Man Wanted For Coronavirus-Related Racist Attack in Queens

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Man Makes COVID-19 Related Anti-Asian Remarks and Breaks Woman's Cell Phone
In Queens, police are looking for a man wanted in connection with a racist attack on an Asian woman in Rego Park last weekend. On Sunday morning, a man made coronavirus-related anti-Asian statements to a 36-year-old woman. The woman then tried to use her cell phone to take a photo of the man, but he slapped it out of her hand, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter. Then the man ran off. Real brave, asshole.

* * *


Director Jon M. Chu 'Disgusted' By 'Crazy Rich Asians’ Sequels Casting Scam
A Twitter user named Alan Baltes, claiming to be an actor and casting associate, posted a notice saying that the supposed Crazy Rich Asians sequels, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, were casting Asian actors, ages 20s through 40s, for lead roles via "live Zoom auditions." Director Jon M. Chu says they haven't started casting yet, the casting call is bogus, and this scam targeting hopeful Asian actors is "disgusting."

* * *


Koreatown's Restaurants Struggle to Survive During Pandemic
Since California's dining room shutdown began in mid-March, the restaurants and bars in Los Angeles' Koreatown have struggled alongside the rest of the restaurant industry hoping to come out on the other side of the pandemic. Unlike Manhattan's Koreatown, which is dominated by corporate ownership, LA's Koreatown is a mosaic of small businesses, so most have chosen to stay open to earn whatever revenue they can by offering pickup, delivery, or both.

* * *

Fighting COVID-19 Anti-Asian Racism with Research
Chuck Liu is a clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, where his team is launching a study examining the effects of COVID-19 stressors on the mental health of both Asian Americans and the broader population to help understand the formation and impact of racism during this critical time. It's a unique study that looks not just at COVID-related racism and its effects on Asians, but tries to understand the factors that shape racist anti-Asian attitudes among non-Asians as well. However, this is a large study with 3000 participants and five waves of data recruitment, so they're raising funds and could use your help. Find out more here.

* * *


Watch Over 50 Asian American Documentaries on Public Television in May
In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May, World Channel will showcase the stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. with 52 documentary films. With themes of social justice and courage, these films highlight the myriad of ways in which Asian Pacific Americans have triumphed and impacted history.

May is AAPI Heritage Month. We've Got You Covered.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



2020 AAPI Heritage Month Digital Event Calendar
Heads up: May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. If you didn't know, now you know. We get a month. While the current state of the world prevents us from gathering in person, we can all still celebrate. We've compiled a running list of digital events you can participate in virtually, happening throughout Heritage Month. Peruse the calendar here and check back frequently. We'll be adding more events as they come in. And if you'd like to submit an event to the calendar, fill out the form here.

* * *

Faces of the Cure
#FacesoftheCure is a social media campaign calling on folks to spotlight the healthcare heroes who are risking their lives to save the world in the fight against COVID19 by sharing their photos and stories. Most of these war-weary doctors, nurses, and hospital staff will never get the recognition they deserve. To the contrary, many have been discriminated against. Think of the campaign as "Humans of New York" but for the pandemic. Let's join together to give them recognition they deserve.

* * *


Stop COVID-19 Disinformation. Stop Anti-Asian Violence
"We're living through a global health pandemic and an insufficient government and corporate response that is causing people to lose their lives and loved ones. The hate and disinformation spread online around COVID-19 are putting even more lives in danger. Companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are hotspots for coronavirus opportunists to spread their dangerously misleading lies and fuel xenophobic and anti-Asian violence. Asian Americans are being blamed for spreading COVID-19 and targeted, particularly those of us who are of East Asian descent." Sign this petition to tell Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to immediately shut down hate and misinformation about COVID-19 on their platforms.

* * *


Irrfan Khan, Bollywood Star at Home in Hollywood, Dies at 53
Irrfan Khan, the celebrated Indian actor who became a crossover star in Hollywood, starring in movies like The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, died on Wednesday in Mumbai. He was 53.

* * *


Alice Wu’s Rom-Com Was Influential, but Her Follow-Up Wasn't Easy
This New York Times profile on Alice Wu, writer/director of the Netflix feature The Half of It, reveals how the filmmaker beat writer's block while working on the movie's screenplay. She wrote a check for $1,000 to the National Rifle Association -- a cause she decidedly does not support -- then gave it to a friend with an ultimatum: if she didn't turn in the first draft of her script in five weeks, send the check. This is gangster shit!

3 in 10 Americans Have Witnessed COVID-19 Bias Against Asians

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America



More than 30 Percent of Americans Have Witnessed COVID-19 Bias Against Asians
More than 30 percent of Americans have witnessed someone blaming Asian people for the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey conducted for the Center for Public Integrity. Sixty percent of Asian Americans, who made up about 6 percent of the survey's respondents, said they’ve seen the same behavior.

