Americans, killing the myth requires destroying the veil of elevated expectations and assumptions that surround us to reveal the real face of our richly diverse communities and experiences. I call it model minority suicide."

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Boston University student found dead in dorm room

2. If you needed a reason to lock your windows and doors...

3. The Curious Case of the Racist Swan

4. Baz Luhrmann in talks to direct movie adaptation of 'Kung Fu'

5. Angry Asian America Episode 3: "Never Go Full Geisha"

6. Bruce Lee lives! As a video game character.

7. Angry Reader of the Week: Young Laura Kwon

8. Most Awesome Photo Ever: A Girl and Her Eagle

9. Musician and activist Fred Ho dies at 56

10. Call For Proposals: AAPI Voices, a new data journalism and storytelling venture

Stay Angry, my friends.

30th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Presented by Visual Communications, May 1-11



Heads up and make plans, Los Angeles film fans. This is a big one. I want to personally invite you to join me at the 2014 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications. The 30th anniversary festival, featuring a lineup of 143 films and running May 1-11, is a celebration of cinema, storytelling and community. Between a packed schedule of narratives, documentaries, shorts, parties, panels and other special programming, there's definitely something for everyone...

Angry Reader of the Week: Young Laura Kwon

All right, folks. Gather 'round, because I've got someone you should meet. It's 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 Young Laura Kwon.

Most Awesome Photo Ever: A Girl and Her Eagle

Meet 13-year-old Ashol-Pan, badass Mongolian eagle huntress



Thanks to all the folks who sent this photo my way... because it is awesome. Meet 13-year-old Ashol-Pan, a typical smiling, sweet and shy girl from western Mongolia... who happens to know how to hunt with a freaking eagle. Perhaps the country's only eagle huntress. And she's apparently damn good at it too.

A 13-year-old eagle huntress in Mongolia

Ashol-Pan, the daughter of a celebrated hunter, is the lone girl amidst a tradition of Kazakh boys who start learning how to use golden eagles to hunt for foxes and hares at the age of 13. She is f**king fierce!

We demand the release of the El Paso 37

Sign the petition in support of Punjabi asylum seekers unjustly detained in Texas



Calling your attention to this petition from 18 Million Rising that could use your support...

In June 2013, more than forty Punjabi men -- all of them members of a minority political party -- fled India because they feared for their lives. Their journey brought them to the United States where they hoped to find safety and freedom. But they did not find asylum they had hoped for.

Instead, these asylum seekers have been trapped in Texas at the El Paso Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. Despite proving their identities and certifying their reasons for asylum, they have been detained indefinitely by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department.

Now thirty-seven of these unlawfully detained Punjabi men -- the "El Paso 37" -- are on a hunger strike. Some of the hunger strikers have been hospitalized, and many others are in danger. But they've made it clear that they're not ending the strike until they're released.

Sign this statement and tell ICE to release these asylum seekers immediately:

The Curious Case of the Racist Swan

The swan at the University of Warwick apparently only attacks ethnic minority students



You can file this one under weird, courtesy of the United Kingdom... Students at the University of Warwick in Coventry have apparently been under attack by a campus swan. But not just any swan -- a racist swan.

White wing supremacist: swan attacks foreign students

University officials recently erected a fence around a lake to stop the resident swan from attacking passing students. The weird thing is, the swan only seems to be attacking foreign students. This is what is actually being reported. The angry (ahem) white swan only appears to attack Indian and other minority students.

If you needed a reason to lock your windows and doors...

Surveillance video captures burglar hovering over sleeping toddler's crib in the middle of the night



Here's a creepy story that will have you double-checking your locks at night... In Katy, Texas, a family's security cameras caught a burglar breaking in and creeping through their house undetected -- stopping to hang out in the bedroom of a toddler -- while everyone was sound asleep.

Intruder creeps through toddler's room, hovers over crib

The teenage burglar, who slipped through an unlocked first-story window, is seen in surveillance footage sneaking through the house, going room to room, and spending five minutes walking in and out of the bedroom of the family's 2-year-old boy. Thinh Le and the rest of the family slept through the whole thing.

