Read These Blogs

Threats against Kelly Marie Tran highlight a fear of women who break sexist stereotypes: So you may have heard that racist, sexist online trolls have targeted Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran. It's not just her race and gender: her character wasn't hyper-sexualized, which infuriated some right-wing types.

* * *
The Year in "Diversity Fatigue": Diversity is increasingly the scapegoat when something old and reliable begins to falter. This year, the supposed overemphasis on diversity was invoked to explain everything from ESPN's ratings to comic book sales.

* * *
8 Asian American Movement Stories from 2017: "The following are a few stories that reflect Asian America not as a demographic category, or even a political vision, but as a political practice that resists imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and all its attendant gendered/raced/classed modes of violence."

* * *
A Tech Pioneer's Final, Unexpected Act: Upon receiving a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, Eric Sun set out to achieve some lifelong musical goals.

* * *
The Other People in Springfield: Imran Siddiquee considers the ways in which his identities -- as a Bangladeshi-American and as a man -- were shaped by growing up in the shadow of The Simpsons.

* * *
Viet Thanh Nguyen Provided a Light of Truth in Dark 2017: A few weeks ago, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Viet Thanh Nguyen learned that his autobiographical short story, "War Years," has been censored from the Vietnamese translation of his collection, The Refugees.

* * *
Before Jojo McIntosh became the Huskies' hard-hitting safety, his family escaped war-torn Cambodia: Washington Huskies' junior safety Jojo McIntosh's grandparents got out of war-torn Cambodia in 1982. He plays never forgetting their sacrifices.

* * *
The Adventures Of Bruce Lee And Freddie Mercury Figures: In the weird imaginary universe of these action figures, Bruce Lee and Freddie Mercury are the best of friends.

* * *
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Spotlight: Jimmy Woo, Marvel's First Asian-American Hero: With Randall Park appearing as secret agent Jimmy Woo in Marvel's upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp, here's an informative explainer diving in to the strange and surprising history of the character.

* * *
Life lessons you can learn from Bruce Lee: You definitely know Bruce Lee as a famous martial artist and movie star. But did you know Lee was also a philosopher, entrepreneur and a self-made man? Digging deep into his life, we can find lessons that will help any of us live a more meaningful, thoughtful, dedicated life.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 31: They Call Us The Last Jedi

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



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our 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.

On this episode, we go to the movies. We discuss the pop culture legacy of Star Wars, offer some non-spoilery thoughts on The Last Jedi and our favorite new character played by Kelly Marie Tran, and then throw down a super spoilery edition of The Good, The Bad and The WTF.

Angry Reader of the Week: Michael Song

"The experts say I'm about to enter my mid-life crisis..."



Hey, folks. Gather 'round, because 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 Michael Song.

L. Song Richardson Named UCI Law School Dean, Becomes Only Woman of Color Dean of a Top-30 Law School

By Jenn Fang. Cross-Posted from Reappropriate



Earlier today, the UC Irvine School of Law -- ranked within the top 30 of the nation's law schools by US News & World Reports, and ranked 10th among public universities -- announced that Professor L. Song Richardson has been named the school's newest dean, succeeding UCI Law's founding dean, renowned constitutional law scholar Erwin Chemerinsky.

Amy Chu is writing a new female-led Green Hornet comic book

Green Hornet #1 hits stands in March 2018 from Dynamite Entertainment.



Writer Amy Chu is tackling a new Green Hornet comic book series for Dynamite Entertainment, continuing the legacy of the classic pulp vigilante and promising an exciting, modern new take on Green Hornet universe. With art by German Erramouspe, the upcoming series is set for release in March 2018.

Chu picks up where Dynamite's 2010 Kevin Smith series left off, with a new mystery.

Britt Reid Jr., the scion of the Daily Sentinel publishing empire, vanishes during a wild party on his friend's yacht. Meanwhile, crime spikes on the streets of Century City with the mysterious criminal/secret vigilante the Green Hornet absent. It's only a matter of time before someone puts two and two together, and it's up to Kato, former partner of Britt's father, and his daughter Mulan to protect the city and the Green Hornet legacy, while finding out what happened to Britt.

Jose Antonio Vargas lands a book deal

Pulitzer Prize winner's memoir will be titled 'Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.'



From the Los Angeles Times: Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and activist who in 2011 revealed that he unknowingly entered the U.S. with false documents as a child, will publish his debut memoir with HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books.

Vargas' book will be titled Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.

More here: Exclusive: Jose Antonio Vargas, journalist and 'undocumented citizen,' lands book deal

Jane Kim is running for Mayor of San Francisco

Supervisor throws her hat into the mayoral race after the passing of Ed Lee.



