Midnight Makeout Session: A Play by Dante Basco

December 3 & 10 at The Study in Hollywood



If you're in Los Angeles, Dante Basco and Beau Sia invite you to a Midnight Makeout Session. The play, that is. Midnight Makeout Session is an original play that will take you back to romance with the help of hip hop, poetry and slow jams. Two shows a night, happening December 3 and 10 at The Study in Hollywood.

Here are some more details:

The Huangs have not watched the Golden Globes since 1996. Here's why.

Make it right, Hollywood Foreign Press Association. #makeitrightFOTB



The year: 1996. Ang Lee's exquisite, critically-acclaimed adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is an awards season darling, nominated for six Golden Globes -- including Best Director. But when the envelope was opened, the Best Director trophy was presented to Mel Gibson for Braveheart. Noooo! Ang wuz robbed.

Ang Lee walked away empty-handed. And nobody was more disappointed than the Huang family. In this special video message from Fresh Off The Boat to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, we see the Huangs eagerly gathered around the TV on that fateful night, clad in their matching Team Ang t-shirts.

"A Taiwanese man directing a movie about white women in old England," gushes Jessica. "See, boys? Anything is possible if you study hard and become a lawyer."

There was so much hope. But we all know what happened that night. Here's how it went down:

Music Video: joules serenades his "Lady Luck" Jennifer Chung

New track from the Atlanta-based rapper's 'John' EP



Diggin' this original track "Lady Luck" by Atlanta-based rapper joules, featuring his wife, veteran YouTube singer Jennifer Chung, from his recently released John EP. The music video features the couple eating funnel cake, feeding a hungry giraffe and getting their ferris wheel on at the state fair. It's kind of adorable.

Check it out:

DMX -- yes, DMX -- guest stars on 'Fresh Off The Boat'

Episode 209: "We Done Son" airs Tuesday, December 1, 8:30 PM on ABC.



ABC's hit Asian American family sitcom Fresh Off The Boat airs Tuesday nights at 8:30pm, right after The Muppets. The comedy, inspired by the memoir of chef Eddie Huang, tells the story of the Huang family, a Taiwanese American family getting their immigrant hustle on in suburban Orlando, in pursuit of the American dream. If you missed this season's episodes, they're available for viewing on the ABC website.

Fresh Off The Boat stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery, Ian Chen as Evan and Chelsey Crisp as Honey. With special guest assist from Lucille Soong as Grandma Huang. This week, Eddie gets a job working for DMX. Yes, that's right. DMX.

Here's a preview of episode 209, "We Done Son":

We really hope Michelle Ang survives 'Flight 462'

16-part 'Fear the Walking Dead' miniseries set on a plane during the zombie outbreak.



If you're a fan of AMC's The Walking Dead and its spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead, then you've probably caught Fear the Walking Dead Flight 462. The 16-part mini-series is being rolled out in weekly one-minute episodes on the AMC Mobile App and on-air during premiere episode broadcasts.

Flight 462 follows a group of passengers who experience the earliest moments of the zombie outbreak aboard a commercial plane, and must act when one of the passengers appears to be infected. AMC has announced that one of the survivors of Flight 462 will join the next season of Fear the Walking Dead.

My hope is that survivor is Charlie, played by New Zealand actress Michelle Ang. She already seems to exhibit a little bit of badassness fit for the zombie apocalypse, so my money's on her. Plus, Fear the Walking Dead, the series set in Los Angeles and its environs, really needs more Asians up in there.

Here are all the installments so far of Fear the Walking Dead Flight 462:

Angry Gift Guide: The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki

Blu-ray box set includes animation master's 11 feature films



Fellow Miyazaki maniacs, there is no way around it: somehow, you must get your hands on The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki, available exclusively from Amazon. The comprehensive Blu-ray box set includes each of the revered animation master's eleven feature films, plus rare works from Miyazaki's early career.

The 12-disc set features Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises. Bonus materials include Yuki no Taiyo -- a 1972 television pilot directed, storyboarded and animated by Hayao Miyazaki, as well as three episodes of the 1972 Miyazaki-storyboarded anime series Akado Suzunosuk, and more.

Here's some more info on the set:

Muslim cab driver shot in Thanksgiving hate crime

"You seem to be like a Pakistani guy. Are you from Pakistan?"



Another anti-Muslim hate crime. In Pittsburgh, a Muslim taxi driver was hospitalized after being shot in the back on Thanksgiving Day by a passenger who questioned him about his citizenship and ties to terrorism.

