Read These Blogs

Ghazala Khan: Trump criticized my silence. He knows nothing about true sacrifice. "Donald Trump has asked why I did not speak at the Democratic convention. He said he would like to hear from me. Here is my answer to Donald Trump: Because without saying a thing, all the world, all America, felt my pain. I am a Gold Star mother. Whoever saw me felt me in their heart."

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Seven Minutes That Shook the Convention: How Khizr M. Khan, the father of a slain Muslim U.S. soldier, shamed Donald Trump, upstaged Hillary Clinton and gave the country a lesson in values.

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How Asian Americans Became Democrats: The last two decades have seen a major shift in the party preferences of Asian Americans, but they're still not deeply engaged in civic life.

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A Letter From Young Asian-Americans To Their Families About Black Lives Matter: In the flood of news coverage of the continued police murders of Black people, Christina Xu initiated a crowdsourced letter for young Asian Americans to talk about getting justice for Black families.

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Facing My Childhood Bully: Rupinder Singh, a Sikh American who relentlessly bullied as a kid, shares what happened when he came face to face with his childhood nemesis, and the choice he made.

The Sikh Project

Portraits of Sikh American men and women explore the style and significance of the Sikh articles of faith.



New York! The Sikh Coalition invites you to The Sikh Project, the first-ever art exhibition exclusively featuring Sikh Americans. From acclaimed British photographers Amit and Naroop, the exhibition will feature 40 portraits of Sikh American men and women that explore the style and significance of the Sikh articles of faith.

The exhibition, which will be free to the general public, highlights generations of Sikh American history that embodies perseverance and progress as we commemorate the 15-year anniversary of 9/11. The Sikh Project will run September 17-25 at 530 Broadway in Manhattan.

Here are some more details about the exhibition:

San Diego police officer killed in shooting

Officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, a 16-year police veteran, was shot multiple times during a stop.



In San Diego, a veteran police officer was shot and killed and another was injured as they tried to make a stop on Thursday night, leading to one suspect's arrest and an extensive hunt for other suspects.

Police identify 2 officers shot overnight in Southcrest

Officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, a 16-year-department veteran and father of two, was killed. Officer Wade Irwin, a nine-year veteran, was shot and hospitalized in serious condition, but is expected to survive.

53-year-old Jesse Michael Gomez was charged in the shootings. He was shot during the confrontation and was in critical condition at the hospital. Another man, 41-year-old Marcus Antonio Cassani, was arrested after a standoff with police and is being held as a potential second suspect.

Angry Reader of the Week: Quincy Surasmith

"I'm a believer that folks have space for all sorts of intersecting and overlapping identities."



Hello, good people of the internet! You know what time it is. It is 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 Quincy Surasmith.

Two women sought in subway hate crime assault

Suspects punched the victim in the head while making anti-Asian remarks.



In Manhattan, the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is investigating a subway attack in which an Asian woman was assaulted by two woman who punched her while making anti-Asian statements.

2 Women Sought In Possible Bias Attack On 1 Subway Train

The two suspects, seen in a video released by the NYPD, assaulted a 29-year-old Asian woman who was with her parents on a northbound 1 train on the Upper West Side the night of June 26.

According to investigators, the two women boarded the train at 86th street. One of the suspects screamed and shouted profanities at the victim. Both suspects then pulled her to the floor and punched her in the head while making anti-Asian comments. Then the two ran off the train at the Cathedral Parkway-110th Street station.

Police have released surveillance images of the women walking past 545 West 11th St. following the attack:

Jennifer Murphy doubles down with a crappier, even more racist version of the "Neenja" song

Oh, it gets much worse.



At the risk of giving this person yet more attention... she's back. Jennifer Murphy doesn't appear to be interested in putting this whole "Neenja" fiasco to rest. Instead, she's doubled down and decided to dig herself a deeper hole with her latest video, an even shittier, even longer version of this racist tune.

It's the remix!

Spliced together with the live footage from the "Pink Carpet Launch Party" that set this whole thing off, the new video boasts "never before seen foootage," filling in some of the backstory of the "Neenja" song -- as if context could help this situation -- and unfurling the song's narrative around the now-infamous "Chow." It's basically an Asian guy doing a fairly awful impression of Ken Jeong's character from The Hangover movies.

That's barely even the worst of it.

68-year-old man on life support after road rage incident

Chun Tse was assaulted after getting into a minor traffic accident in Queens.



In New York, a 68-year-old man is hospitalized and on life support after being assaulted in an alleged road rage confrontation following a minor traffic accident. The incident was caught on dash cam video.

68-Year-Old Man On Life Support After Alleged Road Rage Incident In Queens

Chun Tse was involved in a fender bender last week in Queens. Dash cam video shows him walk to the front of the car to check the damage, then exchange words with the other driver, 44-year-old Cleaman Anderson. Moments later, Anderson punched Tse, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head.