From SFGate: San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim signaled her intent to enter the 2018 mayoral race Wednesday, requesting nomination papers from the city’s Department of Elections.

Kim, a stalwart progressive as a supervisor, has long been rumored to be considering a bid for the mayor's office. She was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2010.

She and any other candidates eyeing a run for mayor have until Jan. 9 to file the necessary paperwork. Though any number of people may take out the papers to run, none of them are official candidates until those nomination papers are returned.

More here: Supervisor Jane Kim takes first step to run for SF mayor

The 100 Most Influential Asian Americans of 2017

100 AZNS celebrates the talents, creativity, and leadership among Asian Americans in 2017.



As another year draws to a close, it's a good moment to look back, take stock and consider the individuals and ideas that helped shaped the year that was. Who are the leaders and influencers that are creating change in our community and the world at large? Could we actually come up with a list of influential Asian Americans, à la the annual "Time 100"? Somebody took it upon themselves to find out, and the answer is yes.

100 AZNS is a list celebrating "the immense talents, creativity, and leadership among Asian Americans in 2017." It features artists, writers, performers, filmmakers, politicians, activists and more.

The list was compiled by designer and filmmaker Leah Nichols, who says she was challenged out of initial skepticism that enough Asian Americans could even fill such a list. The real challenge was whittling the list down to 100. The end result, Nichols says, "represents only a selection of many who are putting in the work, livin their best lives, and inspiring positive change." It's pretty inspiring when you see them all together like this.

So here it is, 100 AZNS. Click on the image below to download the entire list (PDF):

This Dy Nguyen and his baby girl.

Guest Post by Thi Bui



This is Dy Nguyen and his baby girl. Like me, Dy was three years old when his mother packed him into a boat to escape Viet Nam, risking everything to seek out safety and freedom.

A victim of political persecution, Dy's mother had been trying to escape since the fall of South Viet Nam. After three failed attempts, Dy's mother made it to Malaysia with her husband and their two boys. But unlike my family, who were resettled after a few months, they were left in the refugee camp for seven years. The camp eventually shut down and they were sent back to Viet Nam along with the other abandoned refugees. By then, Dy was ten years old.

Viet Nam and the U.S. negotiated a program called Resettlement Opportunity for Vietnamese Returnees, and through a complicated screening process, Dy's family was finally allowed to come to the U.S. when he was twelve. The next years of his life were marked by his parents' separation, moving between states, and getting into trouble. In his early twenties, he was convicted for theft by receiving stolen property, lost his green card, and served a five-year sentence. In prison, Dy began to reform. He studied and earned his GED. He found strength and healing in his spiritual faith. Since his release, Dy has been an active member of his church, where he serves as a youth leader and uses his past mistakes to steer those he mentors towards a better path.

Meanwhile, ICE keeps trying to deport him.

How A Christmas Story Live! Made Its Chinese Restaurant Scene Less Racist

Live musical enlists the help of Ken Jeong and The Filharmonic.



From Vulture... When families and "You'll shoot your eye out!" obsessives gather 'round the old flat-screen to watch Fox's ambitious musical event, A Christmas Story Live!, they may notice a few adjustments to the beloved 1983 film that inspired the special.

...Fans of the movie will notice that the production deviates from an almost entirely white cast to include a more diverse group of performers, including Maya Rudolph as Ralphie's mother, David Alan Grier as the surly department-store Santa Claus, Fred Armisen as a store elf, Ken Jeong as a Christmas-tree salesman and Chinese-restaurant owner, and scores of other actors of color who appear as townspeople, Ralphie's classmates, and in a myriad song-and-dance numbers.

But the most noticeable update comes toward the end of the production, during the Chinese-restaurant scene when a group of Asian waiters sing "Deck the Halls" for Ralphie and his family on Christmas day. The original film depicted the waiters as performing the song with stereotypical mispronunciation, singing the song's refrain as "Fa ra ra ra ra" instead of "Fa la la la la." But in this version, the quintet -- in real life, the a cappella group Filharmonic -- performs the classic carol flawlessly.

More here: How A Christmas Story Live! Made Its Chinese-Restaurant Scene Less Racist

Kelly Marie Tran surprises fans discussing 'Star Wars' at the next table

'The Last Jedi' star was eavesdropping on their review.



At long last, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has hit theaters, and those of us who were hyped for our girl Kelly Marie Tran as Rose finally got to see her get her Resistance on and join the fight in a galaxy far, far away.

So what's the verdict on The Last Jedi? What are people saying? Sure, you can go read some critics' reviews, log on to some message boards or jump in on a discussion thread on your Facebook wall. Or you can listen in on people talking about it at the next table. That's what Kelly Marie Tran did.