Muslim taxi driver shot on Thanksgiving in Hazelwood calls attack a hate crime

The driver, a 38-year-old Moroccan immigrant who is requesting to remain anonymous, picked up a passenger outside the Rivers Casino early Thursday morning. During the ride, the man began asking the driver about his background, and questioned him about ISIS.

"He started the conversation and began to ask questions like, 'You seem to be like a Pakistani guy. Are you from Pakistan?'" the driver told the Pittsburg Post-Gazette. "And I said, 'No, I'm from Morocco. But I'm an American guy.' Then he continued the conversation. He began to speak about ISIS killing people."

When they reached his destination, the passenger asked the driver to wait because he forgot his wallet in the house. Minutes later, the man emerged from the house carrying a rifle. That's when the driver took off, but not before the man fired several shots at him:

Read These Blogs

20+ Bruce Lee Inspired Artworks - Celebrating 75 Years: Here's an awesome collection of Bruce Lee-inspired fan art in celebration of the martial arts legend's 75th birthday.

* * *
Resistance to Syrian Refugees Calls to Mind Painful Past for Japanese-Americans: For many Japanese Americans, others' hostility toward the Syrian refugees brings back dark memories of seven decades ago, when Japanese Americans were illegally interned during World War II.

* * *
The scars of internment camp never completely healed for American furniture-maker Mira Nakashima: Recently, Roanoke, Virginia's mayor suggested Syrian refugees be dealt with similarly to Japanese Americans during World War II. For furniture-maker Mira Nakashima, such statements bring back painful memories of life in wartime incarceration.

* * *
Bringing it Home: South Asians Talking To Our Parents About Sureshbhai Patel, Police Brutality, And Black Lives Matter: The Aerogram asked South Asian organizers to talk to their mainly first-generation immigrant parents about the Sureshbhai Patel police brutality case and Black Lives Matter. Here's a snapshot of some of the themes that emerged from these conversations.

* * *
Why It Matters That Both Civilian Victims of the Planned Parenthood Shooting were People of Colour: "What often goes missing in the fight to preserve reproductive rights for American women is that this is not just about reproductive justice; it -- like so many issues -- intersects with race. The Right's war to shutter the doors of Planned Parenthood is a war on poor women of colour."

Angry Reader of the Week: Joel de la Fuente

"I wake up in strange, exciting places and try to find where I fit into the telling of a story."



Hello, friends! As you recover from your Thanksgiving celebrations, I give you 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 Joel de la Fuente.

Music Video: G Yamazawa honors his parents in "Dining Room"

Dedicated to mom, dad and all who share the immigrant family hustle.



Happy Thanksgiving! In keeping with the theme of food and family, we present the premiere of award-winning poet/emcee G Yamazawa's powerful, beautiful new music video for "Dining Room," from his forthcoming debut EP. The track is dedicated to his parents and to all who share the immigrant family hustle. Directed by Saleem Reshamwala, it was filmed at G's parents' restaurant Yamazushi in Durham, North Carolina.

Check it out:

Man brutally beaten and robbed in Brooklyn

George Chen was assaulted by several attackers in Crown Heights.



Damn. Be careful out there, folks. Last week in New York, a 35-year-old man was hospitalized after being brutally beaten and robbed by several attackers while on his way to a friend's apartment in Brooklyn.

Unseen Assailants Rob & Brutally Beat Man In Crown Heights

On Friday night, George Chen was on his way to a friend's place in Crown Heights for his own going-away party -- he was set to leave New York the following week for a new job in Asia -- when he was assaulted by several attackers who beat him with a bat or metal pipe and stole his wallet.

He shared an account of his ordeal with Gothamist via email:

Angry Asian America: Master of None Review!

With co-host Jenny Yang and special guests Tess Paras and Amy Hill



Hey, YouTube watchers! I am pleased to present the latest edition of Angry Asian America, our web talk show on ISAtv. In this episode, co-host Jenny Yang and I welcome actors Tess Paras and Amy Hill, who recently guest starred on the CW musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. We talk about their part in what might be TV's first Filipino American family. We also offer our takes on Aziz Ansari's new Netflix comedy Master of None.

Check it out:

Cops called on Sikh student "doing something with wires"

Those wires turned out to be his headphones.



Okay, folks. I now present the stupidest reason to call the cops on a brown man. This one comes to us from New Zealand, where a Sikh med student was questioned by police... because of wires in his headphones.