Matt Damon saves China from dragons in 'The Great Wall'

The latest movie in the grand cinematic tradition of the Special White Person.



It turns out the Great Wall of China was erected to keep out dragons. Behold, the trailer for The Great Wall, a fantasy action monster movie about an epic battle against dragons in ancient China... starring Matt Damon. Yes, a thousand years ago, Jason Friggin' Bourne saved the Chinese from dragons.

Directed by Zhang Yimou, and touted as the most expensive Chinese movie of all time, the movie stars a long-haired Matt Damon alongside Chinese superstars like Andy Lau, Luhan and Jing Tian, in a crazy-ass smoke and spears and fire and arrows battle on the Great Wall against fire-breathing dragons.

This looks as ridiculous as it sounds:

Watch Judy Chu and a squad of AAPIs reppin' at the DNC

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus take the stage in support of Hillary Clinton.



On Wednesday, if you were watching the proceedings at the Democratic National Convention, you may have seen a squad of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders take the stage, repping the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and talking about their support for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of CAPAC, recalled that there was a time, not too long ago, that seeing an Asian face in the U.S. Capitol was a rare sight. But there are now a record number of API members of Congress.

"We have gone from being marginalized to becoming the margin of victory in key swing states and districts all across our nation," Chu said. "America needs a president who will fight for us. Someone who rejects the hateful rhetoric too often used to divide us and believes that America's diversity is our greatest strength. That is why we've got to elect Hillary Clinton as our next President of the United States."

Chu highlighted how CAPAC's membership includes Rep. Doris Matsui and Rep. Mike Honda, who both spent part of their childhoods incarcerated in internment camps as Japanese Americans -- a dark chapter of our country's history that Donald Trump doesn't seem to have any problem with. The congresswoman also paid tribute to the late congressman Mark Takai, who died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Watch the trailer for the award-winning drama 'Spa NIght'

Andrew Ahn's debut feature opens August 19 in New York and August 26 in Los Angeles.



The award-winning indie coming-of-age drama Spa Night opens in limited theatrical release next month from Strand Releasing. Writer/director Andrew Ahn's debut feature tells the story of one Korean American family's dreams and realities as each struggles with the overlap of desire, disillusionment and sense of tradition.

I attended the world premiere of Spa Night at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance for lead actor Joe Seo. The film also recently took home the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at Outfest, the Los Angeles LGBT film festival. It's an incredible, heartfelt, deeply personal film.

Here's the official Spa Night trailer, which just premiered on Vulture:

Joe Montano, Regional Director for Sen. Tim Kaine, dies at 47

Virginia Democrat is remembered as a passionate community activist and public servant.



Sad news out of Virginia... Joe Montano, the Northern Virginia regional director for Democratic vice presidential candidate and Senator Tim Kaine, died suddenly this week at his home in Falls Church. He was 47.

Joe Montano, regional director for Sen. Kaine's office, dies at 47

Described by many as the face of Senator Kaine's office, Montano is remembered as a passionate community activist, committed public servant, advocate for immigrants and champion of the Filipino American community.

"My staff and I are deeply saddened by the death of our Northern Virginia Regional Director," Senator Kaine said in a statement. "Joe was an outstanding representative of this office, enthusiastic servant of the people of Northern Virginia, and admired colleague by all who worked with him. We will remember him by his positive energy, tireless work ethic, and infectious smile. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe's family."

At a DNC breakfast on Wednesday, Kaine remembered Montano's friendship, service and spirit, calling him a "proud, patriotic American" who was about "outreach, bridge-building and bringing people together."

APIOPA's Farm to Chopsticks 2016

Thursday, August 18 at API Obesity Prevention Alliance



Los Angeles! Check out this fun event for a worthy cause. APIOPA empowers Asian and Pacific Islander communities to improve their health by proactively addressing social, cultural, environmental, and political factors that contribute to the growing rates of obesity among API residents in Los Angeles County.

You are invited to APIOPA's annual Farm to Chopsticks event, bringing together friends, family and their Roots community-supported agriculture farmers. Hosted by comedian/writer Jenny Yang, it'll be a fun night of tasty Asian cuisine, specially sourced from Asian farmers, and cooked by hip, local chefs in Los Angeles.

It's happening Thursday, August 18 in downtown Los Angeles. Here are some more details:

More Bald Tilda (and Wong!) in the new 'Dr. Strange' trailer

Director Scott Derrickson says he feels "tremendous empathy" for Asian American audiences.



Over the weekend, as part of its barrage of content reveals at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel dropped the second trailer for Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Dr. Stephen Strange, who journeys to Mystical Asia to learn Mystical Asian Stuff, and eventually fights evil with Mystical Asian Stuff.

