Angry Reader of the Week: Reera Yoo

"I am all about the anime. I wish I was joking, but I've read too many fanfics to deny it."



Hello, internet friends. Gather 'round, because 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 Reera Yoo.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 2: They Call Us Lewis Tan

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.


Hello, podcast listeners! We are back with Episode 2 of our recently launched podcast They Call Us Bruce. Each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

This week, we follow up our conversation on Marvel's latest Netflix series Iron Fist and welcome actor/martial artist Lewis Tan to discuss kung fu flicks and drink a bottle of Hello Kitty wine. Listen here:

'Crazy Rich Asians' has found its leading man

Newcomer Henry Golding will make his feature film debut in the adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel.



Crazy Rich Asians has found its male lead! Newcomer Henry Golding will make his feature film debut opposite Constance Wu in Warner Bros' adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel, directed by Jon M. Chu.

'Crazy Rich Asians' Lands Its Male Lead

Golding, who has no previous movie credits, has landed the role of Nick Young, a NYU history professor who comes from an extremely wealthy -- ahem, crazy rich -- old-money family. He joins Wu, who will play his ABC girlfriend Rachel Chu, and Michelle Yeoh, who will play his mother Eleanor Young.

Scarlett Johansson Presents: Opening Night of Ghost In The Shell

Friday, March 31 at UCB Sunset's Inner Sanctum Cafe



It's going down! If you're in Los Angeles, and you want to see some super-fun Asian American comedy, come on out this Friday to Scarlett Johansson Presents: Opening Night of Ghost in the Shell, the much-anticipated final show in the wildly successful "Scarlett Johansson Presents..." series at Upright Citizens Brigade. The evening, hosted by Will Choi and Keiko Agena, promises standup, sketch, improv and a very special one-time-only presentation of "Ghost in the Shell: The Musical"! You do not want to miss this.

It's happening March 31 at UCB Sunset's Inner Sanctum Cafe. Here are some more details:

Hey student journalists! Apply to VOICES 2017

All-expenses paid multimedia journalism training program for college and graduate students.


Hey student journalists! Here's a great opportunity. VOICES is an annual all-expenses paid multimedia journalism training fellowship for college and graduate students, sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association. The program is a recruiting tool to increase diversity in newsrooms. The most promising students will be selected and given the opportunity to build skills and develop their published work.

Up to twenty applicants will be selected to cover the AAJA Convention this July in Philadelphia, with travel and hotel accommodations provided. Students will be paired with professional journalists as their mentors and be expected to produce and complete news assignments in advance of the convention in July.

The deadline to apply is Friday, March 31.

Read These Blogs

Bruce Lee Would Hate 'Iron Fist': "Aside from the ethnicity of its hero, the series had just one thing to achieve in order to prove itself worthy: Show off some badass kung fu. A cleverly-choreographed action show would have given it some leeway among critics, but unfortunately, the action is where Iron Fist fails the hardest."

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135 Years Ago, Another Travel Ban Was In the News: "As the first anti-immigrant law directed at a specific nationality, the Chinese Exclusion Act is invoked by President Trump's critics as a forebear of his own policies and proclamations."

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At SXSW, Asian-American Musicians Make A Space Of Their Own: For the first time in the festival's history, SXSW showcased a lineup made up of Asian American artists.

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How A 20-Year-Old Exorcism Sent Me In Search Of Korea's Cult Problem: In 1996, Jennifer Hope Choi's uncle took part in a prayer ritual that left a woman dead. In the midst of new scandals, Choi began to wonder if his crime might be connected to the larger phenomenon of Korean religious cults.

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There's a problem with sample ballots in L.A.'s congressional race, and it could have affected thousands of voters: An unknown number of voters who received Korean-language voting materials in the 34th Congressional District race may have received incorrectly printed sample ballots.

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‘Difficult People': John Cho Set To Recur In Season 3 Of Hulu Series: John Cho is slated to play Billy Eichner's love interest in the comedy series Difficult People.

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Meet Lewis Tan, the Asian-American Actor Who Could Have Been Iron Fist: An interview with Lewis Tan, who was considered for the lead in Iron Fist but was offered the role of villain Zhou Cheng instead.

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Awkwafina Is America's Future Favorite Talk Show Host: Nora Lum, aka Awkwafina, is a rapper, producer, comedian, actor, and now the host of Tawk, an online talk show.

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Is Angela Lee the next big thing in women's MMA? Watch out, UFC. 20-year-old, 115-pound mixed martial arts fighter Angela Lee is making her way to you.

