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 California State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate John Chiang. He talks about his reputation as the so-called "no drama" candidate, how family tragedy informed his passion for public service, and the Good, Bad and WTF of running for Governor of California.
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 our friend, San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim to talk about her bid for mayor. They discuss the city's hotly contested sprint to election day, the issues that divide and unite us, and the Good, Bad and WTF of running for Mayor of San Francisco.
Daniel Dae Kim and Keanu Reeves round out the cast of 'Always Be My Maybe.'
That Ali Wong/Randall Park romantic comedy, once just a hypothetical dream flick sprinkled with social media-fueled fairy dust, is a real thing. The Netflix feature film has begun production, has a title -- Always Be My Maybe -- and has assembled a crazy amazing cast that includes Daniel Dae Kim and Keanu Reeves. Whoa. As if we weren't already losing our minds over this project, it's now officially our most anticipated movie of 2019.
Wong and Park star as childhood sweethearts, Sasha and Marcus, 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. They discover the old sparks are still there, but can they adapt to each other's world?
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 celebrated playwright David Henry Hwang to talk about his wildly original, form-busting new "play with a musical" Soft Power. We discuss political fantasies and realities, Hillary Clinton as a romantic lead, and that time David got stabbed (but lived to tell the tale).
How Japanese Women At Internment Camp Made Their Clothes Their Own
"The pins struck me as a small and dignified act of rebellion. They are a symbol of defiance to the idea that all Japanese Americans shared a single identity or that their forced captivity would obliterate their creative spirit."
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Where 'Asian-American' came from
This year's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration is unique, because May 2018 quietly marks our golden anniversary: the 50th birthday of "Asian-American." And as far as we Asian-Americans have come over this past half-century, it's time to figure out who we are.
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Trust me: Separating immigrant families isn't humane
"Are people who are less successful not human or deserving of the right to hold on to their children? Our answer to that question says everything about us."
Exclusive: George Takei's Accuser Has Changed His Story of Drugging and Assault
A fabricated coffee meeting. Key facts withheld or walked back. A "great party story" about a sexual assault -- which the accuser now says may not have actually happened. What happens when an activist's legacy is tarnished by the story of an old friend who later says it could have all been a misunderstanding? And how do we process such an anomaly in an era of overdue social justice?
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Why Asian-Pacific Islanders Care About Incarceration
"We aren't just impacted by incarceration and deportation. We've been turned into the justification for incarceration and deportation through the model minority myth."
7 Plus-Size Asian Bloggers Talk About Representation
Ravishly talks to several Asian American and Pacific Islander bloggers and Instagrammers to hear about their unique experiences of growing up plus-size, representation, and more.
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 Maurene Goo.
The pioneering Chinese American cinematographer worked on more than 130 films during his career.
If you've done any internet searching today, you may have noticed that today's Google Doodle pays tribute to legendary Hollywood cinematographer James Wong Howe. The pioneering Chinese American cinematographer worked on more than 130 films during his career, including the heralded 1934 comedy-mystery The Thin Man, which was released on this day, 84 years ago.
Howe was born in Guanzhou, China in 1899 before immigrating to the United States when he was five years old, but could not become a U.S. citizen until the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943.
Despite fighting prejudice his entire life -- you can only imagine what it was like for Asians in Hollywood in his era -- he forged a groundbreaking career in movies, starting as a cleaner sweeping the studio floor, becoming an assistant cameraman to legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, and eventually building a reputation over more than 50 years as one of the most innovative, influential and sought-after cinematographers in history.
Asian American Advancing Justice is accepting applications for the 2017 Youth Leadership Summit.
Hey, student leaders! Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC is accepting applications for the Youth Leadership Summit, a three-day leadership development program for high achieving college students. The program brings together a group of students to Washington DC for advocacy trainings and leadership development workshops focused on civic engagement.
Through interactive workshops, hands-on activities, and a visit to Capitol Hill, participants build advocacy skills and gain a deeper understanding of how advocacy and activism affect policy decisions. Student leaders will work with experienced policy advocates and have opportunities to interact with the legislative staff of U.S. Senators and Representatives. This year's Summit will take place September 13-15.
Monday, May 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles.
Atsuko Okatsuka was born to be on a Japanese game show. Her parents apparently met on one. Now she hosts one, sort of. If you're in Los Angeles, join Atusko and friends for Let's Go, Atsuko!, a night of interactive games, videos, discussions and talent from notable comedians, political thinkers and public figures in the style of, yes, a Japanese game show. The lineup includes standup by Aparna Nancherla, music by Dynasty Handbag, and panelists Guy Branum, Nik Dodani, Parvesh Cheena and Jibz Cameron.
It's happening Monday, May 28 at Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth. Here are more details:
Upcoming Netflix feature film from writer/director Alan Yang.