The first teaser trailer gave us a glimpse of Tilda Swinton in all her baldness as the Sorcerer Supreme's mentor, The Ancient One, who has been traditionally depicted in the comic books as an old-ass mystical Asian man. Whatever you want to call it -- whitewashing, racebending, yellowface -- that shit looks pretty wack.

Well, there's more bald wackness where that came from in the latest trailer:

Visual Communications presents Uprooted From The Scenes

Thursday, July 28 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum in Little Tokyo



If you're in Los Angeles, here's a cool screening event happening this week... Our friends at Visual Communications invite you to Uprooted From The Scenes, the latest installment for the Summer Intern Screening Exhibit. Curated by VC's summer interns, the screening event showcases works by Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers that were part of the 32nd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

It's happening Thursday, July 28 in the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum. in Little Tokyo. Here are some more details about the screening:

#keepTNfree: Celebrating 18 Years of Art+Community

Support the oldest currently running Asian American open mic space in the country.



Tuesday Night Project is the Asian American grassroots and volunteer-based organization that presents Tuesday Night Cafe, one of the longest-running free arts and performance series in downtown Los Angeles, and the oldest currently running Asian American open mic space in the country.

One the first and third Tuesday of every month, in the Aratani Courtyard of the Union Center for the Arts in Little Tokyo, you will find a passionate, positive space that serves Asian American/Pacific Islander artists. Now in its 18th year, Tuesday Night Cafe is a community institution, fueled by blood and sweat and art and love.

And that's why we need to pitch in to #KeepTNFree. Tuesday Night Project is in the throes of its annual fundraising campaign to sustain another year of art+community and keep this incredible, valuable community operation going. They have a goal to raise $12,000 by July 31. Can you help them out?

Greg Pak's comic book 'Kingsway West' gets a badass trailer

New series tells the story of a Chinese gunslinger searching for his wife in an Old West overrun with magic.



The new comic book series Kingsway West tells the epic tale of a Chinese gunslinger searching for his wife in an Old West overrun with magic. The long-awaited four-issue miniseries, written by Greg Pak with art by Mirko Colak, colors by Wil Quintana, and letters by Simon Bowland, puts a genre-bending Asian spin on the western. The first issue, from Dark Horse Comics, will be available next month.

And now it has a badass trailer! Check it out:

We still have no idea who Negan killed on 'The Walking Dead'

But here's a trailer and some images to agonize over.



Over the weekend at the geek fan mecca known as San Diego Comic Con, the cast and crew of The Walking Dead gathered for a panel at Hall H in which nobody was able to say a damn thing about the upcoming season.

When we last left AMC's hit zombie drama, one of our beloved survivors was getting beaten to death by the villainous Negan in a moment that fans had been anticipating and dreading for some time. The season ended on the cruelest of cliffhangers, with most of the core characters -- including Glenn, played by Steven Yeun -- on the possible receiving end of Negan's barbed wire-covered baseball bat.

Yes, there is a strong possibility that it's Glenn, if the show chooses to remain faithful to The Walking Dead comic book's most infamous moment. If you're like me, you're praying to the TV deities that this fate would befall someone, anyone else besides our favorite Asian American zombie apocalypse survivor. But the show's panelists remained tight-lipped, talking about the show in broad strokes out of fear of giving away anything.

They did unveil the Season 7 Comic-Con trailer, which reminds everybody that our heroes are in a pretty bad situation, before revealing some non-Negan-related footage from season seven.

Jeremy Lin still gets singled out and stopped by NBA security

"I'm so used to it now. It doesn't bother me."



It seems that things haven't gotten any easier for Jeremy Lin, at least in terms of getting past security.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, the newest member of the Brooklyn Nets said that despite having played in the NBA for six seasons -- including that phenomenal little period known as "Linsanity" -- he still gets stopped, singled out and asked for credentials by security as he walks into arenas with his teammates.

The Nefarious Chinese Are Taking Over American Farms!

...according to this xenophobic Missouri political ad.



Well, this is... unsurprising. We are now in the muckiest thick of election season, so you know what that means. Blame China! For everything. In a fairly typical move out the campaign playbook, this racist, xenophobic, fear-mongering political ad for Missouri's state attorney general race goes there, with America's farms at stake.

The subtitled 30-second spot features a rather nefarious-looking Chinese businessman bragging to another in Mandarin about how he was able to buy a Missouri farm after state senator Kurt Schaefer, a Republican candidate for attorney general, helped changed a state law allowing foreign ownership of farms.

"Now we own thousands of acres in Missouri," the businessman says, arms raised, "and can buy more."