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The rise of LillyTube: With two billion views on YouTube, a new book and brands knocking down her door, Scarborough-born Lilly Singh offers a lesson for Canadians looking to ride the wave of cultural disruption.

Angry Reader of the Week: Nancy Wang Yuen

"I am a pop culture geek disguised as a sociology professor."



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

Check out our new podcast: 'They Call Us Bruce'

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.


Good readers of this website! Got something new for you. I am pleased to share the launch of our new podcast They Call Us Bruce, hosted by my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and me, Phil Yu. Each week, we aim to bring you an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.

Jeff and I have been friends for a long time, but we've never formally worked together on a project. We had been talking about starting a podcast for a while, but after talking about it and talking some more, the podcast finally came together quickly and somewhat haphazardly. So these first few episodes are kind of rough. Hopefully, you can overlook some of the obvious early technical deficiencies and stay for the conversation.

First, listen to Episode 0, in which we introduce the podcast (and explain the name):

Q & A with Power Rangers' Ludi Lin

Chinese Canadian Ludi Lin powers up as Zack the Black Ranger. Interview by Jes Vu.



Power Rangers fans -- the wait is almost over! The new Power Rangers movie finally arrives in theaters this weekend. This film prides itself on its diversity of characters from race to sexuality; there's even a character on the autistic spectrum.

Among them, Chinese-born Canadian actor Ludi Lin is the "sex symbol" of the Power Rangers cast, no doubt about it. Taking on the mantle of bad boy Zack, the Black Power Ranger, Ludi is not just one, but one of two Asian actors in the main cast (the other being British Indian actor Naomi Scott who plays Kimberly the Pink Power Ranger). Fortunately, we had a chance to talk to Ludi about his unique upbringing and what it was like working on this iconic franchise.

Read These Blogs

Kal Penn shares racist audition scripts from his early career: Kal Penn shared a bunch of old scripts from some of his first years as a struggling Indian Amerian actor trying to break into Hollywood -- characters like "Ghandi Lookalike," "Snake Charmers" and "Fire Eaters."

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Travel ban fight personal for attorney general Chin: Hawaii attorney general Douglas Chin put his state in the spotlight when it became the first state to challenge the Trump administration's revised travel ban and convince a federal judge to temporarily block it before it took effect.

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Being Indian in Trump's America: Amitava Kumar outlines the trajectory of racism, nationalistic rhetoric and scapegoating that led to Trump's America and the recent spike in hate crimes.

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Welcome To The Anti-Racism Movement - Here's What You've Missed: Now that you've only just begun to recognize systemic racism, are you ready to sacrifice your privilege? Here's a handy list to help you in your process.

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Why Are Asian Americans Missing From Our Textbooks? Ethnic studies classes are slowly gaining traction in elementary and secondary education, but Asian Americans still remain largely erased from the history they played a large role in.

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Behind Little Saigon's riches, the poor pack into small rooms to survive: Orange County's Little Saigon has made rapid gains in recent years. But that doesn't mean some members of the community aren't struggling to stay afloat.

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The Faces and Streets of New York's Chinatown in the 1980s: Bud Glick is sharing his decades-old photographs of New York's Chinatown online in an attempt to reconnect with their subjects.

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The Battle of 'Miss Saigon': Yellowface, Art and Opportunity: The musical -- a love story set during the Vietnam War -- ignited a fierce debate over the casting of a white actor in a Eurasian role. Now, it's back on Broadway.

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A look back at Jeremy Lin's back-to-back 'Sports Illustrated' covers: Remember when Sports Illustrated featured Jeremy Lin on two consecutive covers? A look back at what "Linsanity" meant for Asian Americans.

Angry Reader of the Week: Shaun Lau

"Expressing equal parts love and righteous fire."


Hello, internet friends. 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 Shaun Lau.

No, we will not "stop talking about Heart Mountain": A Response to the Billings Gazette

Guest Post by Joseph Shoji Lachman


From the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, Okumoto Collection. Inscribed on the back of the photo: "Young girl near guard tower-Ayaho Inouye." She is standing near a guard tower in the barren desert that was home to the Heart Mountain concentration camp.

This is a response to "Stop talking about Heart Mountain", which appeared in the Billings Gazette on March 1, 2017.

There is a dangerous trend today of abusing Japanese American incarceration history to justify surveillance, possibly registry, and even potential incarceration of Muslims in the U.S. We must push back against this wave of ignorance and xenophobic nationalism if we are to preserve the ideals that really can make this country great.