NZ student mistaken for terrorist

In Auckland, 21-year-old Jasprett Singh was sitting cafe near the University of Medical School when he approached by police officers and asked to step outside. They were apparently called to the cafe because someone saw him "doing something with wires" in his laptop bag.

Those suspicious wires turned out to be Singh's headphones.

Minoru Yasui to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Human and civil rights leader will receive the award posthumously at a White House ceremony on Tuesday.



On Tuesday, President Obama will present seventeen individuals, included civil and human rights leader Minoru Yasui, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Min Yasui Wins Presidential Medal of Freedom

Yasui is best known for his legal case challenging the racial discrimination of military orders that resulted in the incarceration of Japanese-Americans in U.S. concentration camps during World War II. After the war and throughout his life, he fought for the human and civil rights of all people. He died in 1986.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is presented to individuals who have made "especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." This year's recipients also include public servants, artists and activists.

Here's more about Minoru Yasui, from the White House's announcement:

Japanese Words For Beginners

A rather unhelpful instructional video by Katsu Films.



Want to learn some Japanese? Who needs Rosetta Stone? Just head over to YouTube. This short instructional video from Katsu Films offers some helpful Japanese words for beginners, outlining proper pronunciation for each word and demonstrating usage in a sentence. It's very educational.

Take a look:

Mark Takano: Courage is Choosing Compassion Over Fear

"What takes wisdom is recognizing that history is now repeating itself."



Many of us are still fairly angry about Roanoke mayor David Bowers' remarks calling for the refusal of assistance for Syrian refugees, citing the incarceration of Japanese American during World War II as model policy and historical precedent. Bowers is a moron who gets his facts dangerously wrong.

Of course, the hammer fell swift and hard, with Bowers getting blasted from all sides. Voices from across the Asian American community, from George Takei to Mike Honda, have spoken out about Mayor Bowers' remarks.

In remarks on the House floor last week, Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) also addressed Bowers' comments and urged fellow lawmakers not to give into fear regarding the resettlement of Syrian refugees, sharing about his own family's experience of forced relocation after the bombing of Pearl Harbor:

That character on that TV show is still alive.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER



It's been a rather long month for fans of The Walking Dead. But last night, we finally learned that the thing that seemingly happened to that one character did not quite happen as we were led to believe.

Perfunctory spoiler warnings apply. Though honestly, that seems rather silly. If it's being discussed on this website, you must have a pretty good idea of who and what I'm talking about...

Dave Roberts hired as new Dodgers manager

Former outfielder will be the first minority manager in the franchise's history.



Dave Roberts will be hired as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him the first minority manager in the franchise's history, and only the second Asian American manager in the history of Major League Baseball. The decision is expected to be officially announced on Monday.

Dodgers are set to hire Dave Roberts as manager

News broke over the weekend that Roberts would be named as the Dodgers' new manager, replacing Don Mattingly, who parted ways with the team last month. According to a source close to the decision, Roberts will receive a three-year contract with the team holding an option to keep him a fourth season.

Read These Blogs

The Return of Korematsu: Seventy years after the mass internment of Japanese Americans was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Korematsu v. United States, the ugly ideas at the core of its decision are resurfacing.

* * *
Before people start invoking Japanese American internment, they should remember what it was like: Last week, Roanoke, Virginia Mayor David Bowers used Japanese American internment in World War II to justify barring Syrian refugees from entry in the U.S. What an asshole. Jeff Guo cautions the use of invoking internment without understanding the realities of life for Japanese Americans during WWII.

* * *
The congressman who was held in a Japanese internment camp has some thoughts on that Roanoke mayor: Congressman Mike Honda responds to Roanoke Mayor David Bowers' statement about Japanese American internment. Honda and his family were interned at Tulelake and Amache.

* * *
The U.S. Can Handle Much More Than 10,000 Syrian Refugees: Obama's announcement that the U.S. would accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year met harsh criticism for some. But looking back to the wave of Southeast Asian refugees post-1975 shows that the U.S. can do much better than 10,000.

* * *
Obama aide tells of her own childhood flight from government detention camp: Elizabeth Phu, an aide to President Obama who works on southeast Asia policy, including refugee outreach, fled Vietnam herself as a young child with her family over 36 years ago.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Jerk customer's anti-immigrant "tip" draws internet fury
"Tip for U.S. citizens only."

2. McDonald's employee fired for coffee cup racism
Employee wrote "chino" and drew a racist face caricature on an Asian customer's coffee cup.