Take a look:

Read These Blogs

Watch George Takei compare Trump's treatment of Latinos to Japanese internment: In a new video, George Takei draws disturbing parallels between his experience being incarcerated as a boy during World War II, and Donald Trump's plan to deport all 11.4 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

* * *
Opinion: On Affirmative Action, Asian Americans 'Are Not Your Wedge': Mee Moua and Stewart Kwoh of Asian Americans Advancing Justice on Fisher v. Texas, affirmative action, and refusing to allow Asian Americans to be pitted against other communities of color.

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How Asian Americans Contribute to White Supremacy: "There is an advantage to keeping our heads down. There is an advantage to working hard, ignoring other people's problems, fighting only for our own rights. But it's the same advantage that makes Asian Americans white supremacy's one success."

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Jose Antonio Vargas Calls Out the Irony of the GOP Applauding LGBTQ Rights in One Tweet: "So is @realDonaldTrump for all LGBTQ people, like undocumented trans Latinas? Or, only for White LGBTQs like@Caitlyn_Jenner, Peter Thiel?" Thank you, Jose Antonio Vargas.

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Why Asian Americans Should Fight to End the Drug War: The War on Drugs was intended to criminalize the Black and Brown population. Drug policy needs reform, and Asian Americans should join the fight.

Angry Reader of the Week: Owen Lei

"I'd like to think I have one of the most inspiring jobs in the world."



Hey! 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 Owen Lei.

67-year-old man brutally beaten and robbed in Philadelphia

Shongchai Hang was assaulted by two suspects in broad daylight.



In North Philadelphia, surveillance cameras caught the brutal assault of an elderly man who was beaten and robbed last week by two men on the street in broad daylight. The suspects are still at large.

Suspects attack, rob 67-year-old man in Fern Rock

67-year-old Shongchai Hang was walking in Fern Rock when two men ran towards him and chased him, demanding his wallet and cell phone. Hang tried to run away, but they caught up to him and punched him the face. When he fell on the ground they punched and kicked him until he fell unconscious.

Hang, a Lutheran minister, says one of the men sprayed mace in his face, and then hit him in the forehead with the empty mace can. They took his cell phone and wallet before running off.

The attack was caught on camera:

Hawaii Congressman Mark Takai dies at 49

First-term Congressman passed away on Wednesday after battling pancreatic cancer.



Sad news. U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, a first-term Congressman from Hawaii's first district, died Wednesday morning in Honolulu, nine months after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 49.

Mark Takai, Congressman from Hawaii, Dies at 49

Born and raised in Oahu, Takai was a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard and veteran of the Iraq War. At the age of 27, he was elected to the Hawaii State Legislature, where he served for twenty years before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014.

Last fall, Takai confirmed that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and underwent surgery to remove a tumor in his pancreas, followed by chemotherapy. In February, he announced that he would seek re-election, but later announced that he would not run for a second term after learning the cancer had spread.

"Right now, for the sake of my family, I need to focus on getting better rather than getting re-elected," Takai said in a statement at the time. "Although I will not be running for re-election, I intend to serve out the remainder of my term in Congress. There is still much work that I am determined to see through for Hawaii and our nation over the next few months."

A statement from his office said Takai passed away at his home, surrounded by his family.

When Your Parents Speak Broken English

Bless the kids who have been forced to translate for their parents in hella awkward situations.



If you're the child of immigrants, some of you can relate to this. BuzzFeed has posted a moving video featuring young men and women sharing what it's like When Your Parents Speak Broken English. They share about memorable moments from growing up, the times they've had to translate for their parents, and the sometimes awkward, sometimes painful interactions they've had because of the language barrier.

Take a look:

Family Reunion: A Storytelling Show

"Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow": Thursday, July 21 at Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe



Hey, Los Angeles! Who wants to hear a story? It's time for another edition of Disoriented Comedy's Family Reunion, a monthly live storytelling show co-presented by Angry Asian Man, Tuesday Night Project, Mishthi Music and KAYA Press, featuring regular everyday folks talking story. No notes.

This month's theme is "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow," guest co-curated by Taz Ahmed and co-produced/hosted by Neelanjana Banerjee. The evening's lineup of storytellers includes Ramy Eletreby, Ruman Kazi, Marium Mohiuddin, Neda Momeni, Winty Singh, Maaz Ali, Shaan Dasani, Sanjay Shah and Amrita Dhaliwal.

It's happening Thursday, July 21 at Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe. Here are some more details:

It looks like Kelly Marie Tran has a pretty big role in 'Star Wars: Episode VIII'

"I am so excited for you to meet Kelly," director Rian Johnson told fans. "She's really something special."



Yes, there are Asians in a galaxy far, far away. Since it was announced that newcomer Kelly Marie Tran had joined the cast of Star Wars: Episode VIII, there has been a great deal of mystery and speculation about, well, pretty much everything about her character. Here's what we know about her role: it's big.

