Stir-Friday Night Presents Turn Down Pho Wok

A Sketch Comedy Revue, Saturdays at Theater Wit, September 13 - October 11



Hey, Chicago! Stir-Friday Night is one of the nation's premier Asian American comedy troupes. Established in 1995, SFN is an ensemble made up of Asian American actors, writers, and improvisers. From now until October 11, you can catch their latest sketch comedy revue, Turn Down Pho Wok, at Theater Wit.

Here's more info:

'Selfie' premieres on ABC tonight

Starring John Cho and Karen Gillan in contemporary retelling of 'My Fair Lady'



It's here. John Cho fans, get on this. Selfie premieres tonight. While the pilot episode hit the web a couple of weeks ago, the comedy officially premieres on ABC tonight. Starring John Cho and Karen Gillan, the show is a contemporary re-imagining of My Fair Lady. The show is significant, as many have noted, because it features an Asian American leading man front and center in the Henry Higgins role.

Selfie follows Eliza Dooley, who has 263,000 followers hanging on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But one lonely day she has a revelation: being friended is not the same as having actual friends. She asks marketing guru Henry to 'rebrand' her self-obsessed reputation and teach her how to connect with people in the real world.

Here's a video clip introducing Eliza and Henry:

'Crouching Tiger' sequel to premiere exclusively on Netflix

Martial arts drama stars Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen



Between original content like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, Netflix has been making some big moves, and its latest distribution deal could be a gamechanger. The pay service has struck a deal with The Weinstein Company to release its first major feature film: the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Netflix Sets 'Crouching Tiger 2' As 1st Feature; Hollywood's Nightmare?

According to Deadline, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Destiny, described as "sort of a sequel" to Ang Lee's critically-acclaimed 2000 martial arts epic, will premiere exclusively on Netflix's subscriber-based video streaming service. The film will also simultaneously open IMAX theaters on August 28, 2015.

The Green Destiny, directed by Yuen Wo-Ping, stars Michelle Yeoh and Donnie, is based on the fifth book in the Crane-Iron Petalogy by Wang Du Lu. (Crouching Tiger was based on the four book in the series.) Yeoh is reprising her role as Yu Shu-Lien. Ang Lee has no involvement in the project.

Beau Sia: New Writings and Vintage Tales

Thursday, October 2 at GR2

Hey, folks. If you're in Los Angeles, and care to venture to the wild west side, come out to a reading with poet Beau Sia, presented by Giant Robot. Beau will read from his book The Undisputed Greatest Writer of All Time, as well as new poems from his upcoming book Fuck Me. It's happening this Thursday, October 2 at GR2.

Here are some more details about the reading:

Jeremy Lin & Wong Fu Productions imagine "Lindorsements"

Also: Jeremy throws the first pitch at Dodgers Stadium



At the height of the era we affectionately call "Linsanity," basketball sensation Jeremy Lin reportedly turned down tens of millions of dollors in potential endorsement opportunities. Fast forward to 2014. Now that Jeremy has moved on to Los Angeles and joined the Lakers, what sort of endorsement deals is he looking at?

Jeremy recently teamed up with Wong Fu Productions to imagine himself as the star of various ad campaigns, poking fun at the Most Interesting Man in the World, Chris Paul's Cliff Paul commercials, Richard Sherman's Beats ad... and other endorsement indignities. Plus a surprise appearance from a fellow Laker.

Check it out:

Fox News guest apologizes for comments about internment

"I want to issue a sincere apology for my remarks... which I believe were unfortunately misinterpreted."



Hear that? It's squeaky, clunky sound of a backpedal. Over the weekend, Fox News guest Jonathan Hoenig apologized for comments he made citing the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II as an example of measures that led to the United States winning the war -- an argument he made on Cashin' In in support of the profiling of Muslim Americans today as a measure to combat terrorism.

Fox News Guest Apologizes for Internment Camp Comments

Hoenig's remarks on the matter are full of all kinds of bullshit, and sparked a fairly fiery response from a number of Asian American and Japanese American politicians and community organizations -- representing the community that, you know, actually had to endure the injustice of internment. Congressman Mike Honda called Hoenig's comments nothing less than "inexcuseabe" and "idiotic and insensitive."

