Angry Reader of the Week: Leslie Ito

"Passively observing the arts is part of the past."



Hey, everybody! 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 Leslie Ito.

Get a FREE Copy of Kore Asian Media's "New Hollywood" Issue

Featuring Ross Butler, Grace Park, Karrueche Tran, Chloe Bennet and more.



Kore Asian Media (formerly KoreAm Journal and Audrey Magazine) is giving out copies of its annual limited edition print magazine. Want one? Order your free copy here -- you just have to cover the shipping.

This year's special issue celebrates "The New Hollywood," focusing on APAs in entertainment who are out there making their mark, challenging the status quo and transforming Hollywood in their own ways.

The full-color, 142-page issue features a fold-out cover showcasing stars Ross Butler, Grace Park, Karrueche Tran, Chloe Bennet, Leonardo Nam, Ludi Lin, BD Wong, Awkwafina, Justin Chon, Wendy Nguyen, Lana Condor and Jo Koy. Inside, feature stories include profiles on the likes of Mitski, Ally Maki, Celina Jade, Danny Pudi, Amy Okuda, Min Liang Tan and more.

Ali Wong and Randall Park's Netflix rom-com has a director

Fresh Off The Boat showrunner Nahnatchka Khan will make her feature film directorial debut.



This dream project just gets better and better... Fresh Off The Boat showrunner Nahnatchka Khan will make her feature film directorial debut on Netflix's untitled romantic comedy project starring Randall Park and Ali Wong.

Nahnatchka Khan to Direct Ali Wong-Randall Park Romantic Comedy Film for Netflix

We've been dying to hear some more news about this project -- previously described by Ali Wong as "our version of When Harry Met Sally" -- ever since it was just a mere social media prayer, then announced last August as an actual upcoming feature for Netflix. Now the project has a director.

We also get some new details about the story. Park and Wong's script, written with Michael Golamco, follows two childhood sweethearts who have a falling-out and don't speak for 15 years. They reconnect as adults when Sasha, now a celebrity chef opening a restaurant in San Francisco, runs into Marcus, a happily struggling musician still living at home working for his dad -- and discover the old sparks are still there.

FBI chief defends remarks on "the China threat"

Christopher Wray defended his previous portrayal of Chinese people in the U.S. as threats.



From Huffington Post: Despite backlash from Asian-American civil rights groups, FBI chief Christopher Wray defended his previous portrayal of Chinese people in the U.S. as threats.

In an interview with NBC News published on Wednesday, Wray addressed the controversial statements he made during a hearing with the Senate intelligence committee.

More here: FBI Director Defends Remarks That Chinese People In U.S. Pose Threats

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My Life Since the 2012 Sikh Temple Shooting: Pardeep Singh Kaleka's Story
"Sandy Hook happened about four months after our shooting. And ... nothing really changed. Not enough to make up for the human suffering. But I do feel hopeful."

* * *
Talking With the Author of In a Day's Work About Low-Income Workers' Battle to Be Included in #MeToo
Journalist Bernice Yeung's new book, In a Day's Work, chronicles the lives of women who do the essential jobs of caring for our children and elders, cleaning our offices, and growing our food, and often they are undocumented, working for low pay, and in isolated environments.

* * *
'Isle of Dogs' undercuts its own message by treating Japanese culture as an aesthetic flourish
"In a movie where the leads are largely inhuman, it's the humans who end up feeling like the inscrutable foreigners."

* * *
Lauren Yee, playwright on the verge
Playwright Lauren Yee, whose original play Cambodian Rock Band just closed at the South Coast Repertory Theatre, has become a leading force for showcasing Asian American stories and talent on the stage.

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Dan Lee on Tweeting as Characters That Speak Just a Little Too Loud
How actor, writer, and comedian Dan Lee, co-host of hit variety show Asian AF at the UCB Theatre in New York, comes up with his jokes, and the characters he takes on whenever he uses Twitter.

* * *
How 88rising Is Making a Place for Asians in Hip-Hop
With artists like Rich Brian and Higher Brothers, Sean Miyashiro's company 88rising has rapidly become an authority on how to create Asian and American pop-culture crossovers.

* * *
America Is in Love With Asian Music, but Asian American Artists Still Can't Catch a Break
While genres like K-pop break through in the U.S., Asian American artists are still largely ignored.