Hey, wanna be a in a movie? This casting call, currently circulating on social media, is looking for Taiwanese and Mandarin-speaking actors of various ages to star in the upcoming Netflix movie Tigertail, written and directed by Alan Yang. No previous acting experience is required.
A quick and dirty internet search for TigerTail comes up with this synopsis: "After a hard childhood growing up in Taiwan, Grover takes a risky opportunity to move to America with a woman he doesn't connect with to start a new life, abandoning his love and a home he genuinely loved. He looks back on this decision throughout his life, perhaps stubbornly, especially as he sees his daughter Angela grow up to be a stubborn woman herself. Grover and Angela don't realize how similar they are, but eventually come to understand each other as they experience regret and failure, but enough happiness to keep moving on."
Yang is best known as the award-winning co-creator of Master of None, and as a writer and producer for NBC's Parks and Recreation. The film's title, "Tigertail," appears to be a reference to Yang's own family origins. In a 2015 Fresh Air interview, he mentioned that his father hailed from a small village in Taiwan called TigerTail.
"You'll definitely see it in competition next season."
She may have won an Olympic gold medal at the PyeongChang Winter Games, but it's pretty clear that Chloe Kim was just getting started. Last week, the teen snowboarding champ landed a frontside 1260 in practice -- a move no female pro has ever landed in competition. But, from the looks of it, not for long.
Kim shared a video of her landing the 1260 on Instagram:
David Henry Hwang Hopes Hillary Clinton Will See 'Soft Power'
David Henry Hwang's Soft Power, a "play within a musical," is a bit of fantasy that shifts the balance of global power from the U.S. to China after Hillary Clinton loses the 2016 presidential election. Hwang hopes Clinton sees the show, which just had its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Cleared of Spying for China, She Still Doesn't Have Her Job Back
Three years ago, the Justice Department dropped espionage-related charges against Sherry Chen, a Chinese American hydrologist at the National Weather Service, clearing her of accusations of espionage. But Ms. Chen can't get back to work.
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John Kelly's Ancestors Wouldn't Have Fit In Either
"What some of us also forget is that at nearly every stage of our country's history, the people who were already established as American citizens found convenient targets to designate as unable to assimilate: the indigenous peoples; conquered Mexicans; slaves; or the newest immigrants, who were usually classified as nonwhite."
If an Asian American author doesn’t have a Wikipedia page, do they exist?
Wikipedia is a resource consulted by millions of people every day. But if a topic or person isn’t on the website, how much is the world missing from that gap in information? Kundiman and the Asian American Writers Workshop are trying to chip away at the website's blind spots, one page at a time.
Affirmative Action Benefits Everyone — Including Asian Americans
Despite the attention a small and vocal group of Asian Americans against affirmative action would lead some to believe, a recent national poll found that 64 percent of Asian American voters favor programs that are designed to help African Americans, women and other minorities access higher education.
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Sikh Captain America fights intolerance and bigotry
Vishavjit Singh draws cartoons and dons a Captain America costume to help fight intolerance and bigotry. He visited Seattle earlier this month to launch an exhibition of his illustrations, on display through February 2019, at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle.
"Listen to your elders and record their stories. Life's too short not to."
Hello, good readers of this website. It is time 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 Jun Stinson.
Video shows protestor calling the San Francisco supervisor a "skinny-ass rice-eating motherfucker."
In San Francisco, a mayoral candidate meet-and-greet ended abruptly when protestors interrupted the event and shouted racial slurs at Supervisor Jane Kim, calling her a "skinny-ass rice-eating motherfucker."
The incident, caught on Facebook Live video, occurred during a joint campaign event hosted by Kim and Mark Leno in the Fillmore district on Saturday. Kim had just finished speaking about affordable housing in the city when protestors -- apparently supporters of candidate London Breed -- crashed the proceedings.
The video shows an audience member interrupting the Q&A, demanding why Supervisor Breed wasn't invited to the event. Things quickly go off the rails as others join in the shouting, until that first gentleman (who appears to be chomping on some grapes?!) yells "You got this skinny-ass rice-eating motherfucker coming in here" -- referring, of course, to the Asian American candidate -- "what's she going to do in Fillmore?"
Yeah, I think this event is over. The shouting begins around the five-minute mark:
The Beginning Of The End Of Koreatown Los Angeles
One person's take on the rapid development of L.A.'s Koreatown and what it means for the smaller Korean businesses that make the neighborhood great.
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Confessions Of An Inglisera
In the Philippines, it's not uncommon to meet Filipinos who speak exclusively in English. Typically young, affluent, and mocked, the "inglisera" is a symptom of the nation's complicated and often painful history with American colonialism.
The Man Who Sold the World on Asian Hip-Hop
On a mission to show the world that Asians could legitimately rap, Sean Miyashiro founded 88 Rising, a viral hit machine starring rappers from Indonesia, South Korea and China.
"Tell stories. Make stories. Dream stories. Live stories."