On Saturday, Cashin' In took a moment for Hoenig to offer an on-air apology for his comments:

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Literally Marginalized: Nonwhite People at the Edges of TV Cast Photos: "It's fall TV premiere time! ... And if there's one thing network TV loves, it's white people. White people solving crimes, white people falling in love, white people just learning a lot about themselves. But TV loves nonwhite people too. Specifically, it loves them to stand back and to the side. A little further. Fuuurrrther. There we go."

The Screen-Dad Diaries Episode Two: Eagle, Helicopter, Anchor : Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Yang shares his latest update from Hollywood, where he has been learning the ropes of being Screen Dad to kid actor son Hudson Yang, star of the ABC sitcom Fresh Off The Boat.

Forty Days of Pasta: TV Writer Thomas Reyes purchased a Never Ending Pasta Pass -- entitling him to eat unlimited pasta at Olive Garden for seven weeks -- and is blogging about it. Heaven help him.

Jeremy Lin Says He Spurned Millions of Dollars in Linsanity Era : Jeremy Lin said he left tens of millions of dollars on the table by not accepting the endorsement opportunities he was offered during the height of the "Linsanity" era in New York two years ago.

Why Our Movements Need #InternetFreedom: Media maker, artist, and activist Betty Yu makes a case for net neutrality to counter corporate-controlled media, and the Internet's role in helping level the playing field.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Fox News panelist argues internment camps were justified

2. Asians! Have you told your parents "I love you"?

3. Family of three killed in Flushing murder-suicide

4. Clara Hong is one to watch on 'The Voice'

5. Statement from Grace Lee Boggs' Bedside

6. Former Navy corpsman awarded Silver Star for valor

7. Angry Reader of the Week: JJ Fong

8. Who is the Senator Who Called Kirsten Gillibrand "Chubby"?

9. Do You Know Bruce?

10. The ladies of 'Flat3' are back for season three

Stay Angry, my friends.

Angry Reader of the Week: JJ Fong

"A frustrated, poor, broken, loopy free thinking artist."



Hello, my friends. Back at you with another edition of 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 JJ Fong.

Volunteer for Be The Change 2014

SAALT's annual national day of service, October 4



Are you ready to be the change? You are invited to participate in the 14th annual Be The Change, a national day of service coordinated by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) to inspire and foster civic engagement and stronger communities through volunteerism and community service.

Every year, thousands of participants across the country collectively contribute numerous hours of community service in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi's famous challenge, "Be the Change you wish to see in the world." This year's Be the Change events will take place in cities all around the U.S. on October 4, unless otherwise noted.

Here are some more details about Be The Change:

Sign up to help defend voting rights for Asian Americans

Volunteer as a poll monitor on Election Day

Do you want to help defend voting rights for Asian Americans?

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is looking for volunteers to help monitor upcoming midterm elections for bilingual ballots under the federal Voting Rights Act and to document instances of anti-Asian voter disenfranchisement.

Volunteers Needed On Election Day, Nov. 4, 2014

They're looking for volunteers in to work 3-hour shifts on Election Day at polls in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. There will be a 90-minute training session for all volunteers.

Here's schedule of AALDEF's poll monitoring trainings:

The ladies of 'Flat3' are back for season three

Watch the third and final season of New Zealand's indie cult comedy webseries



They're baaaaack! The ladies of Flat3 are back for a third and final season of New Zealand's indie cult comedy webseries. Co-written and directed by Roseanne Liang, and starring JJ Fong, Perlina Lau and Ally Xue, Flat3 follows the misadventures of flatmates Lee, Jessica and Perlina as they try to figure out "who they are, what they’re doing in this life, and whose turn it is to buy toilet paper." That third part is very important.

There are a lot of webseries about aimless twentysomethings trying to figure out what they're doing with their lives. This one is probably my favorite. Here's the trailer for season three:

Asians! Have you told your parents "I love you"?