* * *
Amid Lack of Film Opportunities, One Actor Took a Roundabout Way to 'Pacific Rim Uprising' Role
Before landing his first role in a major Hollywood blockbuster, Wesley Wong had to establish a career in China -- a journey underscoring the struggles of many Asian actors, and the lack of roles stateside.

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I'm an Asian American Stand-Up Comedian. What If I Could Just Be a Stand-Up Comedian?
In this Elle series on women's rage, comedian Jenny Yang talks about performing comedy and creating a place for yourself in a culture that is hostile to women -- especially women of color.

* * *
Deported, and Sticking Out: ‘This Ain't Home. America's My Home.'
It's expected that this year, the United States will deport 200 more Cambodian Americans. For deportees currently in Phnom Penh, who grew up in America, life isn't easy.

* * *
Neither Black Nor White in the Mississippi Delta
Two photographers document a community of Chinese Americans in the birthplace of the blues.

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Filipino Food Finds a Place in the American Mainstream
For many Filipinos, the dishes of their heritage are inseparable from days of celebration.

* * *
What Did You Do to That Kimchi?
In defense of Twitter backlashes against culinary appropriation.

* * *
Why Can't Everyone Do the 'Asian Squat'?
In many parts of Asia, the "Asian squat" is pretty ubiquitous. But why can't everyone do it?

* * *
Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Kelly Marie Tran Has a Story to Tell
Even within a cast of charmers like Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran carved out her own space in The Last Jedi with a big-hearted performance as Rose Tico. So what comes after Star Wars?

* * *
Jane Lui will play music, bake up a storm, and eat your cantaloupe
Jane Lui, the musician and actress who's been brightening lives with her YouTube videos for almost a decade, currently stars in Lauren Yee's play at South Coast Repertory, Cambodian Rock Band.

* * *
Meet Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Teen Vogue's new executive editor
Samhita Mukhopadhyay, the new executive editor of Teen Vogue, talks about her new role, her advice for Indian-origin teenagers, and her relationship with Indian culture.

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A New Anthology of Asian American Writing Asks What Home Even Means
Go Home!, a new anthology of Asian American writing featuring the likes of Viet Thanh Nguyen, Alexander Chee, Kimiko Hahn and more, attempts to answer that complicated question, "Where are you from?"

* * *
Nancy Wang Yuen has devoted her research to Hollywood's diversity problem
Nancy Wang Yuen is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, the first book to examine the barriers African American, Asian American and Latina and Latino actors face in Hollywood.

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Daniel Wu on his supporting turn in 'Tomb Raider' and his journey back home — to Hollywood
The Los Angeles Times profiles Into the Badlands and Tomb Raider star Daniel Wu, a massive star with a two-decade career in Asia who stateside audiences are only beginning to get to know.

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Now Trending on TV: The Sexy Asian Hunk
A new class of handsome actors—including Manny Jacinto on The Good Place and Vincent Rodriguez III on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend—are finally putting to rest the absurd question 'Can Asian guys be sexy?'

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Darren Criss on Playing Serial Killer Andrew Cunanan in ACS: Versace and Passing As White
Darren Criss, who plays serial killer Andrew Cunanan in the Assassination of Gianni Versace, talks about the limits of empathy, creating false guises, and whether he identifies as Asian American.

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Jon Jon Briones Explains How He Transformed Into Andrew Cunanan's Father Pete
Jon Jon Briones delivers an unsettling performance as Andrew Cunanan's father Pete in The Assassination of Gianni Versace. In this interview, Briones talks about how he got into character and what he hopes people will take away from the performance.

Angry Reader of the Week: Jimmy O. Yang

"...better to disappoint my parents for a couple of years than to disappoint myself for the rest of my life."



Good people of the internet! 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 Jimmy O. Yang.

Interior Secretary's response to hearing about Japanese American incarceration: "Konnichiwa"

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa was not amused.



"Konnichiwa." Wow. So you know one fucking Japanese word. Slow clap.

It's one thing -- annoying as shit -- when some fool tries to bust one of these on you in a bar or on the street. (Asian folk, raise your hand if you've been on the receiving end of an unsolicited "konnichiwa" or a "ni hao.") It's wholly inappropriate when it happens during a hearing of the United States Congress.