A few days ago, while in Europe to promote The Last Jedi, Kelly was eating at a pub with a friend when a group of friends came in, at down at the next table and started discussing The Last Jedi in great detail. Naturally, Kelly started eavesdropping, and her friend recorded her reaction as they discussed Rose.

Kelly's reaction is adorably priceless, as one of the diners says, "I looooooooove Rose."

Chloe Kim qualifies for U.S. Olympic snowboard pipe team

17-year-old is the first snowboarder to confirm their nomination to the U.S. Olympic team.



From NBC Sports: In 2014, Chloe Kim ranked high enough to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in snowboard halfpipe, but she was too young to compete at the Winter Games.

Four years later, she'll finally have the opportunity to represent the red, white and blue at the Olympics.

Kim won her second straight Olympic qualifier, which will secure her nomination to the U.S. halfpipe team. The 17-year-old, who is the only woman currently capable of landing back-to-back 1080s, is considered the gold medal favorite for PyeongChang 2018.

More here: Chloe Kim qualifies for U.S. Olympic snowboard pipe team

Read These Blogs

The Best New Character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi Dies in the First Scene: [SPOILER] Resistance gunner Paige Tico is barely on screen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She has very few lines and a sliver of backstory, and she dies mere minutes after being introduced. And yet, Paige ends up being one of the biggest highlights of the latest installment in the intergalactic franchise.

* * *
Who In America Is Allowed To Be Ordinary?: BuzzFeed asked a group of writers to consider the forces that have shaped our lives in 2017. Here, novelist Lisa Ko looks at immigration and the question of who belongs in America.

* * *
The Reddit Moderator Getting a PhD in Online Moderation: Kat Lo is studying the largely thankless job of unpaid content moderation so we can make open and safe online communities.

* * *
'Racist Sandwich': This podcast wants you to think critically about race and food: Soleil Ho's and Zahir Janmohamed's podcast Racist Sandwich covers race, gender and class in the food industry.

* * *
Comedian Jenny Yang's most important relationship is the one with herself: As part of a series on women and mentorship, comedian Jenny Yang speaks about how she developed the most important relationship she has: the one with herself.

* * *
'The Last Jedi's New Hope: Meet 'Star Wars' Breakout Kelly Marie Tran: The latest addition to the 'Star Wars' universe reflects on her major Jedi role, advice from Carrie Fisher and more.

* * *
How Rian Johnson made heroism inclusive in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi': In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, one of the more inclusive Star Wars films in the franchise's 40-year history, writer-director Rian Johnson delivers long overdue moments of heroic inspiration to many underserved fans.

* * *
Calgary-raised Paul Sun-Hyung Lee on finding his Appa in Kim's Convenience: Veteran Canadian character actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee convincingly plays Appa Kim on CBC's Kim's Convenience.

Angry Reader of the Week: Jess Ju

"This interview probably should have been typed in ALL CAPS."



Hello, 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 Jess Ju.

Stay Angry, But Not Hangry

Sponsored Post by KPOP Foods



KPOP Foods was started by a couple of friends who came together through a mutual love for Korean food (and soju), and wanted to share their obsession with the flavors and experience of eating Korean food with America. Powered by an enormously successful Kickstarter campaign, their first product is KPOP Sauce, a "chili sauce with attitude" that can be used for cooking and as a condiment, "good on everything from burgers to broccoli."

Want to get a taste of KPOP Sauce in action? The folks at KPOP Foods have cooked up a special recipe just for you, the good readers of this blog: Angry Asian Man's Pork Belly & Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich. A spicy, Korean twist on a cheesy traditional American classic.

Asians on TV: Do Networks Make the Grade?

Asian Pacific American Media Coalition releases latest diversity "Report Card"; Fox gets an Incomplete.



Over the last few years, we've seen some decent strides in the number of roles for Asian Americans on television. But how do the numbers actually stack up? The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) just released its most recent "Report Card" grading the four major television networks on their progress toward diversity and inclusion of Asian Americans for the 2016-17 season.

At the top of the class: ABC. On the strength of its 21 regular and 23 recurring Asian American actors in prime time television -- including an unprecedented three series featuring Asian American actors in lead roles last season -- the network scored an A-, the highest grade the Coalition has ever given in that category. ABC also led the networks in the categories of Writers/Producers, Directors and Commitment to the Diversity Initiatives, ultimately receiving an overall grade of B. (Let's skip the jokes about "The Asian F." For now.)

In contrast, CBS had 16 Asian American regulars and 22 recurring for a grade of B- in the Actors category, and only 15 Asian American Writers or Producers for a grade of C in that category. NBC had only 11 Asian American regulars and 24 recurring for a grade of C+ in the Actors category, and a total of 18 Asian American Writers or Producer for a grade of C+ in that category. Because both CBS and NBC have a significant number of programs featuring AAPI actors, writers and/or producers in Development (receiving a grade of B+ and B-, respectively, in that category), there's hope their numbers will improve in coming seasons.