3. Virginia mayor rejects Syrian refugees, because it worked so well when we locked up Japanese Americans
"It seems to me to be better safe than sorry."

4. French dad explains Paris terror attacks to young son
"They might have guns, but we have flowers."

5. Sikh man's selfie doctored to look like Paris terrorist
Veerender Jubbal has never even been to Paris.

6. First look at the new 'Rush Hour' TV series
CBS action/drama/comedy re-imagines hit Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker movie franchise.

7. Philip Ng cast as Bruce Lee in 'Birth of the Dragon'
Movie inspired by the story of Bruce Lee's most famous fight.

8. Giveaway: Win a 2016 Haikus With Hotties Calendar
A perfect holiday gift for those who need more Asian American male hotties in their lives.

9. University cancels production over casting controversy
Playwright Lloyd Suh objected to the casting of white actors in Asian roles in 'Jesus in India.'

10. Roanoke Mayor apologizes for remarks on Japanese American internment
David Bowers clearly did not understand how the internet works.

Stay Angry, my friends.

Roanoke Mayor apologizes for remarks on Japanese American internment

David Bowers clearly did not understand how the internet works.



On Friday, the mayor of Roanoke, Virginia apologized for his statement about Syrian refugees in which he invoked the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II as model policy.

Roanoke Mayor Apologizes for Japanese Internment Remarks

After basically getting his ass kicked with widespread backlash over what can at best be described as a piss-poor of one of U.S. government's greatest injustices, Mayor David Bowers apologized for his remarks.

"I apologize to all those offended by my remarks," Bowers said at a special meeting of the Roanoke City Council. "No one else is to be blamed but me."

Angry Reader of the Week: Traci Lee

"I think I’m an optimist, but I’m too angry about rampant ignorance and intolerance to admit it."

Hey, everybody! You know what's up. 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 Traci Lee.

Ken Jeong Goes Extra Korean on a Thanksgiving 'Dr. Ken'

Episode 107: "Thanksgiving Culture Clash" airs Friday, November 20 at 8:30pm on ABC



This week on ABC's Dr. Ken, it's Thanksgiving! Molly rebels and gets a Japanese tattoo, which spirals Ken and Allison into having a cultural face-off when Allison claims she is more Japanese than Ken is Korean.

Inspired by executive producer/star Ken Jeong's real life and career as a medical doctor, Dr. Ken follows Dr. Ken Park, a physician with bad bedside manner trying to juggle medicine and being a family man to his wife and kids -- and not quite succeeding on either front.

Dr. Ken also stars the awesome Suzy Nakamura as Ken's wife Allison, Krista Marie Yu as daughter Molly, and Albert Tsai as his son Dave. They're all great. The cast is rounded out by Tisha Campbell-Martin as Damona, Jonathan Slavin as Clark, Kate Simses as Julie and Dave Foley as Pat.

Here's a preview of this week's episode, "Thanksgiving Culture Clash":

Giveaway: Win a 2016 Haikus With Hotties Calendar

A perfect holiday gift for those who need more Asian American male hotties in their lives.



Fans of hot Asian men! This one's for you. A few months ago, I posted about a Very Important Kickstarter campaign: the 2016 Haikus With Hotties Calendar project based on Audrey Magazine's non-award-winning poetry series "Haikus With Hotties," in which they asked hot Asian American men to exchange poetry with them.

Here's the Kickstarter video with Ada Tseng, Professor of Hotness, who explained the important need for this calendar:

Is the government racially profiling Chinese American scientists?

Sherry Chen and Xiaoxing Xi were both falsely accused of espionage.



This week, congressional leaders held a press conference calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the recent cases against Chinese American scientists who were wrongfully suspected of economic espionage.

Backed by California Democrats, Chinese American scientists arrested on espionage charges demand answers

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), and Rep. Michael Honda (CA-17) were joined by Sherry Chen, a U.S. citizen and employee of the National Weather Service in Ohio, as well as Dr. Xiaoxing Xi, a U.S. citizen and Interim Chair of the Physics Department at Temple University.

Stand up against bullying at the #ActToChange Live Event

Saturday, November 21 at the Japanese American National Museum



This Saturday, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in partnership with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and the Sikh Coalition, will host a live event as part of the "Act To Change" campaign on bullying prevention. The event will feature distinguished AAPI personalities, performers, and community leaders in an effort to raise awareness about how to take action against bullying.