Video captures Asian parents reacting to kids saying "I love" -- some for the first time.



If you've read or even heard of Lac Su's heartwrenching memoir I Love Yous Are For White People, you know that the title is pitch-perfect on multiple levels. Perhaps as a fellow child of Asian immigrants you can relate -- our parents are not always the most verbally expressive when it comes to love. Getting a simple "I love you" uttered between you might be a rare moment. It's often shown in other ways.

Anyone else feeling this? Then you might want to watch this. In this video by Steven Lim, several young Asian Americans call up their parents to tell them "I love you" -- some, for the very first time. It's really sweet:

Family of three killed in Flushing murder-suicide

Man fatally stabs wife and son before setting home on fire



Some tragic news out of New York, where a man fatally stabbed his wife and teenage son before setting their Flushing apartment on fire and slashing his own throat in a grisly murder-suicide.

In Queens, a Triple Killing Shows Signs of Financial Strife

Firefighters discovered the bodies of Lee Joon, his wife Lee Sung and their 15-year-old son Brian Lee in the living room of their sixth-floor apartment early Tuesday morning. Mr. Lee was found with a suicide note in his pocket, hand-written in Korean, complaining of "too many problems."

Those who knew Mr. Lee, who worked as a tractor-trailer driver, were aware that his family had been dealing with serious financial setbacks.

Do You Know Bruce?

New Bruce Lee exhibit opens October 4 at The Wing in Seattle



This is for all my fellow Bruce fans in Seattle... The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience presents Do You Know Bruce? -- a new exhibit on the life and legacy of international martial arts icon Bruce Lee. Sure, you've seen his movies, and you know he had the moves, but there's so much more to his story, which has a unique local connection to the city of Seattle.

The exhibit officially opens on October 4, with some awesome events to kick off the festivities. Here's a short promo video for Do You Know Bruce?:

Clara Hong is one to watch on 'The Voice'

Watch her spin three chairs with her cool rendition of "Chuck E.'s in Love"



Awesome. Last night, NBC kicked off the latest season of its signature singing competition The Voice. One of the evening's standout performers was Atlanta singer was Clara Hong, who made coaches Gwen Stefani, Adam Levine and Pharrell Williams turn their chairs within seconds of her ultra-cool rendition of Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E.'s in Love." (Blake Shelton apparently wasn't feeling it. Fool.)

Here's video of her blind audition:

Today is National Voter Registration Day!

Are you registered? Use 18 Million Rising's Voter Registration Tool to get started.



Hey, folks. Today is National Voter Registration Day. Your voice matters, and one of the fundamental ways our community can speak out, stand up and be counted is through the ballot box. We have the numbers. We can have the clout. But only about 30% of eligible AAPI voters make it to the polls. What's up with that?

So... have you registered to vote? Our friends at 18 Million Rising have teamed up with Rock the Vote to launch a handy Voter Registration Tool to get you started. Their Elections 2014 website has everything you need to become a registered voter -- including gaining access to voter registration assistance in 13 different languages. You'll also find tools and other resources to start a get-out-the-vote campaign in your own community.

Midterm elections are just a few weeks away. Registration deadlines vary in each state, so head over to 18 Million Rising and check the map. And tell your momma. Tell your friends. Get registered to vote.

More here: Are You Ready to Make Our Votes Count?

Statement from Grace Lee Boggs' Bedside

"I am coming to the end of a long journey..."



Word has passed along through various social media channels that legendary activist/philosopher/author Grace Lee Boggs, now 99 years old, is in ailing health and in hospice care. With over 75 years of work in the labor, civil rights and Black Power movements, she has lived an extraordinary life, upending and redefining our assumptions of what true revolution can be.

Grace has requested to share the following statement recorded recently at her bedside:

Awesome Asian Bad Guys screening in Washington DC!

Saturday, September 27 at The Burke Theater at the U.S. Navy Memorial



Washington DC! It's your turn! Awesome Asian Bad Guys are coming to get you. National Film Society's action/comedy webseries comes to our nation's capital for a screening presented by DC APA Film. Fun and good times happening Saturday, September 27 at The Burke Theater at the U.S. Navy Memorial.