Here's the report card:

Ian Chen joins the cast of DC's Shazam!

Fresh Off the Boat star will play Billy Batson's friend Eugene.



Shazam! Heck yeah, we've got an Asian kid in this superhero flick. Ian Chen, who plays Evan on Fresh Off the Boat, has joined the cast of the movie Shazam!, based on the DC Comics superhero.

Ian Chen & Jovan Armand Join 'Shazam!'

Starring Zachary Levi as the title character and Asher Angel as Billy Batson, the film center on Billy, a kid who can transform into an adult superhero by uttering the magic word "Shazam!"

Ian will play Eugene Choi, a friend of Billy's from a group home. The cast also includes Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, and Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, who are all part of Billy's friend crew.

This is Mony Neth

Guest Post by Thi Bui



This is Mony Neth. He's the same age as me -- forty two. I came from Viet Nam; he came from Cambodia. His family fled the Khmer Rouge when he was just a few months old. He spent years in a refugee camp in Thailand. By the time Mony arrived in the U.S. as a refugee, he was ten years old.

When he was a teenager, he was convicted of possessing a weapon and receiving stolen property and lost his green card. That was twenty two years ago. Since then, Mony got married, raised a daughter who is now sixteen, and cares for his aging parents. He installs solar panels for a living and serves the homeless with his church community. Even the court that convicted him has recognized his efforts to turn his life around, granting him a certificate of rehabilitation.

But that wasn't enough for ICE.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee dead at 65

Edwin M. Lee was the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco.



A pioneer in Asian American and San Francisco politics has died. San Francisco mayor Edwin M. Lee, the first Asian American to lead the city, died early Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. He was 65.

Ed Lee, San Francisco Mayor, Dies at 65

According to the San Francisco Examiner, the mayor was shopping at a neighborhood supermarket when he suffered a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:11 am.

"It is with profound sadness and terrible grief that we confirm that Mayor Edwin M. Lee passed away on Tuesday, December 12 at 1:11 a.m. at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Family, friends and colleagues were at his side," his office said in a statement.

Kelly Marie Tran Had the Best Damn Time at 'The Last Jedi' Premiere

"Kelly Marie Tran is how all of us would be if we were cast in a Star Wars film."



Over the weekend, at long last, Star Wars: The Last Jedi held its world premiere in Los Angeles. Fans lined the red carpet to get a glimpse of the saga's stars, and reactions to the long-awaited sequel are apparently good (I've been avoiding all of it -- really trying to stay spoiler-free). But hands down, the highlight of the premiere was the mega-franchise's newest star, Kelly Marie Tran, having the best damn time.

Tran plays Rose Tico, a behind-the-scenes Resistance nobody who gets thrust into the action when she goes on a mission with Finn. Up until recently, Tran -- much like Rose -- was also kind of a nobody, a struggling actress with a comedy background trying to break into Hollywood and working odd jobs to make ends meet. Until the biggest movie franchise of all time plucked her from obscurity to play a role that will most certainly make her a household name. And from the looks of it, she is not taking any of this shit for granted.

In addition to looking drop dread gorgeous in red, Tran was seen spending a good portion of the festivities adorably freaking out, getting visibly emotional, hugging everyone in sight and overall looking like she was genuinely totally stoked just to be there. As Dani Fernandez observed, via Twitter, "Kelly Marie Tran is how all of us would be if we were cast in a Star Wars film."

New Jersey teacher accused of making anti-Korean comments

A teacher at Bergen Academies High School reportedly singled out Korean students and said "I hate Koreans."



In New Jersey, a high school teacher is under fire for recent comments she made during class, reportedly saying she hated the Korean culture and telling Korean students, "I hate Koreans."

Bergen Academies teacher accused of making anti-Korean comments

The teacher, whose name is being withheld, teaches Spanish at the prestigious Bergen Academies High School in Hackensack. According to The Korea Daily, the teacher asked students what their native countries of origin were. When a Korean student answered "Korea," the teacher reportedly said, "I hate Korean." Later, in another class, she allegedly asked Korean students to raise their hands and repeated the sentiment.

School administrators say the teacher has been reassigned to different classrooms and offered verbal apologies to the students. But community leaders representing ten Korean American organizations are now calling for the teacher to be fired, among other demands, claiming it wasn't an isolated incident. The teacher's remarks are allegedly part of a "years-long pattern" of derogatory comments and discriminatory behavior.