But that's what happened Thursday during a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii), who is Japanese American, was pressing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about re-funding a National Park Service program that offers grants towards the preservation of incarceration sites where Japanese Americans -- including Hanabusa's grandparents -- were held during World War II.

"Are you committed to continue to grant programs that are identified, I believe, as the Japanese American Confinement Sites grants program which were funded in 2017? Will we see them funded again in 2018?" Hanabusa asked.

Zinke's response: "Oh, konnichiwa."

I imagine Rep. Hanabusa had to summon every molecule of her being to suppress an eye roll.

Explore Bruce Lee's Seattle legacy in 'A Dragon Lives Here'

Now open at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle



Bruce fans, get yourself to Seattle. The multi-year Do You Know Bruce? exhibition series at the Wing Luke Museum provides fresh and untold perspectives on Bruce Lee's life and his connection to Seattle. Part 4, A Dragon Lives Here, focuses on the martial arts icon's close local ties.

Bruce Lee spent some of his most formative years in Seattle -- learning English, attending university, meeting his future wife, and establishing his first martial arts studio. In this all-new exhibit, retrace Seattle locales special to Bruce Lee and get an up-close look at how this city also shaped his trailblazing approach.

"Bruce Lee is part of Seattle's legacy of entrepreneurship and innovation," says comedian and host of CNN's United Shades of America (and professed Bruce Lee superfan) W. Kamau Bell, who is featured in the museum's intro video for A Dragon Lives Here. "They may not know it yet, but they will: a dragon lives here."

Kelly Marie Tran takes a bite out of this Star Wars deleted scene

Leaked 'Last Jedi' deleted scene leaves Rose Tico with a bad taste in her mouth.



If you were dying to see more of Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, here you go. In this deleted scene from the upcoming DVD release, leaked from what appears to be a Korean subtitled version, we see Rose and Finn on their knees, captured by the First Order. What we didn't see in the theatrical cut: Rose taking a big ol' bite out of General Hux's gloved finger when he gets a little too close.

"Go back to your home country."

Golden West College faculty member placed on leave after being caught on camera making a racist remark.



Because you never know when you're gonna need it. Protip: in case of sudden, unexpected racist public encounters, always keep your camera ready to catch that shit go down. A Southern California college professor was recently caught on camera telling an Asian American couple to "go back to your home country."

58-year-old Tarin Olson, a teacher and counselor at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, was filmed telling Tony Kao and his wife that they should "go back to your home country" while they were walking in Long Beach. They were apparently on a neighborhood stroll with their baby when Olson just "nonchalantly" offered them this unwelcome advice, without provocation, as she was passing them on the sidewalk.

Kao says this wasn't their first encounter with Olson, only this time they heard her clearly.

"A few weeks back we believed we walked past the same lady and also heard her mumble something to that effect but ignored it and thought we misheard," Kao shared in a March 1 Facebook post that has since gone viral. "But this time as she walked away, I yelled to her, 'WHAT YOU SAY?'

Kao's wife recorded part of their interaction. As you can see, once Olson realizes they've got a camera on her, she tries to get the fuck out of there. But not before telling them, again, where to go.

Gunman kills three in deadly veterans home standoff

Former patient Albert Wong took several hostages before killing himself and three employees.



A former soldier and former patient of a veterans home in California took three employees hostage on Friday in a seven-hour standoff before authorities found him and three mental health professionals dead.

Gunman, 3 Hostages Dead At Veterans Home North Of San Francisco

Authorities say 36-year-old Albert Wong, armed with a rifle, burst into a morning gathering at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville, a treatment facility for elderly or disabled veterans. He took five hostages after exchanging gunfire with a Napa County sheriff's deputy. He later released two hostages.

When police stormed the facility hours later, they found Wong dead, along with three of home's employees, 42-year-old Clinical Director Jennifer Golick, 48-year-old Executive Director Christine Loeber, and 29-year-old Clinical Psychologist Jennifer Gonzalez -- all fatally shot.

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Oscar Nominee Kumail Nanjiani Still Gets Mistaken For Other Brown Stars
Kumail Nanjiani is an Oscar-nominated actor, comedian and writer. But all his fame and accomplishments apparently haven't shielded him from a scenario faced by many Asian-Americans -- getting mistaken for his brown colleagues.