In Awesome Asian Bad Guys, Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as 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 are some more details about the screening:

Justin Lin's 'Scorpion' premieres on CBS

Action drama series follows a crime-fighting team of super-geniuses



Almost forgot to mention the new CBS drama Scorpion premieres tonight. Produced by Justin Lin (who also directed the pilot episode), and inspired by a true story, the show is about an eccentric genius and a team of brilliant misfits who comprise the last line of defense against complex, high-tech threats of the modern age.

Scorpion's series premiere is the first TV pilot episode directed by Justin Lin, who said he wanted to try something completely different after exiting his four-film tour of duty on the Fast & Furious franchise (though tonight's episode does indeed include a crazy action sequence involving cars).

Here's an extended trailer for the show:

Who is the Senator Who Called Kirsten Gillibrand "Chubby"?

The New York Times says it was late Senator Daniel Inouye



Aw maaaaaaaan. The Senate colleague who told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) not to "lose too much weight now" because "I like my girls chubby" was reportedly the late Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii.

Daniel Inouye Is The Senator Who Called Kirsten Gillibrand 'Chubby': The New York Times

Gillibrand shared the story in her new memoir Off the Sidelines, talking about how her male colleagues in the Senate felt free to comment on her weight -- most egregiously, the remark about "chubby" girls accompanied with a squeeze of her waist. Gillibrand declined to reveal the name of the colleague in question.

According to The New York Times, it was Senator Inouye:

Fox News panelist argues internment camps were justified

Thus, "profiling would be at least a good start" in the war on terror.



Let's get this out of the way: pretty much everything that airs on Fox News is bullshit. But there's Fox News, and then there's Fox News realllly going for it. Like this recent discussion about the war on terror that included, among other arguments, justification for the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Fox's Cashin' In: 'The Enemy Is Islamic,' It's Time to Start Profiling Muslims

On Saturday's broadcast of Fox's Cashin' In, a four-person panel weighed in on whether we should start profiling Muslims in America. How this shit passes for legit journalism is incomprehensible, and predictably, all the discussants were in agreement on how to find the terrorists among us: "Profile, profile, profile."

Panelist Jonathan Hoenig took it even further, making the claim that rounding up Japanese Americans and putting them in internment camps actually worked out quite well for the United States:

Former Navy corpsman awarded Silver Star for valor

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan "Doc" Kong ran into heavy gunfire to save a wounded Marine.



File Under Badass... Last week, a former Navy hospital corpsman was awarded a Silver Star -- the military's third-highest award for valor -- for saving the life of a wounded Marine during an enemy ambush in Afghanistan.

Silver Star for Doc who fought to save Marine

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Kong was serving in the Sangin District of Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment in 2011 when he and fellow service members came under attack by Taliban fighters. During the firefight, Marine Cpl. Michael Dawers was shot in the chest and fell to the ground.

According to the Silver Star citation, Kong was initially pinned down by enemy fire but "courageously rushed from his covered position, boldly charged into the kill zone dodging a hail of bullets, and reached the casualty," pulling him to safety and administering "life-saving aid."

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Video: Were iPhone 6 Mega Lines Taken Over By Chinese Mafia? So there were a lot of Chinese people in line to buy an iPhone. So what? F*ck this video, which claims that last week's debut of the iPhone 6 was somehow ruined by a consumer conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by the "Chinese Mafia." Yeah, sure, blame the Chinese for taking all the fun out of the ridiculous ritual of standing in line all night to buy a new phone. Oh, and bonus asshole points to the cops for shoving that woman to the ground.

An Ethnicity Conversation Your Adoptive Child Wants You to Have: Transnational adoptee Elizabeth Connolly on an essential conversation adoptive parents should have: "It is presumptuous, if not insulting, to assume that all transnational adoptees identify with their home countries just because they were born there or look a certain way. For many people, especially transnational, transracial adoptees ethnicity does not necessarily correlate with race or ancestry."