Read These Blogs

The tears of Kelly Marie Tran over Star Wars gives us hope: As the stars hit the Crait carpet at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere in Los Angeles on Saturday night, one particular cast member couldn't contain her tears of joy. And honestly, who could blame her?

* * *
Kelly Marie Tran steps into Star Wars stardom in 'Last Jedi': 28-year-old Kelly Marie Tran still can't believe she's in a Star Wars movie. "I am just trying to stay present and really trying to experience every moment of this. It still feels very impossible and very much like it's all a big dream or something."

* * *
The Last Jedi's Kelly Marie Tran is the heroine we've been waiting for: Here, Tran talks about landing the biggest gig of her life, and how hard it was to keep the secret from everyone.

* * *
Reports of crimes against Asians are rising in some cities. Police are working to figure out why. Something curious was happening with crime in California's state capital of Sacramento, police have noticed.

* * *
Pearl Harbor Lessons: Trump's Muslim Ban Same 'Prejudice' Japanese Americans Faced During WWII, ACLU Lawyer Warns: "Seventy-six years after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the grandson of a Japanese American woman held in a concentration camp on U.S. soil during World War II is worried President Donald Trump has reinvigorated the discriminatory sentiments that saw his grandmother treated like an enemy in her own country."

* * *
25 Years Later, He Speaks To The Man Who Killed His Son: On December 14, 1992, Wayne Lo went to his college in Massachusetts, armed with a semiautomatic rifle, and fired at random, killing two and wounding four. Now serving a life sentence, he agrees to speak to a victim's father about that day.

* * *
What I Learned from Maxine Hong Kingston: For writer Alexis Cheung, Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior showed her that her own life was worthy of examination, even exaltation. And Cheung got the opportunity to tell her just that.

* * *
Why 'The Crow' Director Is Adamantly Against the Upcoming Remake: Alex Proyas, director of the 1994 film The Crow, says a remake would dishonor late star Brandon Lee, who died while making the film.

Angry Reader of the Week: Franny Choi

"But my heart is everywhere my loved ones are; so, everywhere."



Greetings, 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 Franny Choi.

The Time is Ticking to Get Covered

By Kyle Pongan. Sponsored by Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)


As the son of an an immigrant from the Philippines and growing up with both parents who are nurses, I get how important health care is. And I get how hard it is to afford health insurance coverage and how confusing it can be to even sign up.

The thing is, I've been a hair stylist and a musician since 2015, and neither profession offers health insurance coverage. All that changed with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Thanks to the law, I've been able to apply for and enroll in coverage at www.healthcare.gov, whether living in New York or now Philadelphia. For the past three years, I've had coverage that I can afford and count on. So no more crossing my fingers that I don't get sick.

I followed these steps to get covered:

This Is Who The FBI Came For After Pearl Harbor

Remember the lives lost and the lives forever changed.



Today, December 7, marks the 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hours following the attack, the FBI began rounding up and detaining leaders in the Japanese American community from their homes without due process of law. Filmmaker Tad Nakamura's grandfather was one of those taken.

This one-minute video for the Nikkei Democracy Project, made with documentary footage from Something Strong Within (by Tad's parents, Bob Nakamura and Karen Ishizuka), is not only a reminder of lives lost in the attack, but the lives forever changed by fear and bigotry.

Asian American, Black activists rally for immigration reform

"We are making it known that this is a rainbow movement."



From Huffington Post: Asian-American and black activists took to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, calling on Congress to move quickly to address immigration reform.

An estimated 150 protesters, led by nonprofit UndocuBlack Network and Asian-American coalition AAPI Immigrant Rights Organizing Table, rallied to ask Congress to pass a clean Dream Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants with no strings attached, along with a permanent solution for temporary protected status (TPS) holders.

"I stand in solidarity with Dreamers. I stand in solidarity with folks with TPS," Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) said at the rally. “We are making it known that this is a rainbow movement."

More here: Asian-American, Black Activists Rally Together For Immigrants In Their Communities

Survey Says: Asian Americans experience discrimination

New survey finds Asian Americans experience and perceive discrimination in many areas of their daily lives.



From National Public Radio: New results from an NPR survey show that large numbers of Asian-Americans experience and perceive discrimination in many areas of their daily lives. This happens despite their having average incomes that outpace other racial, ethnic and identity groups.

The poll, a collaboration among NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, also finds a wide gap between immigrant and nonimmigrant Asian-Americans in reporting discrimination experiences, including violence and harassment.

"Our poll shows that Asian-American families have the highest average income among the groups we've surveyed, and yet the poll still finds that Asian-Americans experience persistent discrimination in housing, jobs and at college," says Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard Chan School who co-directed the survey. "Over the course of our series, we are seeing again and again that income is not a shield from discrimination."