* * *
6 Little Known Asian American Stories that Should be Adapted into Films
With the 2018 Academy Awards behind us, YOMYOMF offers suggestions for six "little known" real-life Asian American stories that could provide the foundation for interesting, award-worthy feature films.

* * *
Asian Americans Are Not Your Model Minority
The San Gabriel Valley, a major hub of U.S. Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities, grapples with poverty and a disproportionate number of cancer deaths, according to a new study.

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Preparing Little Brother for a Mass Shooting
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang on the devastating reality those of us in the U.S. have to prepare for.

* * *
How Asian Americans climbed the ranks and changed the political landscape
From one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, particularly in Southern California, during an era of drastic social change, a cadre of Asian American political leaders has emerged.

* * *
The Problem With the Explosion of White-Owned Dallas Asian-Fusion Restaurants
"What are you contributing, and who might you be hurting?" Good food is fine, but Asian Americans in Dallas are asking for white-owned Asian fusion restaurants to stop the cultural appropriation.

* * *
Ms. Marvelous
By fostering a space for women and minorities in an industry once known as a boys club, Sana Amanat, VP of content and character development for Marvel, has changed the face of comics.

* * *
Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang wants to teach you How to American
Silicon Valley actor Jimmy O. Yang's new book, How To American: An Immigrants Guide to Disappointing Your Parents, documents his journey as a Chinese immigrant to TV star.

* * *
The ‘Shib Sibs Talk Asian Representation, Stereotypes And K-Pop
Maia and Alex Shibutani are the "Shib Sibs," the brother-and-sister figure skating pair who took it all the way to PyeongChang this year. They take some time to talk about growing up Japanese American in Colorado and Michigan, and always being aware of being put into various boxes.

* * *
To design costumes for 'Black Panther,' this artist drew on his Filipino upbringing
Anthony Francisco, a visual designer who worked on the "Dora Milaje" costumes in Black Panther, drew on African and Asian cultures -- including his own Filipino upbringing -- for inspiration.

* * *
Anna Akana, The New Queen Bee
Anna Akana, star of YouTube Red's Youth & Consequences talks to PAPER about representation, breaking out of the mold, and pitching a pink tent on Hollywood Boulevard.

* * *
Oakland actor Daniel Wu talks 'Tomb Raider,' 'Into the Badlands'
Daniel Wu co-stars with Alicia Vikander in the reboot of movie Tomb Raider -- the biggest role he's had in a Hollywood film -- but he's already been a leading man for nearly two decades.

Angry Reader of the Week: Andrew Ti

"Definitely read all questions ahead of time before starting."



Hey, folks! Here's what's up. It's time for 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 Andrew Ti.

Chloe Kim is getting her own Barbie doll

Barbie's new "Shero" line celebrates modern-day role models from around the world.



Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim, still radiating awesomeness from her dominating, inspirational halfpipe win at the PyeongChang Winter Games, is being honored with a Barbie doll in her likeness.

The doll is part of Barbie's "Shero" program, unveiled ahead of International Women's Day on March 8 and honoring modern-day role models from around the world.

The Chloe Kim doll bears a striking resemblance to the teen snowboarder, right down to the shade of her signature blond locks. She comes equipped with, of course, a snowboard and looks appropriately outfitted for a championship halfpipe run... but does she come with a gold medal too?

Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles injured, 4-year-old daughter killed in car crash

A car ran a red light and drove through a crowd of people in Brooklyn.



Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Ruthie Ann Miles was in critical condition Monday after she was struck by a car in Brooklyn in an accident that killed her 4-year-old daughter and another child.

Tony Award-Winning Actress Hurt in Deadly Wreck After Driver Blows Red Light in Brooklyn

Miles was walking with a friend, Lauren Lew, and their kids in Park Slope when a white Volvo reportedly ran a red light, drove through the intersection and plowed through a crowd of people in the crosswalk. Miles and Lew were both injured in the crash. Miles' 4-year-old daughter Abigail and Lew's 1-year-old son Joshua were killed. A fifth victim, a 46-year-old man, was also hit.

Miles, who is currently expecting her second child, was critically injured but listed in stable condition.