It's happening Saturday, November 21 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. Here are some more details about the event:

First look at the new 'Rush Hour' TV series

CBS action/drama/comedy re-imagines hit Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker movie franchise.



CBS recently released the first trailer for its upcoming Rush Hour TV series, based on the mega-popular Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker movie franchise of the same name. For the small screen adaptation, the one-hour action drama comedy stars Jon Foo and Justin Hires as by-the-book Hong Kong detective and a maverick LAPD detective who knock heads they they are forced to partner together.

Take a look:

Virginia mayor rejects Syrian refugees, because it worked so well when we locked up Japanese Americans

"It seems to me to be better safe than sorry."



This is troubling on a dozen levels. In Virginia, the mayor of Roanoke joined the growing chorus of intolerance, calling for the suspension of help in relocating Syrian refugees to the area. To make matters worse, he cited the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II as historical precedent for his reasoning. Oh hell no.

Roanoke Mayor David Bowers: No Syrian refugees to Roanoke Valley until security assured

On Wednesday, Mayor David A. Bowers issued an unsolicited statement requesting area governments and nongovernmental agencies to suspend and delay any further Syrian refugee assistance "until normalcy is restored," warning of safety concerns in the wake of the apparent bombing of a Russian airliner, Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris and threats on Washington DC.

"I am convinced that it is presently imprudent to assist in the relocation of Syrian refugees to our part of Virginia," Bowers said his statement, which also vowed to "protect Roanokers from harm and danger from this present scourge upon the earth." Oh, but wait, it gets much worse.

Bobby Jindal drops out of presidential race

What took so long?



On Tuesday, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal announced that he is dropping out of the presidential race, much to the disappointment of his four supporters. At this point, the only people who are surprised about his withdrawal are the people who are only now realizing that he had been running for president all this time.

Bobby Jindal Quits Republican Presidential Race

"This is not my time," Jindal told Fox News. "I've come to the realization that this is not my time. So I've come here to announce that I am suspending my campaign for president of the United States."

Bobby Jindal has ended his presidential campaign. Let's be honest: it never really started.

From the very start, Jindal's doomed presidential campaign failed to gain any kind of meaningful traction, kicking off in June with a super-awkward, tepid hidden camera video of him and and his wife Supriya sitting the kids down to break the news that he was running. They seemed less than enthused. Maaaan, if you can't get your own kids to get excited about a run for president, you're probably in trouble.

Then there were Jindal's ridiculous career-long efforts to distance himself from his Indian-ness. This video featuring Versha Sharma lays out why Bobby-Not-Piyush-Dammit was such a disappointment to so many Indian Americans:

An Evening With Gene Luen Yang

Thursday, November 19 at the Society of Illustrators



If you're in New York City, you're invited to an An Evening with Gene Luen Yang -- a talk with the award-winning graphic novelist behind American Born Chinese, The Shadow Hero and more. He'll read from his latest book, discuss the making of Boxers & Saints, and dish some advice for aspiring writers and cartoonists.

It's happening Thursday, November 19 at the Society of Illustrators. Here are more details:

French dad explains Paris terror attacks to young son

"They might have guns, but we have flowers."



If you haven't already seen this, here's a video that's been melting hearts around the world. How do you explain to a kid what happened in Paris? How do you explain that there are bad things in the world? And how do you explain that everything's going to be okay? Here's a dad who really seems to be doing it right.

In this video gone viral, a French dad movingly explains the Paris terror attacks to his young son. Standing outside the Bataclan theatre, where thousands have left floral tributes to the victims, dad comforts the boy and assures him not to be afraid of the "bad guys" with guns.

We see the kid come to the realization that perhaps love is the only protection he'll ever need. Just watch:

University cancels production over casting controversy

Playwright Lloyd Suh objected to the casting of white actors in Asian roles in 'Jesus in India.'



Last week, Clarion University canceled its theatre production of Jesus in India after the playwright voiced concerns over white actors being cast in roles written for actors of South Asian descent. Yuuuuup.

Cancellation of College Production of ‘Jesus in India’ Over Casting of White Actors Prompts Debate

The play, Jesus in India by Lloyd Suh, is described as "a contemporary reimagining of a wild stretch in the lost years of Jesus Christ." Three of the five characters in the play are Indian, but in Clarion's production, two were to be played by white student actors and a third by a non-Asian mixed-race student.