More here: Poll: Asian-Americans See Individuals' Prejudice As Big Discrimination Problem

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 30: They Call Us Claudia Kishi

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



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our 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 episode, we welcome CB Lee, author of the YA superhero novel Not Your Sidekick. They discuss the iconic Claudia Kishi of The Babysitters Club, the questionably curious true identity of comic book writer Akira Yoshida, and the complexities of authorship and authenticity.

Kal Penn signs a book deal

Actor will share his unique American success story in a new essay collection to be published in 2019.



From Deadline: Actor and civil servant Kal Penn has signed a book/audiobook deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt & Audible. The book will be a collection of essays set to be published in 2019.

The book will include his unique 21st-century American success story as he writes about ambition, the challenges of navigating Hollywood, and his unusual sabbatical from actor to White House staffer. From the sound of it, his role in the cult Harold and Kumar franchise, experiences with stereotypical auditions and his work with the Obama administration will give Penn plenty of material to sculpt a good read. Senior editor Kate Napolitano acquired the book in her first official deal since joining the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt last month.

More here: Kal Penn Lands Book Deal With Houghton Mifflin Harcourt & Audible

A play called 'Straight White Men' is about to make history

Playwright Young Jean Lee is the first ever Asian American woman with a play on Broadway.



From Splinter: A play called Straight White Men is about to make history, becoming the first play written by an Asian American woman to appear on Broadway. The show, written by experimental Korean-American playwright (and David Byrne and Kathleen Hanna collaborator) Young Jean Lee, revolves around three brothers (the aforementioned straight white men) visiting their widower father for Christmas. The eldest brother has an existential crisis over his failure to fulfill his own potential and privilege, and other things surely happen as well. It debuted in 2014 and was deemed both "compassionate and stimulating" and "mournful and inquisitive" by the New York Times.

More here: A Play by an Asian American Woman Will Appear on Broadway for the First Time Ever

Shooting suspect pleads not guilty in hate crime killing

Adam Puninton yelled "get out of my country" before fatally shooting Srinivas Kuchibhotla.



The racist sack of shit defendant in the hate crime killing of an Indian engineer at a suburban Kansas City bar was arraigned Thursday after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing, pleading not guilty.

Not guilty plea in alleged hate crime killing of Indian man at Olathe bar

Adam Purinton is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting that killed 32-year-old Srinivas Kuchibhotla in February. He also faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder for wounding two other men.

The voice of Apu responds to 'The Problem with Apu'

"We're just really thinking about it. It's a lot to digest."



Comedian Hari Kondabolu's truTV documentary The Problem with Apu set out to explore the impact of casual racism in The Simpsons in the form a racist, broadly offensive stereotype that has plagued South Asians for decades: Apu, the show's Indian convenience store owner.

The film got a lot of people talking, which was great, though I'm guessing that most of Hari's fans were aware of said problem with Apu. If you watched The Problem with Apu and it was all totally mind-blowing news to you, congratulations; you were part of the film's target audience.

But here's the big question: have the folks at The Simpsons seen The Problem with Apu? And how about Hank Azaria, the white actor who provides the super-stereotypical voice Apu? (Or, as Hari puts it, "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father.") One of plot points of the documentary concerns Hari's attempts to interview Azaria and talk about the character on camera. It doesn't happen.

However, it seems that Azaria has indeed seen the film. Speaking to a reporter from TMZ, who asked for this thoughts on the documentary, Azaria said that Kondabolu "made some really interesting points" and "gave us a lot at The Simpsons to think about, and we are really thinking about it."

How Asian Grandpas Get Down With The Weeknd

Just another day at the park with your Asian grandpa...



This is the silliest thing you'll see today. Let it be your guide.

Funny video makers Chuck Maa and Geo Lee, aka Seventh Grade, teamed up with Will Choi of Asian AF to channel their future Asian grandpa selves for this incredible lip sync video to the tune of "I Feel It Coming." Daft Punk ain't got nothing on these visor-clad old timers. Check those stretches. Feel it.

This Christmas, Take a Ride On The Most Racist Bus in Illinois!

"You won't feel like you're in China when you're on our buses."



A transportation company that services the Champaign-Urbana area in Illinois is under fire for a racist, anti-Chinese message included in a promotional email sent out to its mailing list over the weekend.

Suburban Express sends controversial Christmas email

Suburban Express sent an email touting the perks of its Christmas break bus services for University of Illinois students. Among other self-identified selling points, the Surburban Express Experience includes riding with "Passengers like you. You won't feel like you're in China when you're on our buses."

This, of course, refers to the University's large population of international students.