Kelly Marie Tran got mistaken for Mirai Nagasu at the Oscars

Getty Images apparently can't distinguish between two totally different Asian ladies in blue-ish dresses.



On Sunday night, Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran made her debut on the Oscars red carpet, looking hot as hell in a stunning blue Jenny Packham gown. Looking awesome... then promptly misidentified as another Asian American woman on the red carpet, Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu. Oops.

All Look Same strikes again. It seems that whoever was on caption-writing duty at Getty Images, one of the world's leading photo agencies, had some trouble distinguishing between two totally different Asian ladies in blue-ish dresses, misidentifying Tran as Nagasu, and vice versa, in a number of their captions.

Of course, the mistake got lit up on Twitter.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 36: They Call Us #OscarsSoWhite

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 welcome April Reign, creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. Recorded on the eve of the 90th Academy Awards, we discuss Black Panther, the tired old excuses of the Hollywood establishment, and where the movement for diversity and inclusion goes from here.

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Detained and divided: how the US turned on Vietnamese refugees
A longstanding humanitarian deal protected many Vietnamese American refugees from deportation -- but a change in practice under Trump is tearing families apart.

* * *
Writing Towards Liberation: Asian American Revolutionaries and the Written Word
On the legacy of Asian American revolutionaries, and the written words they left us.

* * *
This is why Indian immigrants won't benefit from Trump's immigration plan
The Republic Hindu Coalition supports Trump's immigration plan, arguing that Indian immigrants are all highly skilled. But Indian immigrants come to the U.S. come via many different pathways and backgrounds

* * *
Khizr Khan Sees A Shared 'Moral Compass' In Lessons Of Japanese-American Incarceration
Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who famously addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention, spoke in Seattle to commemorate the anniversary of Executive Order 9066.

* * *
Say It with Noodles: On Learning to Speak the Language of Food
"I have forgotten how to speak two languages. But I have learned this one."

* * *
How to Write a Memoir While Grieving
Nicole Chung contemplates loss, adoption, and working on a book her late father won't get to see.

* * *
Meet the Asian and Asian American Nominees for the 2018 Oscars!
Makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, animator Ru Kuwahata, producer Ramsey Naito, and sound editor Ren Klyce talk about the work that earned them their Academy Award nominations this year.

* * *
How Mad Should I Be About the Whitewashing in Annihilation?
Director Alex Garland claims he did not intentionally whitewash the characters in his trippy sci-fi film adaptation of the novel Annihilation. But should we be mad?

* * *
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen on the struggles of being a refugee in America
Acclaimed author Viet Thanh Nguyen serves as editor of the upcoming essay collection The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives. Read an excerpt from the book's introductory essay, in which Nguyen describes his own refugee experience in stunning, at times painful detail.

* * *
Cambodian Rock Band Joins an Inspiration Continuum
What was the inspiration behind Lauren Yee's new play Cambodian Rock Band? War, colonization, genocide... and psych-pop-rock-music.

* * *
But That's Another Story: Min Jin Lee
A great interview with Pachinko author and National Book Award finalist Min Jin Lee, who talks about George Eliot's Middlemarch, imposter syndrome, and her lifelong obsession with wisdom.

* * *
Awkwafina's Young Hollywood 2018 Interview on "Ocean's 8" and Asian Stereotypes
"If we're going to be telling stories about women, with female leads, why can't we have a female director?" Awkwafina tells Teen Vogue. "There are female directors; these people exist. So you can't say limited availability."

* * *
Ugly Delicious star David Chang gains 'appreciation' for Asian-American successes
Ugly Delicious, the new eight-part Netflix food show from Momofuku restaurateur David Chang, addresses the silly, profound, and sometimes uncomfortable bonds between the food we eat and the people with whom food associates -- if that origin can even be truly known.

* * *
A family of lawyers fought to clear their name. Now their story is in an Oscar-nominated documentary.
The Sung sisters, Vera, Jill and Chantrelle, still find it bewildering that they went from being accused of mortgage fraud to being the stars of an Oscar-nominated documentary.

Angry Reader of the Week: Raymond Lee

"Passivity is generally unattractive. Passion is almost always attractive."



All right, everybody. It's 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 Raymond Lee.