The Unbelievable Case of Teresa Blau Kursman, a Pathological Photo Stealer Who Just Doesn't Stop: "There are stories of fauxtographers stealing photos and claiming them as their own, and then there is this: the true-but-unbelievable saga of Teresa Blau Kursman, a photographer and designer who went above and beyond any photo stealing case you're likely to ever come across."

Ray Rice Video Prompts Asian Americans to Break Silence on Abuse: After the video of Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancee was released, private stories of domestic abuse emerged on Twitter under the hashtags #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft. Among those voices are those of Asian Americans, who have often been silenced due to cultural or societal pressures.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. FedEx employee refers to package recipient as "Ching Chong"

2. Honolulu road rage incident caught on video

3. You might want to reconsider that red communist star logo

4. Starbucks employee labels Asian customer's cup as "China"

5. 90-year-old couple brutally beaten in home invasion

6. Oops. Joe Biden refers to Asia as "the Orient."

7. Banh Shop to change red star logo

8. This restaurant really doesn't give a shit about gluten-free

9. Angry Asian America Ep. 9: "MTV Casting Asian Americans for New Reality Series?!"

10. Labor organizer Ai-jen Poo named 2014 MacArthur 'Genius'

Stay Angry, my friends.

See Ki Hong Lee run his ass off in 'The Maze Runner'

New movie based on the popular young adult sci-fi book series



If you're thinking about heading to the movies this weekend, buy yourself a ticket to The Maze Runner. The movie based on the popular post-apocalyptic young adult sci-fi novel by James Dashner, features our friend (and former Angry Reader of the Week) Ki Hong Lee in various states of look cool and running his ass off.

The Maze Runner is about a group of teenage boys who are dropped into a place known as the Glade, one by one, with no memories of their lives or the outside world. Surrounded by a massive maze, they must figure out the mystery of their predicament to survive. It's fairly typical dystopian teen fiction with a Lord of the Flies twist.

Ki Hong plays character named Minho. It's not only a major role, but he is easily one of the most memorably badass characters in the movie. Also kind of awesome that he has a decidedly Korean name.

Here's a few glimpses of him in the trailer:

Angry Reader of the Week: Rebecca Lee

"I try to have fun while trying to make a difference in some way."


Photo: Bessie Chan

Good people of the internet! Once again, it's time 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 Rebecca Lee.

This restaurant really doesn't give a shit about gluten-free

"Yes we use MSG!"



Restaurant-goers can be a fickle bunch. This week, one San Francisco chef apparently lost his shit after one too many rude customers. He closed up the restaurant early and posted signs in the window letting everyone know "We are closed because of you (customers)" and "YES we use MSG!" among other declarations.

Frustrated SO Owner Skewers Picky, MSG-Hating Customers via Window Sign

Just so everyone is clear, the Chinese restaurant SO uses MSG, doesn't believe in organic food and very much does not give a shit about gluten free. According to Eater, SO's owner walked out on Thursday after a customer cursed him out, and another party refused to pay their bill, claiming the food was "too spicy." The final straw.

Banh Shop to change red star logo

Vietnamese American community complained the design was too reminiscent of the Communist red star



Well, that was quick. Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell and KFC, has announced that it will change the logo of its recently launched bánh mì concept in Dallas, following complaints from the Vietnamese American community that the design was too reminiscent of the Communist red star.

Yum Brands will change Dallas Banh Shop's red star logo after complaints

In a letter posted on the Banh Shop Facebook page, Yum Brands Senior Vice President apologized to the Vietnamese community for the design, announcing that the company would change the logo and remove the red star from all materials and signage from the restaurant by the end of the day.

Oops. Joe Biden refers to Asia as "the Orient."

Vice President calls Singapore's prime minister "the wisest man in the Orient."



Come oooon. It's no secret that Joe Biden has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth. So what has the Vice President done this time? This week, just hours after apologizing for using an anti-Semitic slur in a speech the previous day, Biden referred to Singapore's prime minister as "the wisest man in the Orient."