Read These Blogs

No, Marvel, Promoting a White Guy Who Faked a Japanese Identity Is Not Normal: Faking an identity at work gets most people fired, not promoted to editor-in-chief -- except at Marvel Comics, where C.B. Cebulski's bizarre past as writer "Akira Yoshida" is being swept under the rug.

* * *
Stanford: Sexual misconduct revelation exposes storied professor's secret: For Professor Jay Fliegelman, the transgression was but a blip in a storied career at Stanford University. For Seo-Young "Jennie" Chu, it represented years of trauma. After years of staying silent, she went public.

* * *
How Thinking Like An Entrepreneur Helped One Artist Build A Thriving Career: New York-based spoken word performer, musician, activist and artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai discusses how she built her career -- by thinking like an entrepreneur.

* * *
Postmortem: Every Frame a Painting: Tony Zhou, the creator/editor/narrator behind the popular YouTube channel Every Frame a Painting, explains why the project is calling it quits.

* * *
Director Leena Pendharkar Gives Birth to 20 Weeks: Leena Pendharkar's 20 Weeks is a film about a couple who discover that their unborn child may have serious developmental problems. Pendharkar discusses the making of her second film and her team's approach to casting and diversity.

* * *
Ashok and Aparna Spice Up the Neighborhood: Comedian Aparna Nancherla talks standup, battling anxiety, and pushing the envelope as a woman of color in comedy

* * *
Snowboard sensation Kim seeking a home away from home in PyeongChang: U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim enjoyed an outstanding Winter Youth Olympics Games in 2016, winning gold in two categories. This teen will be among the favorites when she makes her full Olympic debut at Pyeongchang in 2018.

* * *
‘Crazy Rich Asians' Star: Hollywood Caves To Diversity When It's Scared: Nora Lum, AKA Awkwafina, chats about the significance of the casting of Crazy Rich Asians and the true story behind that one line in her song “NYC Bitche$" about bringing live chickens onto the subway.

* * *
Meet The Pride of 'Runaways': Brittany Ishibashi and James Yaegashi: Brittany Ishibashi and James Yaegashi discuss playing the Minorus in Hulu's Runaways.

Asian AF Presents Filipino AF: Special Holiday Edition!

Friday, December 8 at Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles



Los Angeles! Down for some laughs? Come see all the funny Filipino Americans next Friday at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Hollywood. The wildly successful Filipino AF show, presented by Asian AF, returns to UCB for a Special Holiday Edition. The evening will include sketch, standup, musical comedy, improv and more, hosted by Joy Regullano, Erich Tamola and Allyn Pintal. And let me tell you, it's going to be Filipino as hell.

It's happening Friday, December 8 at the UCB's Inner Sanctum Cafe. Here are some more details:

Angry Reader of the Week: Sun Yunfan

"Last name Sun. First name Yunfan."



Hey, everybody! 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 Sun Yunfan.

Chinatown Night Market Hosted by Ed Lin

Friday, December 8 at the Museum of Chinese in America



New York City! The Museum of Chinese in America invite you to an evening of food, drink and literary intrigue with author Ed Lin. Come celebrate the re-design and re-issue of Lin's crime novel trilogy, This Is a Bust, Snakes Can't Run and One Red Bastard, which follow the gritty exploits of NYPD cop Robert Chow in 1970s Chinatown. They'll have Chinatown snacks and desserts, and Ed will be signing copies of his books.

It's happening Friday, December 8 at MOCA. Here are some more details:

Trump mocks Asian leaders during speech

By now, literally nothing about this should surprise you.



When Donald Trump traveled to Asia a few weeks ago to meet with leaders in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, you figured it was going to be a shitshow, or awkward at best. Turns out, for Trump, the trip gave him license to mock Asians after the fact, several weeks later.

On Wednesday, during a speech in St. Charles, Missouri, Trump said he told several Asian leaders that they need to increase their defense spending. Then Trump imitated what he claimed was their reaction, hunching and giving a look that he described as meaning "they know they're getting away with murder."

Claudia and the Baby-sitters Club Books We Really Needed

Remixed and re-titled book covers imagine all the bullshit Claudia Kishi had to deal with.



For a certain generation of young readers, Claudia Kishi is an icon.

Any fan of The Baby-sitters Club will tell you that Claudia is artistic, stylish, fashionable and a terrible student. She's also the Asian one. As the Japanese American member of The Baby-sitters Club, she was a rarity when Ann M. Martin's prolific, mega-popular novel series debuted in 1986. In a literature landscape so often devoid of characters of color, many Asian American readers saw themselves in Claudia.

In Keep Out, Claudia! (Book #56) the Baby-sitters Club is hired by a new family who are totally cold and rude to Claudia when she comes over to babysit their kids, for reasons she can't understand. But when the BSC's white sitters come over, they're cool. Then later, when Jessi, who is African American, comes over to sit, they won't even let her through the door. Turns out, the family is racist!