Here's the surveillance video:

Kaya Press presents Mehfil Massive

Wednesday, April 23 at USC's Bovard Auditorium



Los Angeles! The good folks at Kaya Press are bringing you Mehfil Massive: South Asian Religions Remixed Through Poetry and Music on Wednesday, April 23 at USC's Bovard Auditorium.

South Asian artists from around the country and from India are coming to share one stage and celebrate National Poetry Month. The event is free! Check out this rad trailer:

Apply to SAALT's 2014 Young Leaders Institute

Leadership opportunity for undergraduate students, July 18-20 in Washington DC



SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) is seeking 15-20 outstanding, diverse young leaders to join the 2014 Young Leaders Institute. Selected candidates will join other undergraduate students from across the United States this summer, July 18-20, for training in Washington, DC.

Institute participants will explore key issues affecting South Asians in the United States. This year's institute will focus on LGBTQ justice and allyship. You'll learn about social change movements and the intersections of identity and power, and develop leadership skills and resources to become agents of change.

Here's some more information:

Angry Asian America Episode 3: "Never Go Full Geisha"

With co-host Jenny Yang and guests Andrew Fung and Tess Paras



Proud to present the freshly released latest edition of Angry Asian America, my talk show with ISAtv. In Episode 3, co-host Jenny Yang and I are joined by Andrew Fung of the Fung Bros. and actress Tess Paras to have a lively little discussion. We talk about geishas, martial arts and other Asian-y things that may or may not get inappropriately appropriated. Check it out:

Vijay Seshadri wins Pulitzer Prize in poetry for '3 Sections'

First Asian American to be awarded the Pulitzer for poetry



Congratulations to Indian American poet Vijay Seshadri, who has been awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for his collection 3 Sections. According to The Aerogram, Seshadri holds the distinction of being the first Asian American win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

Indian-Origin Poet Wins Prestigious Pulitzer

The 98th Pulitzer Prizes, considered one of the most prestigious awards in journalism, were announced on Monday. In awarding Seshadri's volume of original verse, the Pulitzer Prize committee described 3 Sections as "a compelling collection of poems that examine human consciousness, from birth to dementia, in a voice that is by turns witty and grave, compassionate and remorseless."

As part of the award, Mr. Seshadri wins $10,000, a certificate and eternal bragging rights.

Here's Seshadri talking about what winning the Pulitzer means to him:

Serve the People 2.0: Asian American Activism & Organizing for the 21st Century!

April 17 & 18 at the International Hotel in San Francisco



San Francisco, it's time to serve the people. This April 17 and 18, come up to the historic International Hotel Manilatown Center for Serve the People 2.0: Asian American Activism and Organizing for the 21st Century!. Join community organizations, students, and scholars for a two-day conversation about what's happening locally and nationally in the Asian American Movement. Here's more info:

Watch a limited sneak preview of 'Nice Girls Crew' Season 2!

Enter to win a 'Nice Girls Crew' Book Club Kit!



Nice Girls Crew is back! Three best frenemies in the best book club ever -- Lynn Chen, Michelle Krusiec and Sheetal Sheth -- are back for a second season of the hit comedy webseries, created/written by Christine Kwon and directed/written by Tanuj Chopra. Watch it online starting April 28.

In season two of Nice Girls Crew, the book club moves their shenanigans to Sophie's house where we meet Geraldine's mom (the legendary Tsai Chin) and Leena's hot new love interest. There are motivational speeches, literary re-enactments and deadly games of survival.

To celebrate the impending new season, we're doing a sweet giveaway of NGC goodies. To find out how to win, scroll down below. But first, who wants to see a totally awesome sneak preview of Nice Girls Crew?

Freaking Sneak Preview! For a limited time! From now until Thursday, April 17, you can watch all five episodes of Nice Girls Crew Season 2 in advance of the official premiere. Whaaaaat. Watch it now. Right now:

Boston University student found dead in dorm room

No indications of foul play

Damn. More tragic news out of Boston about the apparent suicide of an Asian American student... On Monday morning, a Boston University student was found dead in his dorm room. News stories aren't quite calling it a suicide yet, but reporting seems to indicate that the victim took his own life.