Joe Biden Refers to Asia as 'The Orient'

On Wednesday, while speaking in Iowa at the kickoff for the "Nuns on the Bus" tour, the Vice President recounted meeting Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister. While telling his story, in classic Biden fashion, he referred to Asia as, well, "the Orient." Aaaaand absolutely nobody is surprised.

New York City Memorial for Yuri Kochiyama

Saturday, September 27 at First Corinthian Baptist Church



Just a reminder... If you're in New York and would like to participate in a celebration of the life and work of legendary activist, educator and humanitarian Yuri Kochiyama, her family invites you to attend a public memorial next in Harlem. It's happening Saturday, September 27 at First Corinthian Baptist Church.

Here are some more details:

You might want to reconsider that red communist star logo

Taco Bell's parent company opens bánh mì restaurant with the worst logo possible. So much fail it hurts.



File under awful marketing... Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell and KFC, recently launched a new bánh mì concept in Dallas called Banh Shop. Which is... neat? Interesting? Inevitable? I do love me some bánh mì, but the people behind Taco Bell better make one hell of a sandwich to get me to abandon my favorite bánh mì joint. But who knows? Maybe it tastes okay. That's not the problem.

Taco Bell's Parent Company Opens a Bánh Mì Shop...with Communist Star in Logo

Somewhere along the way, the minds behind Banh Shop designed the restaurant's logo with the stupidest choice possible: a Communist star. The five-pointed red star is a widely-recognized symbol for communism -- and a sure-fire way to get thousands of Vietnamese Americans really, really angry.

Labor organizer Ai-jen Poo named 2014 MacArthur 'Genius'

Receives unrestricted $625,000 grant to support ongoing work.



Congratulations to labor organizer Ai-jen Poo, who has been named a 2014 MacArthur "Genius." Each year, the MacArthur Foundation gives "unrestricted $625,000 fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction."

Meet The 2014 Winners Of The MacArthur 'Genius Grants'

As executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Poo has been organizing housekeepers, nannies and home health aides to expand workplace protections. Her work with domestic and private-household workers in New York led to new laws that have spread to several other states.

Here's more on Ai-jen Poo and her awesome work:

Family Reunion: A Storytelling Show

Presented by Disoriented Comedy, Thursday, September 25 at Echoes Under Sunset



Los Angeles, you don't want to miss this. After a wildly successful inaugural evening of storytelling, Disoriented Comedy's monthly Family Reunion, co-presented by Angry Asian Man, Tuesday Night Project, Mishthi Music and KAYA Press, returns for another show -- and this time we've got a secret surprise guest storyteller!

No notes, everyday folks, talking story. The theme of September's show is "I GOT PEOPLE." It's happening Thursday, September 25 at Echoes Under Sunset.

Here are some more details about the evening:

Angry Asian America Ep. 9: "MTV Casting Asian Americans for New Reality Series?!"

With co-host Jenny Yang and special guests Kero One and Zee Avi



What's up, YouTube watchers! I am proud to share the latest freshly dropped episode of Angry Asian America on ISAtv. In episode nine, co-host Jenny Yang and I are joined by emcee/producer/DJ Kero One and and singer/songwriter Zee Avi. We talk about MTV's recent attempt to cast a reality show about "fun, fabulous and fancy" young Asian Americans, among other topics.

Check it out:

Starbucks employee labels Asian customer's cup as "China"

It was a Mocha Frappuccino. And her name is Jenny.



Damn. This again. Don't have a lot of information to go on with this one, but Twitter user @JonWalkerBlue passed along this photo of a drink order his friend, who is Asian, received on a recent visit to Starbucks.

By now, you already know where this is going.

As you can see, in the space on the cup designated for the customer's name, the Starbucks employee simply wrote "China." That's a Mocha Frappuccino. Her name is Jenny. It's not even close to China.

90-year-old couple brutally beaten in home invasion

Suspects tricked elderly couple into letting them inside their El Cerrito home



What the hell? News out of the Bay Area about another brutal assault and robbery on elderly Asians... Last week in El Cerrito, a couple in their 90s were violently beaten and bound by two home invasion robbers.