It was one of the few times the series addressed issues of racial prejudice, albeit clunkily, in its 200+ volume run. But it gets you wondering how that racism might have further affected Claudia, as one of the seemingly few Asian American residents in the fictional town of Stonybrook, Connecticut. As an Asian American character, Claudia busted some stereotypes. But realistically, she probably had to deal with her share of bullshit.

What would those books look like?

Let us imagine a few Baby-sitters Club stories, using re-titled and remixed covers of actual Baby-sitters Club books, that might have seen Claudia realistically and frankly grappling with her identity as a racial minority.

Liu Yifei to star in Disney's live-action 'Mulan'

Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, will play the title role.



From The Hollywood Reporter: After a yearlong worldwide search, Mulan has been found.

Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is set to star as the title woman warrior in Disney's live-action adaptation of the classic Chinese tale.

A team of casting directors visited five continents and saw nearly 1,000 candidates for the role, which requires credible martial arts skills, the ability to speak English and the most ineffable requirement of all: star quality. In deference to cultural accuracy, the studio focused on locating an ethnically Chinese young woman to play Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to take her father's army conscription in fifth-century China.

More here: Disney's 'Mulan' Finds Its Star

"We are the living dream of the dead. We are the living spirit of the free."

Hasan Minhaj, Ivy Quicho and Junot Diaz narrate a passage from 'America Is In The Heart.'



In troubling times like these, when every day seems like a struggle for the soul of America, look to Carlos Bulosan. The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has released a beautiful video ode to America's immigrants, featuring a passage from Bulosan's classic book America Is In The Heart. The piece is narrated by comedian Hasan Minhaj, community organizer Ivy Quicho and writer Junot Díaz.

Check it out:

Marvel's Editor-in-Chief once wrote under the pseudonym "Akira Yoshida."

White guy C.B. Cebulski wrote a number of comics while pretending to be Japanese.



From Vulture: In what is surely one of the most bizarre stories to come out of the comics industry in recent years, incoming Marvel Comics editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski -- a Caucasian person -- has copped to writing under the Japanese-sounding pseudonym "Akira Yoshida" in the mid-aughts.

The revelation comes after a few days of speculation and scrutiny from the comics commentariat and was first confirmed to news site Bleeding Cool, then subsequently to Vulture. Cebulski had previously lied to Bleeding Cool journalist Rich Johnston, saying Yoshida was a real person; he created a fake backstory for an interview with comics site CBR; and executives at Marvel once met with someone they believed was Yoshida, but was in fact a Japanese translator who happened to be visiting the offices. Yes, really.

More here: Marvel's New Editor-in-Chief Admits Writing Under Japanese Pseudonym 'Akira Yoshida'

Korean Drama Podcast - Season 1 Finale

A K-Drama re-watch podcast by (and for) people who don't watch Korean dramas.



Are you a fan of Korean dramas? Then this podcast is probably not for you. The Korean Drama Podcast is the K-Drama rewatch podcast by (and for) people who don't watch Korean dramas.

In season one, host Will Choi (founder of Asian AF) and I -- both self-professed Korean drama beginners -- with help and hand-holding by our resident K-Drama expert Joanna Lee, attempt to watch and discuss the 2009 megahit drama Boys Over Flowers in its entirety, episode by episode.

And that's a wrap on the season one! On this episode, we reunite -- a little over a year after recording episode 25 -- to reflect on our experience and the growth of the podcast over the past year. Thanks to all of our listeners who've stuck with our Boys Over Flowers discussions over the past few months. We can't wait to do this again.

Haikus With Hotties x Dream Panel: Image Of The Asian American Man

Wednesday, November 29 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center



Los Angeles! Hot Asian men! Poetry! You are invited to a special panel discussion, Haikus With Hotties x Dream Panel: Image Of The Asian American Man, which will also serve as the official launch of the 2018 Haikus for Hotties Calendar, a series that "celebrates Asian Male Hotness in all forms." The panel will include participants from the popular calendar series, including Yoshi Sudarso, Peter Sudarso, Ilram Choi, Saagar Shaikh, Jake Choi, Mike Bow, D'Lo, Simu Liu and Chris Pang, moderated by Sean Miura.

That's a lot of Asian male hotness in one room. It's happening Wednesday, November 29 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo. Here are some more details:

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 29: They Call Us Thanksgiving

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



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our 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.

On our latest episode, recorded on the eve of Thanksgiving from three different parts of the continent, we welcome chef and food writer Soleil Ho, co-host of the podcast Racist Sandwich. We discuss food and thanks, as well as the Good, Bad and WTF of Thanksgiving.