In a March 1st letter to the editor, C.T. Ripley displayed his lack of knowledge about Japanese American history with his letter published by the Billings Gazette. It starts with the question, "How long do we have to hear about the Japanese internment camps?"

I will return to this question later.

Let's debunk a few of the major lies or misleading statements.

Anarchy in Asian America: Sex, Punk, and Transgressive Cinema

Panel Discussion and Concert with the original "bad boys of Asian American cinema, March 24 at USC



If you're in Los Angeles, Kaya Press and USC Visions and Voices invite you to Anarchy in Asian America: Sex, Punk, and Transgressive Cinema, a unique panel discussion with the original "bad boys" of Asian American cinema, Gregg Araki, Roddy Bogawa, Marcus Hu, and Jon Moritsugu.

They'll be discussing a wide range of topics related to filmmaking including the influence of punk on their work and how their transgression of racial, sexual, and cultural norms transformed our notions of both cinema and Asian American film. Afterward, they're throwing a punk afterparty/concert featuring performances by twisted glam rock/garage/punk band Low on High and the indie dark wave sounds of SISU.

It's happening Friday, March 24 at 7pm at the University of Southern California. Here are some more details:

"Such a great country that allows you to be here."

Woman confronts White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer at the Apple Store. Gets a racist response.



What would you do if you came face to face with Sean Spicer? That's what happened to Shree Chauhan, who happened to run into Donald Trump's Press Secretary during a chance encounter at the Apple Store.

Sean Spicer, Trump press secretary, confronted in Apple store

Chauhan, who is Indian American, seized the rare opportunity to ask Spicer some questions about his and the Trump administration's actions, outside the guarded environment of the White House Press Room. Spicer responded to her questioning by telling her with a smile, "Such a great country that allows you to be here."

Read These Blogs

My Secret Life as an Undocumented Immigrant: When Karell Roxas came to the U.S. as a child, she and her family lived quietly, prayed for their accents to disappear, and faked it.

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Cheap eats, cheap labor: The hidden human costs of those lists: What's missing from all those "cheap eats" lists? The work -- and the history of racist labor practices -- behind the food.

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You Wanted Just A Little Bit Of Xenophobia, But Got Too Much: Giri Nathan on interviewing Hindu Trump supporters and the recent rise in hate crimes.

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Unpacking Get Out's "Asian" character: If you've seen Get Out, you may have also been wondering about the Hiroki Tanaka character. Melissa Phruksachart unpacks the meaning of his presence in the film. SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the film, save this link for after.

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Six Asian-American Memoirs to Read for Women's History Month: Need some books to read? Here are six Asian American memoirs to read for Women's History Month.

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State Rep. Stephanie Chang Knocked on Every Door in Her District—Twice: Stephanie Chang was elected to represent Michigan's 6th District in 2014, becoming the first Asian American woman ever to serve in that state's legislature.

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Sikhs in the US: America is our home and we are here to stay: "Sikh Americans have faced threats and deadly attacks for more than 100 years -- often because of our articles of faith, including turbans and unshorn hair -- but we are an integral part of the American fabric, and our faith tradition offers guidance for confronting the hate that Americans grapple with today."

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Kevin G. Perfects the Art of Failure After Mean Girls:Tired of auditioning for geeks and terrorists, actor Rajiv Surendra set his heights on the role of a lifetime -- as the lead in Ang Lee's Life of Pi. But after six years of preparation, things didn't go as planned.

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The Worry I No Longer Remember Living Without: Around the happy moments with my autistic daughter lurks the anxiety, even worse under the new administration, that she will lose her right to be educated at her neighbourhood school.

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America's Melting Pot Is Boiling Brown People To Death: "Every single day I wake up with a sense of dread that something is going to happen to someone I love. The chances just keep getting greater."

There's a very un-Disney-like twist at the center of 'Andi Mack'

Watch the premiere episode of the Disney Channel's upcoming new series.



Hey, look! Asians on TV! Andi Mack, the highly-anticipated new Disney Channel series from the creator of Lizzie McGuire, adds to the growing tally of Asian American families on television, with a great cast that includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Lilan Bowden and Lauren Tom.

But after the watching the wonderful premiere episode, which is now available in its entirety online, it's pretty clear that this is unlike any Asian American family we've seen on TV before. I loved it.