* * *

U.S. Senator Wants to Restrict Chinese Students From Studying Science
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) suggested that Chinese students should not be allowed to live in the U.S. for the purpose of obtaining science-related degrees from American universities. In an interview with Fox News, Cotton said that Chinese students seeking to study at U.S. schools should be limited to studying courses in the Humanities. "If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that's what they need to learn from America," Cotton said. "They don't need to learn quantum computing."

* * *

Nurse Who Fought for More PPE Dies of Coronavirus Days Before Retirement
A nurse who fought for more personal protective equipment (amid the coronavirus epidemic allegedly died of COVID-19 last week, days before her union says she was scheduled to retire. Celia Yap Banago contracted the disease while caring for an infected patient at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked for 40 years.

* * *

The Goonies Reunited!
This week, the cast of the beloved 1985 movie The Goonies held an epic online reunion -- including Ke Huy Quan, who played the intrepid, inventive Data. He was 14 when The Goonies was released, but has been fairly inactive as an actor in his adult years. However, he shares that thanks to movies like Crazy Rich Asians, there's been recent surge of interest in roles for Asian American actors. Now at age 50, he's gotten back into acting and has roles in the upcoming films Everything Everywhere All at Once and Finding Ohana.

* * *


Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Virtual Showcase
As we head into May, we should have been gearing up for this year's edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications. It was slated to kick off this week. But given the state of the world, that's obviously not happening. But festival's organizers, undeterred by this set back, have announced the LAAPFF Virtual Showcase, a free digital showcase of films and panels to unite with audiences during this unprecedented time. The online showcase will highlight artists whose stories are critical at this moment in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic. This first time event begins May 1st and will run through May 28 as part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. For further information, and to see the full lineup, go here.

Get This Cool Shirt in Support of #OperationPPE

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Heroes Wear Masks
Kolbe Yang, 16-year-old son of acclaimed graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang -- and a talented artist in his own right -- has created "Heroes Wear Masks," a mecha-inspired t-shirt design to support USC architecture students who are using 3D printers to create personal protective equipment for health care workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. All proceeds from shirt sales will go to #OperationPPE.

* * *


Suspect Identified in Vandalism Spree Targeting Asian-Owned Businesses
Asians Behaving Badly... smashed windows edition! In San Jose, authorities have identified a suspect in a recent vandalism spree targeting Asian-owned businesses in the South Bay. 42-year-old Tai Van Trinh is accused of smashing windows of eight different businesses in San Jose and Milpitas in the early morning of April 22. Trinh, who drove a black 2004 Toyota Tacoma with Texas plates, is still at large.

* * *


Foon Hay Lum, Pioneering Chinese Canadian Activist, Dies at 111
One of Canada’s oldest women, Foon Hay Lum, who was separated from her husband for more than 30 years by the Chinese immigration ban and later helped secure a formal apology and compensation for all Chinese Canadians who paid the head tax, has died after being diagnosed with COVID-19. She was 111.

* * *


Auntie Sewing Squad
Kristina Wong started the Auntie Sewing Squad last month to find sewing help with requests she was getting from nurses for facemasks. Since then, they've distributed thousands of masks to essential workers and vulnerable communities, including 1300 masks to the Navajo, Lakota and Quechan Nations, and another thousand masks to farmworkers and people transitioning out of ICE detention. They're still looking for volunteers who can help cut and sew. They're also taking donations of 100% cotton fabric and elastic. Join the Auntie Sewing Squad group here. You can also Venmo funds to "GiveKristinaWongMoney."

* * *

Music Video: Dumbfoundead & Satica - "Inside"
Los Angeles rapper Dumbfoundead has released a two-song collaborative quarantine project titled Inside/Outside with singer Satica. The two tracks, produced by Big Banana, explore the themes of being locked "Inside" during this unique quarantine era, and the excitement of finally getting through it in "Outside." Here's the official music video for "Inside."

Read These Blogs

Me and Bruce Lee would like to have a word with you.
Being against racism means being against racism.

* * *
I'm an Asian American doctor on the front lines of two wars: Coronavirus and racism
"'I'm not racist, I just don't want to get the virus,' one patient told me."

* * *
People Are Writing Notes to Comfort Elderly Asian New Yorkers
Asian seniors in New York City are facing isolation and xenophobia. Heart of Dinner, a new community relief effort, is delivering them hot meals and handwritten notes of love.

* * *
Olympian Mirai Nagasu finds hope in fight to keep parents’ restaurant from closing
Like thousands of other small businesses, Sushi Kiyosuzu in Arcadia, California -- owned by the parents of Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu -- has been hit hard by the pandemic and trying to find ways to stay afloat.

* * *
10 Asian American Poems of Protest to Read this April
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Kundiman has curated a list of poems continuing along the theme of March 2020's Poetry Coalition Project, I am deliberate and afraid of nothing: Poetry & Protest, based off the poem "New Year's Day" by Audre Lorde.