Suh told the university that he was not supportive of white actors portraying Indian characters in his play, and wanted the parts recast. After being told that finding Asian replacements would not be possible, he ultimately pulled the university right to stage the production -- a week before the play's scheduled opening.

Family Reunion: A Storytelling Show

Thursday, November 19 at Echoes Under Sunset - "Immigrant Survival 101"



Hey, Los Angeles! Wanna hear a story? You're invited to the latest edition of Disoriented Comedy's monthly live storytelling show Family Reunion, co-presented by Angry Asian Man, Tuesday Night Project, Mishthi Music and KAYA Press, features regular everyday folks talking story. No notes.

The theme of this month's show is "Immigrant Survival 101" and will be guest-curated and hosted by D'Lo. The evening's lineup of storytellers includes Rawle Kee, Nimmi Harasgama, Scott Turner Schofield, Atsuko Okatsuka, Karen Anzoategui, Ova Saopeng, Helen Hong and Bertha Noble.

It's happening Thursday, November 19 at Echoes Under Sunset. Here are some more details about the show:

Apply to the 2016 Kundiman Asian American Writing Retreat

June 15-19 at Fordham University



Hey writers! Kundiman is now accepting applications for the 2016 Kundiman Asian American Writing Retreat, an annual retreat to help mentor the next generation of Asian American writers. During the Retreat, nationally renowned Asian American poets and writers conduct workshops with fellows. This year's faculty includes Kimiko Hahn, Lee Herrick, R. Zamora Linmark, and Bich Minh Nguyen.

It's happening June 15-19 at Fordham University in New York. Here's a video about the retreat:

Jerk customer's anti-immigrant "tip" draws internet fury

"Tip for U.S. citizens only."



There are big tippers, there are stingy tippers... and there are just plain assholes. Big fat middle finger to the asshole who left this "tip" for a waitress at a Southern California Thai restaurant.

'Tip' Left for a Waitress Leads to Fury Online

After dining at Bamboo Thai Bistro in Redondo Beach, the customer wrote his server an anti-immigrant message , rather than a monetary tip, in the gratuity line of his check: "Tip for U.S. citizens only."

Missing: 33-year-old Eugene Vibar, last seen November 1

Southeast Portland man has been missing since Halloween.



Have you seen Eugene Vibar? In Oregon, police and loved ones are asking for the public's help searching for 33-year-old Southeast Portland man who has been missing for over two weeks.

Police, friends search for Eugene Vibar, missing SE Portland man

Eugene Vibar was last seen in the early morning hours after Halloween, at 2:30am on November 1, after returning from the HOWL Halloween festival. He left his house in the South East Buckman area to go for a walk. When he didn't return for several days, his roommate filed a missing persons report.

Vibar is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds, with brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black or blue jacket.

Celebrate "Huangsgiving" with 'Fresh Off The Boat'

Episode 208: "Huangsgiving" airs Tuesday, November 17, 8:30 PM on ABC.



ABC's hit Asian American family sitcom Fresh Off The Boat airs Tuesday nights at 8:30pm, right after The Muppets. The comedy, inspired by the memoir of chef Eddie Huang, tells the story of the Huang family, a Taiwanese American family getting their immigrant hustle on in suburban Orlando, in pursuit of the American dream. If you missed this season's episodes, they're available for viewing on the ABC website.

Fresh Off The Boat stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery, Ian Chen as Evan and Chelsey Crisp as Honey. With special guest assist from Lucille Soong as Grandma Huang. This week, the Huangs host Thanksgiving! And some fave guest stars return.

Here are some more details about episode 208, "Huangsgiving":

Philip Ng cast as Bruce Lee in 'Birth of the Dragon'

Movie inspired by the story of Bruce Lee's most famous fight.



So there's this Bruce Lee movie that's been in the works for a while. Birth of a Dragon is a "biopic" of sorts, inspired by Lee's infamous Chinatown fight with Master Wong Jack Man. And now, the project has found its Bruce Lee. The legendary martial artist will be played by Hong Kong-born actor Philip Ng.

Philip Ng cast as Bruce Lee in Birth of the Dragon

According to Entertainment Weekly, Ng will play Lee, while Chinese actor Yu Xia will play rival Wong Jack Man. As legend has it, the two martial artists fought in a real-life confrontation in Oakland in 1965. Details about the duel -- including why they fought and who actually won -- have been debated for decades, but Lee's family credits the fight for sparking the development of the philosophy that would eventually become Jeet Kune Do.