ENG Student Found Dead in Dorm Room

19-year-old Kevin Lee, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, was found dead in his room by a university employee during well-being check. Lee's family expressed concern when they couldn't reach him and asked Residence Life to check up on him.

According to Boston Police, there are no indications of foul play.

Pacific Arts Movement's 4th Annual Spring Showcase

April 17-24 at UltraStar Mission Valley



San Diegooo! We've got some films for you to watch. Our friends at Pacific Arts Movement present the 4th Annual Spring Showcase, a presentation of eleven dynamic films from nine countries from Asia and beyond. They've got a pretty darn sweet lineup of films this year, so make plans, bring a friend and catch some cinema. It runs April 17-24 at UltraStar Mission Valley. Watch the Spring Showcase trailer:

Call For Proposals: AAPI Voices, a new data journalism and storytelling venture

Calling all bloggers journalists, data nerds and storytellers

Freelance writers! Spreading word about an awesome new venture for fellow AAPI journalists, data nerds and storytellers... AAPI Voices is a brand new, experimental "data journalism and storytelling" platform developed jointly by AAPIdata.com and 18 Million Rising that will develop and feature data-inspired feature writing and provocative short pieces relating to AAPI communities and AAPI experiences.

Launched just in time for APA Heritage Month, the goal is to harness both the power of compelling data and the storytelling talent of AAPI journalist, blogger and academic communities, to inspire more news coverage and public understanding of key aspects and features of our growing and changing AAPI populations.

They're currently seeking proposals. Here are some more details about the project:

Baz Luhrmann in talks to direct movie adaptation of 'Kung Fu'

But who will play Kwai Chang Caine?



Dude. No. Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, the guy behind The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge, is reportedly in talks to direct a big screen adaptation of the 1970s martial arts western television show Kung Fu.

Baz Luhrmann in Talks to Direct 'Kung Fu' for Legendary

The hit show, which aired on ABC from 1972 to 1975, followed the adventures of Kwai Chang Chaine, a biracial Shaolin monk who roamed the American west in search of his half brother, righting wrongs along the way.

For many, Kung Fu will likely be remembered as the show originally conceived as a star vehicle for Bruce Lee, only to see him replaced for a more audience-friendly Caucasian lead actor. How freaking cool would it have been to see Bruce in that role? Alas, all this show gave us was the bitter legacy of yellowface.

This movie script has apparently moved the story to China, with Caine in search of his father.

Bruce Lee lives! As a video game character.

Legendary martial artist to appear as fighter in UFC game



His movie career may have been cut short, but Bruce Lee's global legacy has been immeasurable. And soon, gamers will be able to battle Bruce in the Octagon. EA Sports will pay homage to the legendary martial artist by bringing him to life as a mystery fighter in an upcoming UFC video game.

Bruce Lee is EA Sports UFC's mystery fighter

Last week, EA Sports announced that Bruce Lee, who is often called the original mixed martial artist, will appear in EA Sports UFC. Players will be able to unlock Bruce Lee in flyweight, bantam weight, featherweight and lightweight divisions by finishing the game's career mode on pro difficulty or higher.

Here's the trailer where you can get a brief glimpse of Bruce in the game:

Musician and activist Fred Ho dies at 56

Trailblazing saxophonist passes after a years-long battle with cancer.



Composer, saxophonist, writer and radical activist Fred Ho, best known for his avant-garde music, outspoken political views and iconoclastic style, died on Saturday at his home in Brooklyn. He was 56.

Fred Ho, Creative Activist and Musician, Dies at 56

Ho died after a lengthy battle with colorectal cancer, which he had been publicly "at war" with since 2006. He was an accomplished jazz musician with a dozen operas and several albums to his name, and is credited with helping to pioneer an Asian American music genre. He was also a published author, lecturer and activist.

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Stay Angry, my friends.