Her casting was significant enough to announce in the initial press release alongside new cast additions Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern, when production began in February. And in an interview a few months back, star John Boyega, who played Finn in The Force Awakens, referred to Tran as the "new lead."

And now, over the weekend at the annual Star Wars Celebration Europe in London, director Rian Johnson confirmed that Tran does indeed play a significant role in the as-yet-untitled Episode VIII.

"I am so excited for you to meet Kelly," Johnson told fans. "She's really something special."

This Chinatown grandma is one of 'The Forgotten Ones'

Short documentary profiles elderly living alone in Manhattan's Chinatown.



Every grandma in Chinatown, wheeling her cart and clutching her plastic bags, has a story. Mantai Chow's short documentary The Forgotten Ones, recently showcased by the The Atlantic, profiles elderly people who've lived in New York City for decades, but who are struggling as they grow older alone.

80-year-old King-Sim Ng, whose husband passed away years ago, and whose children have moved out. She has been living alone in Manhattan's Chinatown for 15 years. The heartbreaking film follows Ng through her regular routine as she digs through discarded food and finds moments of companionship with fellow seniors.

Chinese restaurant receives threats after "misunderstanding" with sheriff's department

Skagit County Sheriff's Office says Lucky Teriyaki banned cops; owner says it was a misunderstanding.



Last week in Washington state, the Skagit County Sheriff's Office put a local Chinese restaurant on blast, declaring that law enforcement officers were no longer welcome at the restaurant. The sheriff's announcement, posted to social media, claims that the eatery's owner asked deputies not to eat there anymore.

But it turns out the whole thing might have been a misunderstanding due to a language barrier.

Chinese restaurant owner deluged with threats after sheriff wrongly accuses him of banning cops

On Thursday, the Skagit County Sheriff's Office's official Facebook page posted a status about an encounter that several officers reportedly had at the Lucky Teriyaki restaurant in Sedro-Woolley. The deputies claim the owner asked them to leave, saying they were no longer welcome there because they upset other customers. So of course, the most responsible course of action for a law enforcement agency in this situation: publicly blast the business on Facebook. The Sheriff's post effectively called for a public boycott of the restaurant.

"I understand a business owner has a right to refuse service if he wants to," Sheriff Will Reichardt said. "I also understand that as customers we all have the right to find some other restaurant to take our lunch break in."

Read These Blogs

Fake image of Sikh man is now being used to accuse him of the Nice attack: A Photoshopped picture of a Canadian Sikh man who was wrongly identified as one of the terrorists behind November's Paris attacks has surfaced again in the wake of Nice.

* * *
Will Asian-Americans get behind Black Lives Matter? "We as Asian-Americans remain complicit in the terrible toll the African-American population has faced, because of our indifference, our lack of empathy or our outright embrace of a meritocratic mythology that labels our community a 'model minority' and black Americans as a values-compromised 'underclass.'"

* * *
In the narrative of race, why only black ink on white paper? As the cries of Black Lives Matter resound in her heart, a Hmong-American writer reminds us why racism isn't only black and white.

* * *
As Clinton launches registration effort, community groups focus on Asian Americans: Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., with political power that neither party has fully harnessed.

* * *
Why a Vice President Mike Pence is Bad News for AAPIs: On the heels of the news that Donald Trump has chosen Mike Pence as his running mate, Reappropriate outlines why this decision is bad news, particularly for AAPI immigrants, women and LGBT individuals.

* * *
Mike Pence Argued In An Op-Ed That Disney’s "Mulan" Was Liberal Propaganda: "Obviously, this is Walt Disney's attempt to add childhood expectation to the cultural debate over the role of women in the military," Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence once wrote in an op-ed in 1999.

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We're Pretty Sure Negan Kills Glenn on The Walking Dead: TV Guide makes the case that it was, sadly, Glenn who was brutally killed by the villainous Negan in the season six finale of The Walking Dead. We don't wanna believe it! (They also made the case that it was Maggie, so these are all still just fan theories.

* * *
Diversity Drives The Story In The Latest Incarnation Of Superman: Gene Luen Yang, writer on DC's New Super-Man, talks to NPR about Kenan Kong, the Chinese teenager who takes up the mantle of Superman.

* * *
Master of None's Aziz Ansari on His Emmy Nominations: 'There's No #EmmysSoWhite': Vulture spoke to Aziz Ansari to get his thoughts on Master of None's four Emmy nominations and becoming just the fifth person of South Asian descent to be nominated in an acting category.

Angry Reader of the Week: Dolly Li

"Basically, I woman-splain shit to you on the internet."



Greetings, internet. You know what time it is. 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 Dolly Li.