Birth of the Dragon will be told from the perspective of Steve McKee. Wait, who the hell is that?

Sikh man's selfie doctored to look like Paris terrorist

Veerender Jubbal has never even been to Paris.



By now, you've seen and heard about the deadly terror attacks that killed at least 129 people in Paris last week. While there has been an international outpouring of support and compassion, the aftermath has also seen assholes act like bigger assholes, as assholes so often do. For instance, the asshole who doctored this photo of a Canadian Sikh man to make him look like one of the terrorists purportedly responsible for the attack.

Doctored photo wrongly accuses Sikh man of being Paris terrorist

Shortly after the attacks, someone doctored a photo of Veerender Jubbal, a Canadian Sikh man who months ago posted a selfie taken in front of a mirror. Mr. Jubbal, who wears a turban and beard in observance of his faith, was holding an iPad. The image was altered to show him holding a Quran and wearing a suicide vest.

What. The. Fuck.

When the doctored image began to spread -- and even got picked up and reported by one of Spain's biggest newspapers -- Jubbal posted the original photo as evidence that he had nothing to do with the attacks. He's never even been to Paris. He's just a regular guy with a turban who posted a selfie, which unfortunately is enough fodder for some Photoshopping asshole to turn him into a terrorist.

McDonald's employee fired for coffee cup racism

Employee wrote "chino" and drew a racist face caricature on an Asian customer's coffee cup.



Oh look, this shit again. Last week in Chicago, a McDonald's employee was fired after writing "CHINO" and drawing a racist caricature -- referring to an Asian American customer -- on a coffee cup order.

McDonald's worker fired for writing 'chino' on coffee cup

Paul Kim, who is Korean American, was at the McDonald's Kedzie and Foster when he noticed that "CHINO" -- a Spanish slang term for Asian -- was written on his uncle's coffee cup, along with a racist caricature of an Asian face. Yes, those three lines are supposed to be a face.

Kim shared a photo of the cup on Twitter:

Back to Blogging

Damn. I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.



All right, I'm back. Sort of. I took a much-needed break last week to get a breath of fresh air and recharge the batteries. Good stuff. I'm going to be honest: I was not quite ready to return. But it's time to fire up the laptop and get back to the sweaty business of blogging. Many things happened while I was away. I hope you'll pardon me as I shake off the vacation brain, sift through a truckload of emails and get back up to speed.

While I was away, I asked a bunch of folks to contribute guest posts to keep things going around here. Huge thank you to everyone who hooked it up during my break. Here's a roundup of everybody's contributions:

Angry Reader of the Week: Margaret Cho

"I try to create beauty and laughter and attempt to right the wrongs I see daily."



Good people of the internet! It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Margaret Cho.

AMC's Into the Badlands: The Time is Now

Guest Post by Keith Chow



I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's one from Keith Chow, cross-posted from The Nerds of Color.

As we near the end of 2015, one thing is for sure: it's a great time to be an Asian American television consumer. For the first time in history, you'll need two hands to count the number of major television programs to feature Asian American leads! On ABC alone, you have shows like Fresh of the Boat, Dr. Ken, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Quantico.

This Sunday night, the biggest network of them all -- AMC -- throws its hat into the ring with Into the Badlands, a dystopian martial arts drama starring Daniel Wu. And I can safely say the show is unlike anything you've ever seen before.

Asian Humans of New York

Guest Post by Minh-Ha T. Pham



I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's one from Minh-Ha T. Pham, author of 'Asians Wear Clothes on the Internet: Race, Gender, and the Work of Personal Style Bloggin.'

My guest post pays tribute to New York City, with a special focus on my home borough of Brooklyn. In it, I spotlight Asian New Yorkers in the fields of fashion, food, and photography. Here are their stories, told mostly in their own words. (All photos are used with permission and courtesy of the featured individuals unless otherwise noted.)

6 Years, 6 Lessons (and 1 to Grow On): Opening Federal Government's Doors to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

Guest Post by Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (2009-2015)


Photo credit: Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's one from Kiran Ahuja, exiting Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), housed within the Department of Education, for the past six years. The Initiative is working to improve the quality of life and opportunities for AAPIs through increased access to, and participation in, federal programs in which they may be underserved. During my time, I learned a lot, so I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you some of my big takeaways – so here are the Top 6 Lessons (and 1 to grow on) learned as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

A Comics Artist Shamelessly Plugs Some of Her Amazingly Talented Asian American Friends and Colleagues

Guest Post by Wendy Xu



I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's one from comics artist Wendy Xu.