The coming-of-age series centers around Andi (Lee) as she's about to celebrate her 13th birthday. However, when her adventurous, motorcycle-riding older sister Bex (Bowden) returns home with the hope of getting her life together, Andi's life is turned upside down and she is left questioning everything she's ever known.

The performances -- particularly from Lee and Bowden -- are charming as hell and the writing is sharp. Sure, this is a youth-oriented show, and a few of the zingy one-liners. wise-cracking best friends and boy-crush subplot all reflect that. And yes, it's noteworthy that the show centers on a biracial Asian American family. But ultimately, the driving force of the story is the atomic reveal that gets dropped in the middle of the premiere.

See it for yourself. Watch the full first episode here:

Angry Reader of the Week: Thi Bui

"I do comics for old people."


Photo Credit: Gabe Clark
Hello, good people of the 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 Thi Bui.

Five Showrunners Who Could Have Gotten Iron Fist Right

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



Three years ago, when I initially wrote about casting an Asian American in the lead role on Iron Fist, I had no idea the NOC would become ground zero for the #AAIronFist movement. I just never thought an Asian American Danny Rand was that radical a notion! Now that we're on the eve of the show's debut on Netflix -- in addition to its star's recent Twitter tantrum -- years-old arguments are starting to resurface on twitter and elsewhere. Coupled with early reviews savaging the series, I figured now was as good a time as any to resurrect one more Iron Fist thinkpiece before (hopefully) never having to talk about this goddamn show ever again.

Asian American Women Are Also Angry... and Underpaid

Guest Post by Aliya Khan and Stephanie Zhou, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum


Today is Asian American Equal Pay Day -- because it takes Asian American women two whole extra months to earn what a white man earned in the previous year.

Asian American women earn roughly 85 cents to every dollar a white man earns -- and Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander women experience actually some of the widest pay gaps compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

But, leading up to today, what bothered us most is the resounding silence from people within the Asian community.

We are pulled to listen to celebrities like Emma Watson and Beyoncé as they discuss equal pay issues -- but where are Asian American voices in the conversation?

See Exclusive Photos of Ludi Lin in POWER RANGERS

Chinese Canadian actor makes his U.S. feature film debut as Zack, the Black Ranger.



A new generation of fangirls and fanboys will be introduced to the concept of "Morphin' time!" when the new Power Rangers movie hits theaters this month. Starring a fresh new cast, the big screen reboot of the popular children's action show follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove -- and the world -- is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat.

Power Rangers will introduce western audiences to one of Asia's fastest rising stars, Chinese Canadian actor Ludi Lin, who makes his U.S. feature film debut as Zack, the Black Ranger. Filled with bravado and swagger, Zack is described as "tough and cool on the exterior but has many layers beyond his fearless appearance. He advertises everything about himself, except the truth, which makes him feel deeply inferior to all his peers."

Lin's television credits include roles in Netflix's Marco Polo, Level Up! and Holiday Spin. His Chinese film credits include the upcoming feature Come Across Love (不期而遇), Crazy in Love (疯富的爱, 2012), I'm Sorry, I Love You (对不起我爱你, 2013), A Servant of Two Masters (一仆二主, 2014), and Monster Hunt (捉妖记), which is currently the second highest-grossing Chinese film released to date.

Check out some exclusive photos of Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger in Power Rangers:

If you hear someone say "Go back to your country," a hate crime is sure to follow

Masked gunman shoots Sikh man outside his home in Washington.



Police in the Seattle area are investigating a hate crime after a masked gunman told a Sikh man to "go back to your country," before shooting him. This is not to be confused with another hate crime in Kansas, where an Indian man was shot to death in a bar after being told to "get out of my country."

Sikh man's shooting in Washington investigated as hate crime

The victim, a 39-year-old Indian man who wears a turban in observance of Sikh faith, was shot outside his home in Kent's East Hill neighborhood on Friday night. He suffered a non-life threatening injury.

According to police, the victim was working on his car in his driveway when he was approached by an unknown man, who asked something along the lines of "why are you cleaning your car?" The conversation became heated and the man threatened the victim, making statements to the effect of "Go back to your own country," before he pushed him to the ground, pulled out a gun and shot him in the arm.

Read These Blogs

Muslim Internment-Style Posters Found on UCSD Campus: Flyers about Muslim internment camps were found posted on the UCSD campus Wednesday. Someone claiming responsibility said the posters are not "anti-Muslim" and are meant to "shock and anger people" by using the Japanese internment as a cautionary tale.