Elderly Couple Beaten, Robbed Inside Their Home in El Cerrito

The two assailants -- one male, one female -- tricked Jaime and Paz Nagal, both 90, into letting them into their home twice in two days, first chatting them up outside about their flowers, then attacking and robbing the couple when they returned the following day. Both victims were severely beaten and tied up while the suspects made off with their belongings.

6th Annual Advancing Justice Conference, September 25-26

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Standing Together For Racial Justice



Community leaders and advocates will be gathering in DC next week for the sixth annual Advancing Justice Conference, the largest national conference focusing on civil and social justice issues impacting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. It's happening September 25-26 at the Washington Hilton.

Whether you're a student, an activist, or just interested in a more equal America, the conference will including plenaries and workshops providing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and our allies with the opportunity to strategize and mobilize so we can have a lasting impact on all the issues we care about.

I will be speaking on a panel during the Thursday morning session "The Shifting Media Landscape: Strategies That Work" with Olivia Chow, Adriel Luis, Sandhya Bathija and moderator Karin Wang.

FedEx employee refers to package recipient as "Ching Chong"

Sorry, nobody here by that name. Also, you ought to be fired.



Not this again. Got word passed along to me about a recent racist incident involving a FedEx employee... In northern Virginia, a FedEx employee left a doortag regarding a package delivery to the residence of an Asian customer. In the space denoting the recipient's name, the delivery man wrote "Ching Chong Lee."

Oh, hell no.

Diana L., whose parents received the doortag, contacted customer service to inquire about the name on the package, and how exactly this happened. During the course of this attempted delivery, "Chang" somehow became "Ching Chong" -- a familiar racial slur we all know and love. This was not somebody's honest mistake.

Honolulu road rage incident caught on video

After video goes viral, driver turns herself into police.



Beware, road ragers. You are being recorded. That's what happened to one driver last week in Honolulu, whose bad behavior behind the wheel was shot on video, uploaded to social media, and went viral in a matter of hours. The driver, who became known as "road rage lady," has reportedly turned herself into police.

Woman turns herself in to police after road rage incident goes viral

Ryan Arakaki, who recorded the video, admits he cut off Kimberly Ong's minivan at a light. That's when Ong lost her shit, following and tailgating Arakaki's car, blaring her horn for several minutes before he pulled over. She then got out of her car, yelled obscenities at him and tried to slap away his cell phone.

Part of the altercation was caught on video:

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2015 Met Gala Will Probably Be an Asian-Themed Shitshow: "The Met's Department of Asian Art is celebrating its 100th anniversary and the ball will partially take place in the Chinese Galleries. I'm excited by the idea of Chinese fashion designers getting some shine on a huge platform, but I have little to no faith that this won't turn into one big appropriation and cultural insensitivity parade."

Ferguson: The Movement Continues: Activist and writer Deepa Iyer names four easy things that South Asian and Asian American communities can do to help the movement continue in Ferguson, Missouri.

A Conversation About Race, Identity, and Discrimination With My 6-Year Old: 18 Million Rising's Pakou Her shares an important conversation she had with her 6-year-old daughter about race and identity.

Is the Next Civil Rights Leader Asian-American? "Once a conservative-friendly group of upwardly mobile new immigrants, young, educated Asian-Americans are now increasingly on the front lines of civil rights battles, working as activists and organizers, engaged in assorted leftist rabble-rousing for causes more often associated with blacks or Latinos than Asians."

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Jeremy Lin pranks fans by pretending to be a wax statue

2. 70-year-old man beaten unconscious at public park

3. Chicago to settle police abuse lawsuit for $150,000

4. Margot Robbie in talks to star in 'Ghost in the Shell'

5. Glenn & Maggie's killer cover shoot

6. Guy covers "99 Red Balloons" using red balloons

7. Howling Commando Jim Morita returns in 'Agents of SHIELD'

8. 3-year-old kid gets an awesome prosthetic Iron Man hand

9. Attacking abortion rights by throwing Asians under the bus

10. Robin Ha's 'Banchan' Comics Will Make You Hungry

Stay Angry, my friends.