Wendy here. I'm a comics artist. I'm currently working on a webcomic (more on that later), and my recent projects include pencils in a comic displayed as part of the New York Historical Society's Chinese in America exhibit, as well as had a short comic in Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology. I've also printed and sold my short witch comics at indie cons like MOCCA and SPX.

I was drawing one night when I got an email from Phil inviting me to write a guest post for Angry Asian Man. Since comics and graphic novels dominate my entire life, from my day job to what I do off-hours, this is -- you guessed it -- about comics. Mostly, I wanted to use the opportunity to showcase and shamelessly plug some of my amazingly talented Asian American friends and colleagues, all of them up-and-comers in the comics industry who undoubtedly have long and illustrious careers ahead of them.

I once heard Marvel talent Alitha Martinez say at a panel, "To be in this industry, you have to be good. You have to be very, very good, because at least hundreds of other people want to be doing what you're doing." Outside of the Big Two of Marvel and DC, there are many other artists in the independent comics world creating, publishing and selling their own stories -- and they are all, indeed, very, very good. Editors and new readers, pay attention!

Featured in this interview are: Trung Nguyen, Shivana Sookdeo, Alice Meichi Li and Arielle Jovellanos.

The Final Frontier: Captain Demora Sulu

Guest Post by Sarah Kuhn



I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's Sarah Kuhn on her favorite Star Trek hero.

The announcement came down earlier this month: there's a new Star Trek series in the works. Geek Twitter lit up with an avalanche of conflicting thoughts and feelings, "Hooray!" mingling with "How dare they?!" and "Also, what the fuck is CBS All Access?"

I only had one thought and it was immediate, specific, and all-consuming: How can we get Demora Sulu to be captain of the Enterprise?

Why are Asians so rare on Shonda Rhimes' hit TV shows?

Guest Post by Gil Asakawa



I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's Gil Asakawa (who watches a lot of television).

My wife Erin and I love junk-food TV. From The Blacklist and Blindspot to Grimm and Castle, we turn into small-screen zombies at night, depending on our DVR to serve up our shows. But there's one junk-food TV brand that we've decided to strike from out diet, and delete from our DVR.

After years of devouring the medical soap series Grey's Anatomy, a couple of seasons of the media-political soap Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, the most recent ABC hit series written and produced by Shonda Rhimes, we've gone cold turkey on her shows.

Here's why: Rhimes is a terrific storyteller, and pioneering producer who casts African Americans in prominent or starring roles in her series. But except for Sandra Oh's keystone character, the irascible but brilliant surgeon Cristina Yang, Asians are either non-existent or generally fringe-ified. It's almost as if with Oh's departure from Shondaland (Rhimes' production company and the realm where all these shows dwell), the box for Asian stars was checked off: "Done."

Top Five Reasons Why Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Should Support Affirmative Action

Guest Post by Nicole Ochi, Supervising Attorney, Advancing Justice - LA


I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's one from Nicole Ochi, Supervising Attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles.

Last week, in partnership with more than 160 Asian American and and Pacific Islander organizations, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) and Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of University of Texas Austin’s ("UT-Austin") race conscious admissions policy. So, why did more than 160 AAPI-serving organizations, from large, pan-Asian national organizations and professional associations, to student and grassroots groups serving Arab, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities stand together to tell the nation’s highest court that it should uphold UT-Austin’s race conscious admissions policy for a second time?

Here are the top 5 reasons:

Turning the Big 1-2: Behind the Scenes of 'Fresh Off The Boat'

Guest Post by Hudson Yang


Eddie has cool T-shirts, but I have cool T-shirts too.
I'm on vacation! This week, I'm taking a much-needed break to recharge the batteries and get a change of scenery. To keep things going around here, I've enlisted the help of several friends of the blog to submit guest posts on various topics of their choosing. Here's one from Hudson Yang, star of ABC's Fresh Off The Boat.

So this week's episode of Fresh Off The Boat, "The Big One-Two," was about Eddie turning 12, and actually I turned 12 a few weeks ago too.

I don't feel that different as a 12 year old than I did as an 11 year old. I do get more privileges. My dad lets me sit up front in the car sometimes. And I'm treated differently, beause I'm older and I can't get away with being irresponsible all the time. I have to help with the dishes and laundry, and I have to take care of my seven-year-old brother Skyler more. And I have to watch how I act around him, because I see that he's watching what I do all the time, and I want him to have a good role model.