No, Jennifer Murphy. You are not "neenja."

See the former Miss Oregon and ex-'Apprentice' contestant sing a racist song about ninjas. Or something.



First, a warning: do not watch this video unless you want a craptastically racist song stuck in your brain.

That said, this video, originally entitled "I want to be NEENJA!" has been making the rounds. It features television personality, former beauty queen and former Apprentice contestant Jennifer Murphy singing a bizarre and inexplicably racist song about a bed. Or ninjas? Or some other stupid Orientalist shit.

Hyped as a "sneak peek" of her new song, the video shows Ms. Murphy performing the song live at the "Pink Carpet Launch Party" for her company, Jennifer Murphy Beds. It is an epic narrative tune about martial arts, somebody referred to as "Chow," and Jennifer's own quest to become a so-called "neenja" -- largely performed in a shitty faux ching chong accent. What any of this has to do with selling beds... somebody tell me.

See you at the Los Angeles Premiere of 'Mele Murals'

Friday, August 5 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.



Los Angeles! Mark your calendars. You do not want to miss the upcoming LA premiere of Mele Murals, the latest documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Tad Nakamura. Mele Murals is a story about the transformative power of modern graffiti art and ancient Hawaiian culture for a new generation of Native Hawaiians.

Set against the resurgence of Hawaiian language and culture of the past twenty years, Mele Murals follows two former illegal graffiti writers turned community artists -- Estria Miyashiro (aka Estria) and John Hina (aka Prime) -- and their quest to connect people and place through mural making. The film shows how public art rooted in underground graffiti unexpectedly but powerfully fuses with Native Hawaiian traditions and contemporary life to impact local youth, the rural community of Waimea, and most of all the artists.

The Los Angeles premiere will include a screening of the film and Q&A with the filmmaker and featured artists Estria and Prime. It's happening Friday, August 5 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.

Here's the trailer:

Jeremy Lin is the Best Darn Bargain in the NBA

CBS Sports says the Brooklyn Nets' three-year, $36 million contract with Lin is a steal.



So you've heard that Jeremy Lin is headed back to New York City. This month, the free agent signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Nets. And Brooklyn might just be getting the best deal in the NBA.

In a wild NBA spending spree, these 10 free agents were actually a bargain

CBS Sports' Ananth Pandian has compiled a list of the top ten bargains in this summer's free agency, and Lin's deal with the Nets tops the list. The three-year, $36 million contract is a steal, Pandian writes.

Aziz Ansari nabs Emmy nominations for 'Master of None'

Also: Michelle Ang nominated for 'Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462' miniseries.



Nominations for 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards, recognizing excellence in the television industry, were announced on Thursday morning. In a banner year for diversity on television, Aziz Ansari receive a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Master of None.

Emmy Awards 2016: The Nominees

Ansari's nomination makes him the first Asian American lead series actor to be nominated for an Emmy. He joins a competitive field that includes previous nominees Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent), Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) and William H. Macy (Shameless).

Take The Great National Boba/Bubble Tea Survey*

Hey, boba tea drinkers! The Asian Americana podcast needs your help.



The podcast Asian Americana, produced and hosted by our friend Quincy Surasmith, is doing an episode about one of your favorite Asian beverages -- tapioca pearl milk tea -- and they're asking for your help.

Asian Americana has created a survey researching some of your preferences and consuming habits when it comes to boba/bubble tea. What do you call it? How and where do you enjoy it? They want to know. Respond to the survey and enter for your enter for a chance to win a nifty Giant Robot boba/bubble tea pin.

They're looking for responses from all ages, backgrounds and regions (especially outside California), so take the survey and share far and wide. You've got until August 1. Here are some more details:

Man arrested in racist attack on Indian motel manager

Brandon Kilgore called Preet Moudgil a "terrorist," threatened him with a knife and broke into his home.



"All he saw was a brown man." In Washington state, a man was arrested after calling an Indian American motel owner and his family "terrorists," threatening them with a knife and breaking into their home.

Victim in Kettle Falls assault says family was targeted for their skin color

28-year-old Brandon Kilgore is accused of coming after Preet Moudgil and his family with a knife, breaking into their apartment in a racist rampage. Later, Kilgore told a police officer, "I was trained to kill people like them."

Moudgil, who manages the Kettle Falls Inn, says that Kilgore came into the motel lobby on Saturday asking for a shower seat. He then asked Moudgil if he knew about Guantanamo Bay and made other racist comments.

Oh hell, you can probably guess where this was going.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson set to direct 'Darkest Minds'

'Kung Fu Panda' director will make her live-action debut with Fox's adaptation of the popular young adult novel.



