*

11.12.2017

Read These Blogs


The Rohingya are facing genocide. We cannot be bystanders: We cannot allow people to be slaughtered and burnt out of their homes, while the world watches, write Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, Riz Ahmed and dozens of others, in an open letter.

* * *

He lost his son in Iraq and drew Trump's ire. Now hear this Muslim American's Veterans Day message. Last year, two defiant minutes on the stage of the Democratic National Convention turned Khizr Khan into an unwitting celebrity, but he has held onto his humility.

* * *

You Love 'The Simpsons'? Then Let's Talk About Apu: Comedian Hari Kondabolu's new TruTV documentary The Problem With Apu wrestles with The Simpsons' stereotypical Indian convenience store owner Apu, a character that has haunted South Asian Americans for decades.

* * *

Editors Rejected Leonard Chang's Novel Because His Characters Didn't Act "Asian Enough": Celebrated screenwriter and author Leonard Chang says an editor rejected his manuscript for The Lockpicker because his characters were not "Asian enough." Whatever the hell that means.

* * *

A Letter to My Daughter About Heroes: Amy S. Choi grew up searching for heroes -- and knows now that her daughter doesn't have to look far to find her own.

* * *

The war between Vietnamese fishermen and the KKK signaled a new type of white supremacy: In the late 70s and early 80s, a small coastal town in Texas became the home of many Vietnamese refugees, who tried to make a living in the shrimping industry. Feeling threatened by the influx of non-whites, the Klan brought military support to white shrimpers, signaling a troubling shift in the white supremacist movement.

* * *

Asian-American Cuisine's Rise, and Triumph: "These are American ingredients now, part of a movement in cooking that often gets filed under the melting-pot, free-for-all category of New American cuisine. But it's more specific than that: This is food borne of a particular diaspora, made by chefs who are "third culture kids," heirs to both their parents' culture and the one they were raised in, and thus forced to create their own."

* * *

The future of Asian American theater? East West Players' new leader charts a course: Snehal Desai is the new artistic director at East West Players, a theater located in L.A.'s Little Tokyo. His current project is staging Yohen starring Danny Glover, and is the result of partnerships reflective of Desai's leadership vision.

* * *

How Being an Adopted Korean Influences the Way Kristen Kish Cooks: People often think the Top Chef winner cooks Asian cuisine, but the truth is she has only made Korean food once.

* * *

A Novelist Confronts the Complex Relationship Between Japan and Korea: Min Jin Lee's historical novel Pachinko, a finalist for this year's National Book Award, tells the story of Korean migrants in Japan.

* * *

Talking to Dan Harmon and Jessica Gao About Their New Podcast on Race: Kristina Wong talks to white guy and Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon and writer Jessica Gao about their new podcast Whiting Wongs, an "honest conversation about race and writing."

* * *

Steven Yeun is 'much more chill' after shooting rage virus thriller Mayhem: Steven Yeun stars in the new action thriller Mayhem, playing a recently fired attorney who takes extreme measures to get his job back after everyone in his building is infected with a virus which lowers inhibitions.