Shakespeare Orange County Presents 'Made in Taiwan'

Written and performed by Michelle Krusiec, September 14, 21 & 28


Orange County, represent! Our friend Michelle Krusiec will be performing her hit one-woman family comedy Made in Taiwan on September 14, 21 and 28, presented as part of Shakespeare Orange County's current season. The show is part of a larger effort to reach out to a younger, multi-generational, Asian American theatre-going audience in Orange County. Because theatre is just for old white folks.

Here are some more details about the show:

Music Video: Kawehi (and her many heads) sing an "Anthem"

First single from her 'Robot Heart' EP



Kansas-based singer/musician Kawehi, who makes butt-kicking DIY music -- you may remember her awesome, video-gone-viral one-woman cover of "Heart-Shaped Box" -- recently dropped this super-cool music video for "Anthem," the first single from her Robot Heart EP. The entire track was recorded solely using Kawehi's vocals. Thus, her many dismembered heads...

Check it out:

Med student charged with stealing dying woman's iPad

Device went missing after cancer patient went into cardiac arrest



Asians behaving badly... iPad-stealing medical student edition! Damn. This one's cold-blooded. A UCLA medical school student faces felony charges of theft for stealing an iPad that belonged to a dying cancer patient.

UCLA Med Student Arrested For Allegedly Stealing From Dying Woman

Natalie Packer, a patient at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, kept her iPad at her bedside while being treated for an aggressive form of breast cancer. But according to her family, Packer's iPad went missing during the Code Blue response to revive her when she went into cardiac arrest.

Angry Reader of the Week: An Rong Xu

"...but at Starbucks, I'm Aaron or Ani, depending on how I feel."



It's on! Time 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 An Rong Xu.

Robin Ha's 'Banchan' Comics Will Make You Hungry

By Keith Chow. Cross-posted from The Nerds of Color.



Last weekend, at Baltimore Comic-Con, I had the opportunity to run in to several members of the SIUniverse fam in attendance. One of the alums I visited with was artist Robin Ha, who was exhibiting in Artist Alley for the first time. Not only was it great to catch up — however briefly — but it was also an opportunity to get a print copy of Banchan in Two Pages, a pretty cool recipe comic she's been updating on the tumblr of the same name.

Guy covers "99 Red Balloons" using red balloons

Andrew Huang doesn't need instruments to play Nena's "99 Luftballons"



This is ridiculous and wonderful. I've seen people make music with all sorts of different objects... but a whole song out of one red balloon? Toronto-based musician Andrew Huang put together this incredible cover of Nena's "99 Luftballons" -- "99 Red Balloons," for us German challenged -- using some of the many squeaky sounds one can make with red balloons. It's incredibly creative and fun.

Check it out:

Attacking abortion rights by throwing Asians under the bus

San Francisco resolution opposes this trending abortion ban


Guest Post by Linda Yang

I don't know about you, but going to the lady doctor's office -- or any doctor for that matter -- has never been a walk in the park for me. Reclining on that table covered by a large piece of paper napkin from the waist down, staring at the gray-green drop ceiling, I certainly never feel my most confident or assertive self. Now imagine that instead of focusing on your physical wellbeing, your doctor is guessing whether you are the kind of Asian who is asking about an abortion because you prefer boys over girls. And if they do suspect it, is obligated to deny you abortion services.

Fund This: 'Chee and T'

"A comedy about the only two guys left in Silicon Valley who have nothing to do with technology."



Here's another cool independent feature film project that could use your crowdfunding assistance... Chee and T, written and directed by Tanuj Chopra and co-written by Chee Malabar, is described as "a comedy about the only two guys left in Silicon Valley who have nothing to do with technology."

They've assembled an awesome cast that includes Sunkrish Bala, Noureen Dewulf, Dominic Rains, Karan Soni, Asif Ali, Bernard White and Rebecca Hazlewood. Now they just gotta raise the cash to make the damn thing. But what kind of movie is this? Well, first, here's a short video that'll give you an idea of what it's definitely not (WARNING: Excessive Brown Face):