Jennifer Yuh Nelson, best known for directing the Kung Fu Panda movies, will make her live-action directorial debut with Darkest Minds, an adaptation of the young adult novel trilogy by Alexandra Bracken.

'Kung Fu Panda' Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson to Make Live-Action Debut With 'Darkest Minds'

The Darkest Minds series is set after a pandemic kills most of America's children and teenagers. When some of the survivors develop various superpowers, they are deemed too dangerous for society, taken from the their families and imprisoned inside "rehabilitation camps."

The first book, published in 2012, follows a 16-year-old with telekinetic abilities named Ruby, who escapes her camp and joins a rag-tag group of fellow teenage escapees on the run from the government.

Mall security robot injures toddler

16-month-old Harwin Cheng was knocked down and run over by a robot security guard in Palo Alto.



Last week in Palo Alto, a young boy was knocked down and run over by a robot security guard at Stanford Shopping Center. Thankfully, the kid is okay, but his parents are mad as hell. Wait, did I just read that right?

Parents upset after Stanford Shopping Center security robot injures child

Yes, there are robot mall security guards. And their people skills are apparently not so great. Last Thursday, 16-month-old Harwin Cheng had a frightening collision with the Stanford Shopping Center's robot.

"The robot hit my son's head and he fell down facing down on the floor and the robot did not stop and it kept moving forward," Harwin's mom Tiffany Teng told ABC7. The robot ran over Harwin's right foot, causing it to swell, but luckily didn't break any bones. He also had a scrape on his leg from the incident.

39th Asian American International Film Festival

Presented by Asian CineVision, July 21-30 in New York City.



New York film fans! This one's for you. The 39th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision, is going down July 21-30 at various venues in Manhattan and Flushing. As the nation's oldest and longest-running Asian-interest film festival, AAIFF 2016 is a ten-day celebration of inspiring Asian and Asian American works in film and video by innovative artists from around the world.

Here's the AAIFF 2016 trailer:

Four arrested in kidnapping for ransom; victim still missing

57-year-old Elvira Babb was last seen June 29 in Vallejo, California.



In Northern California, authorities are investigating the kidnapping for ransom of a 57-year-old woman who remains missing after almost two weeks even though four suspects have been arrested in the case.

4 arrested, victim still missing in Vallejo kidnapping

Elvira Babb was last seen June 29 by a co-worker who dropped her off at a market in Vallejo. Her son, John Babb, received a text message from an unknown number the next day demanding money -- a figure described as less than $100,000 -- and threatening his mother's life if he didn't comply or went to the police.

Babb went to his mother's home after receiving the text and found her pet Chihuahua dead. He contacted the Vallejo Police Department and told officers his mother had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom.

A weeklong investigation, which included the FBI, the Sacramento and Fairfield police departments, Solano County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals Service, led officials to an acquaintance of Elvira Babb, 26-year-old Emmanuel Espinoza, who was arrested in Sacramento on Friday night.

'A Challenge' re-imagines Bruce Lee's most famous fight

Serialized graphic novel tells the story of three friends in 1964 San Francisco Chinatown. And Bruce Lee.



At long last! Artist Jeremy Arambulo has dropped the latest (and long-awaited) chapter of his original eight-part serial web graphic novel A Challenge, a fictionalized re-imagining of Bruce Lee's most famous fight. Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, the story centers on Jack, Frank and Nancy -- three friends whose lives are changed after they meet the young martial artist, circa 1964. In Chapter 6, we finally get to the legendary confrontation.

Here's a preview of Chapter 6, "Jack vs. Bruce":

Start a Conversation with Letters for Black Lives

An Open Letter Project on Anti-Blackness



Letters for Black Lives is a set of crowdsourced, multilingual and culturally-aware resources aimed at creating a space for open and honest conversations about racial justice, police violence, and anti-Blackness in our families and communities. The project started out as an intergenerational note from Asian American children to their parents, voicing concerns and support for the Black community.

The goal was to create a starting point for difficult conversations. "Talking about race and police violence in Asian communities has always been difficult," said Christina Xu, one of the letter's lead organizers. "There are language and cultural barriers, media access issues and unresolved distrust between communities."

The letter first appeared as a Google Doc last Thursday, July 7 and has attracted contributions from hundreds of people around the world, ballooning into an international, multilingual project spanning translations in over thirty languages and dialects, as well as additional versions spoken from the perspectives of other communities who share similar concerns (Latinx, Canadians, African Immigrants, among others).

Many more are now building on the project with their own voices through audio, video and images.

Man arrested for vandalizing Asian-owned business in Oregon

39-year-old Bernard Shifman was arrested after shattering the windows of two restaurants in Eugene.



Over the weekend, police in Eugene, Oregon arrested a man in connection with the vandalism of several Asian businesses after he was caught throwing rocks through the windows of two restaurants.