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The $205 million industry that helped murder Srinivas Kuchibhotla: The brutal murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla wasn't just a spontaneous act of hate. It comes after a decade of dangerous propaganda aimed at convincing people that brown immigrants are out to destroy America.

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A Murder in Trump's America: When a gunman shot Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, he acted alone -- but such tragedies are abetted by politicians who fuel the resentments that produce them.

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Exclusive: Asian-American seniors riding casino buses not to gamble, but to make ends meet: Every day, hundreds of Asian American seniors take the bus from Flushing to the Sands Casino to earn a few bucks.

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Dispute Over Asian American Stereotypes Gives Way to Dialogue at an Art Fair: Show Mein, an exhibition at this year's Spring/Break Art Show, became the focus of a heated debate about cultural appropriation.

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How Cambodians became the kings of beloved South L.A. fried chicken chain: The story of Michael Eng, who came to the U.S. when he was 18 and gradually became the "Cambodian fried chicken king of the Southland."

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Top Chef Finalists Brooke Williamson and Shirley Chung on the Finale, the Judges' Criticism, and Their Favorite Dishes: Top Chef finalists Brooke Williamson and Shirley Chung debrief the Bravo cooking competition's eventful 14th season, which wrapped last week.

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Cinema pioneer looks back on quietly historic film: Wayne Wang's seminal 1982 directorial debut Chan Is Missing, the first Asian American indie film, celebrates its 35th anniversary with a new 35mm print.

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Why It's Taking Jon M. Chu A While To Assemble The "Crazy Rich Asians" Cast: "Even though we've seen thousands of professional actors and now thousands of new people who want to pursue acting... it is still very difficult," Chu told BuzzFeed News.

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How Curvy 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Model Mia Kang Stopped Hating Herself: "Modeling came with its own host of issues. During her earlier days, she was told to straighten her curly hair to look more 'Asian,' and nearly every project involved some kind of Geisha theme. Kang got fed up. 'Why can't I just be myself?' she asked herself."

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Constance Wu Opens Up About Activism and Speaking Up For What's Right: "When you find yourself faced with a scary choice, ask yourself: What have you got to lose?"

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The Martial Arts Show That Is Destroying Asian Stereotypes on Screen: Into the Badlands star Daniel Wu talks about the journey that led him to the role of Sunny, the rare Asian American lead.

Angry Reader of the Week: Simu Liu

"I was a depressed business school graduate who suddenly found himself in love with film sets."


Photo Credit: Nick Wong
Hello, internet friends. 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 Simu Liu.

Congressman compares holding town halls to getting yelled at by "Orientals"

"You know the cleansing that the Orientals used to do..."



An Illinois congressman recently remarked that holding town halls is not "productive." Which is fine, if you don't want to the kind of politician who connects with your constituents on that level. But then he proceeded to compare town halls to the practice of "cleansing" by "Orientals," to which we must respond: what the fuck?

GOP Rep Says Holding Town Halls Is Like Being Yelled At In A Ritual By 'Orientals'

Republican Rep. Mike Bost was referring to town hall gatherings occurring across the country, in which Republican members of Congress have met with raucous crowds expressing concerns about Donald Trump's policies. You could say things have gotten kind of loud. Bost says the town halls are "out of control."

"You know the cleansing that the Orientals used to do where you'd put one person out in front and 900 people yell at them? That's not what we need," Bost said last week in a meeting editorial board of The Southern. "The amount of time that I have at home is minimal, I need to make sure that it's productive."

Bost hosted a tele-town hall instead of an in-person one. Basically, he didn't want to get yelled at.

These kids made flyers to protest "Dr. Seuss Week" at school

Rockett, 11, and Zoe, 10, just wanted their classmates to know that Dr. Seuss was kind of racist.



Meet Rockett and Zoe, the wokest kids in class. Their elementary school is currently celebrating "Dr. Seuss Week" as a part of National Read Across America Day, which coincides with the popular children's book author's birthday on March 2. But, as many may be unaware, Dr. Seuss was kind of racist. So these super-conscious siblings decided to help their classmates get more aware.

While Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel, is best known for enduring, beloved books like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, he began his career as an illustrator and cartoonist who drew racist political cartoons expressing, among other things, vehement anti-Japanese sentiment. Geisel apparently had absolutely no problem with the incarceration of innocent Japanese Americans during World War II, depicting them in caricature as invading hordes and latent traitors loyal to the enemy.