Photo: Cava Photo
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 Sheetal Sheth.
Starring and co-written by Vivian Bang. Friday, May 11 at AMC Kabuki 8.
San Francisco film fans, this one's for you... Fresh from its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the wonderfully weird and delightful indie comedy White Rabbit is screening at CAAMFest. Co-written and starring Vivian Bang, and directed by Daryl Wein, the film follows Sophia, a Korean American performance artist trying find her voice amidst heartbreak and professional road bumps in modern Los Angeles.
It's screening Friday, May 11 at the AMC Kabuki 8 in Japantown. Here are some more details:
San Franciscooooooo. Are you ready for some laughs? The funny folks of Disoriented Comedy -- "the first-ever (mostly) female Asian American standup comedy tour" -- has joined forces with CAAMFest. Join our pals Jenny Yang, D'Lo, and Atsuko Okatsuka for an evening of kickass comedy. It's happening Saturday, May 12 at New People Cinema in Japantown.
'Fresh Off The Boat' star plays Agent Jimmy Woo in the superhero sequel.
Here you go, fellow fanboys. The internet has given us our first behind-the-scenes look at Randall Park as Jimmy Woo in this summer's forthcoming Marvel movie Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The photo, posted to Reddit over the weekend, shows Park alongside star Paul Rudd, who plays Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. At first glance, it looks a little like Paul Rudd just woke up and wandered on to the set of Fresh Off The Boat. You can kind of imagine Jessica, Eddie, Emery, Evan and Grandma just out of the frame.
Jeong, a licensed physician, was in the middle of a standup set.
He took an oath, after all. Actor and comedian Ken Jeong was performing standup Saturday night when he stopped his set and jumped off stage to assist a woman in the audience who has having a seizure.
At first, he thought it was a heckler. Jeong was performing at the Stand Up Live Comedy Club in Phoenix when a disturbance from a woman in the third row interrupted his set. When the lights came on, it became clear that it was actually a medical emergency -- the woman was having an apparent seizure.
As it happened, there was a doctor in the house. On stage, actually.
Adam Purinton pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting of Srinivas Kuchibhotla.
In Kansas, the racist sack of shit who opened fire last year in a suburban Kansas City bar, killing an Indian engineer, was sentenced Friday to life in prison. 52-year-old Adam Purinton pleaded guilty to the charge of premeditated first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Srinivas Kuchibhotla.
Witnesses said Purinton, who is white, yelled racial slurs at Kuchibhotla and his friend, Alok Madasani, who were enjoying an after-work drink at Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe. He was asked to leave but eventually returned and yelled "Get out of my country!" before firing at the men, killing Kuchibhotla and wounding Madasani. A third man, Ian Grillot, was wounded when he tried to intervene.
Purinton was apprehended several hours later at an Applebee's restaurant in Missouri, where a bartender called 911 after he reportedly admitted that he'd shot and killed "two Iranian people in Olathe."
America Is Turning Its Back On Cambodian Refugees
They came to the U.S. to escape the Khmer Rouge in the 1980s. Now, over a hundred Cambodian immigrants have been detained by ICE and are facing deportation. The same country that welcomed them as child refugee is now turning its back on them.
Will Asian Americans make California even bluer in November?
Democrats are pouring resources into seven congressional districts in California as we move closer to November. How will Asian Americans vote? Sara Sadhwani crunches some numbers.
The Strategic Mind of Ali Wong
Thanks to sharp bits about gender roles, she's on the cusp of stand-up comedy's A-list, the rare working mother to make the cut. And she's carefully considered every step of the way.
David Henry Hwang: Backward and Forward
An interview with David Henry Hwang, whose new musical Soft Power is partly about China using musical theatre to promote its dominance on the world's political stage.
'Soft Power' has a cast that's almost entirely Asian. Here's why that's a radical idea for American theater
"When people see people like me on stage, they see somebody who represents something outside of their experience instead of someone they might share something with." Asian American performers are often seen as "symbols" -- representatives from a foreign culture, or ambassadors of something a typical audience does not identify with.
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Why You Should Sweat the Details When Creating Your Series Pilot
Naomi Ko's Nice, which she created, wrote, and stars in, will premiere in this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Ko, director Andrew Ahn, and producer Carolyn Mao discuss the making of the show, and how they want to emphasize the personal in serialized storytelling.
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Meet The Korean-Canadian Woman Who Helped Bring You The Wu Tang Clan
How one song -- "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- compelled Sophia Chang to divert from her path to becoming a French professor, instead building a career managing some of the most iconic musicians in hip hop.
"I live for art and beauty so exquisite it hurts."
Hey, everybody! It is time 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 Leo Chu.
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 T.K., aka "The Korean," the pseudonymous blogger behind Ask a Korean! They discuss recent historic developments towards peace on the Korean peninsula, the long road that got us to this place, and the possibility of a reunified Korea.