Man arrested in connection with vandalism at two Asian-owned restaurants in Eugene

39-year-old Bernard Shifman was charged with two counts of felony first-degree criminal mischief and one count of disorderly conduct for throwing rocks through the windows of Lotus Garden and Jade Palace.

According to the Eugene Police Department, officers were dispatched to Lotus Garden after receiving reports that a man threw a rock through the front window of the restaurant. While investigating the incident, another caller reported a similar event at Jade Palace. Shifman was arrested in connection with both incidents.

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Open letter to Chinese American moms #blacklivesmatter: "It is time for Chinese American mothers to take charge of our destiny and protect our families. We possess too much power and personal vision to sit this one out."

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We Were All Trini: Searching for Asian American Mirrors in SF/F: "I am part of multiple badass Asian Girl Gangs and when I look at their beautiful, fierce faces, I finally see mine reflected back at me."

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The Subversive New Generation of Asian American Writers: Writers Jenny Zhang and Tansi Nandini Islam talk to The Vice Reader about families, politics, and the cringes that come when your story is workshopped by a room of white writers.

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Yes, Mr. Takei, Sulu is Gay and Here's Why You Should Be Embracing That: YOMYOMF respectfully disagrees with George Takei's opinion that Sulu should not be gay in Star Trek Beyond.

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How the Academy's New Class Impacts Asian Representation in Hollywood: Two producers weigh in on recent Oscar events, new AMPAS members, and the future of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.

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How one man repopulated a rare butterfly species in his backyard: Tim Wong is an aquatic biologist at the California Academy of Sciences. But in his spare time, he's dedicated himself to repopulating the California pipevine swallowtail butterfly -- in his own backyard.

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Nets' Jeremy Lin 'not shying away' from role as starting PG, leader: Jeremy Lin says he signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency because he was given an opportunity that has been rare during his six-year NBA career: to quarterback a team as the starting point guard.

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'The Night Of' Star Riz Ahmed: 'It's Very Uncompromising in Its Authenticity': While HBO's haunting, compelling new series The Night Of is very much an ensemble, its emotional punch hinges on the performance of Riz Ahmed, who plays Nasir Khan, the doe-eyed college student who becomes the murder suspect at the center of the mystery.

An Open Letter to Our Asian American Families About Black Lives Matter

Hundreds come together to create a multi-lingual resource to talk about anti-Blackness and police violence.



Sometimes, believe it or not, the internet works together for good. That's what happened this week in the wake of news that yet another Black man, Philando Castile, had been killed by police during a traffic stop in Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by police officers in Louisiana.

On Thursday, hundreds of Asian American internet users came together and organized via Google Docs -- YES, GOOGLE DOCS -- to draft a crowdsourced open letter to our own Asian American families addressing the shootings Castile and Sterling and the urgent issues of the Black Lives Matter movement.

It can be difficult to find the words and contexts to talk about these issues with our Asian parents and relatives. Sometimes there are language barriers. Sometimes it's hard to explain the common ground in our struggles. Too often there's simply the impulse to ignore another community's struggles and look the other way.

The letter aims to help start that conversation. It began as a series of tweets from Christina Xu, who'd seen how Asian Americans had reacted negatively to previous police shootings of black Americans -- particularly, the shooting of Akai Gurley in New York City -- and wanted to do something proactive to change their perspectives.

Angry Reader of the Week: Erin O'Brien

"I am all about food, art and politics or any combination thereof."



Hey! 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 Erin O'Brien.

Comedian Aparna Nancherla performs on 'Conan'

"Immediately turns into a dark one-woman show that no one agreed to attend."



Standup comedian Aparna Nancherla (recently named one of Variety's "Top Ten Comics to Watch for 2016") performed a set on Conan the other night, talking about Netflix, depression and dating, among other things. According to Aparna, models are self-esteem pickpockets -- walk by one, and within seconds, you feel terrible.

Check it out:

Dear Alton,

By Alton Wang. Cross-Posted from Unhyphenate.



Dear Alton,

It was startling seeing your name across my feeds when I awoke a couple days ago, as the name we share isn't particularly popular in this country today.

But that's all that we share in common -- a name. We have incredibly different backgrounds, different stories, and are perceived wildly different by the people around us, including the police. We couldn't be more different.

I have never feared for my life around a police officer. Growing up, my parents and elders taught me that the police were my friends, people who would help me when I needed it. You were probably taught the opposite.

I have never fallen asleep without a confident, nearly guaranteed assumption that I would be able to fall asleep in that same bed -- a week, a month, or even a year later.

I have not needed to publicly affirm that my life matters.

But this -- clearly -- isn't about me. It's about you. It's about Philando Castile. It's about the countless black individuals who can no longer breathe because of a system built against them.