* * *
A Muslim Mixtape To Get You Through Ramadan
"Whether you are fasting for Ramadan or showing up for Muslims at airport protests, I've found a few tracks that I would give a thumbs up to for Ramadan listening this season. These tracks are by Muslim-American musicians singing some pretty powerful lyrics, and you don’t have to be Muslim to enjoy them."

Vandal Targets Asian-Owned Businesses in San Jose

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



"Every Single Window Was Smashed"
Multiple Asian-owned businesses in San Jose were vandalized by a man driving a dark pick-up truck early Wednesday morning. According to San Jose police, the suspect smashed the glass door and windows of at least five businesses in the city's Berryessa neighborhood, including Tastea, Lee's Sandwiches and Seven Leaves Cafe.

* * *


'Wuhan Plague' Plaques Found on Atlanta Businesses, Streets
Who has been posting these weird signs around East Atlanta? The round signs have been made to look like a plaque depicting Winnie the Pooh eating a bat with chopsticks below the words "Wuhan Plague." They've been popping up around the area on a variety of buildings and fixtures. The Atlanta Police Department's Homeland Security Unit, which investigates bias-motivated crimes, has been notified about the signs but so far no arrests have been made.

* * *


Republican Strategy Memo Urges Anti-China Assault Over Coronavirus
Turns out, there really is a playbook. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has sent campaigns a detailed, 57-page memo advising GOP candidates to address the coronavirus crisis by aggressively attacking China. The memo, authored by a top Republican strategist, includes advice on everything from how to tie Democratic candidates to the Chinese government to how to deal with accusations of racism. It stresses three main lines of assault: That China caused the virus "by covering it up," that Democrats are "soft on China," and that Republicans will "push for sanctions on China for its role in spreading this pandemic."

* * *


Meals for Elmhurst Hospital Staff!
Elmhurst Hospital has been one of the hardest-hit hospitals in the state of New York, and it is currently at the epicenter of NYC's COVID-19 pandemic -- NYC Health + Hospitals, the city's public hospital system, has deemed Elmhurst Hospital its #1 priority because of the unprecedented surge in new cases. This campaign, started Queens resident Cynthia Kuang, has been raising funds to feed the hardworking staff of Elmhurst Hospital and supporting local businesses.

* * *

Jhene Aiko & H.E.R. Perform for Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort
Some of music's biggest names came together for BET's Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort, a virtual concert to help raise money for African American communities impacted by COVID-19. Jhené Aiko and H.E.R. joined forces -- while quarantined separately -- to perform their duet "B.S." for the first time.

Angry Reader of the Week: Kim Cooper

"Anger is my most immediate reaction to anything I don't like."


Photo: Angela Gollan
Greetings, good people of the internet. We are still doing this. 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 Kim Cooper.

Suspect Identified in Hate Crime Attack on 92-Year-Old Man

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Suspect Identified in Hate Crimes Assault of Elderly Man in Vancouver
Police say they have identified a suspect, based on numerous tips from the public, in the hate-crime assault of a 92-year-old Asian man in Vancouver. No word if an arrest has been made yet. On March 13, the elderly victim, who suffers from severe dementia, wandered into a convenience store and the suspect began yelling racist remarks at him, including comments about COVID-19. Once outside the store, the suspect shoved the man, which caused him to fall and hit his head. The suspect then fled before police arrived. Here's hoping they catch this piece of garbage and nail his ass.

* * *


Surprise, Surprise. Trump's New HHS Spokesman Tweeted Racist Shit
And literally nobody is shocked to learn that Michael Caputo, the new spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, made racist and derogatory comments about Chinese people, among other things, in a series of now-deleted tweets. Caputo, a longtime New York Republican political operative who worked on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, remarked that "millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters." He followed up at another user, "Don't you have a bat to eat?" and tweeted at another user, "You're very convincing, Wang." Seems like he'll fit in quite well with this administration.

* * *

The Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition
=Hosted by Sandra Tsing Loh, The Loh Down on Science is a daily radio “minute” (90 seconds) of humorous yet informative current science. In light of recent events -- you know, the deadly global pandemic thing -- they're launching a limited radio/podcast series called The Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition, featuring three-minute family friendly radio/podcast/audio modules covering a range of pandemic science. Topics will include: The science of herd immunity. The wonders of soap. The curious story of Lady Montagu, English aristocrat and early vaccine adopter. Could a mad scientist create a virus in a lab? (Well, not a very good one.) Why are our house cats going nuts? The surprising healing powers of copper. Can you harness your home computer, when you're sleeping, to join an army of computers crunching data to find COVID-19’s Achilles Heel? Hint: Yes! It's been done to solve Ebola!

* * *

Hollywood
What if you could rewrite the story? The new Netflix limited series Hollywood follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown -- no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood's Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day. Darren Criss stars as a white-passing biracial Filipino American director, while Michelle Krusiec guest stars as real-life Chinese American screen icon Anna May Wong. The series premieres May 1 on Netflix.

* * *


Family Meal: A Virtual Dinner Party and Conversation
On May 1, I'll be participating in a fun little live event with some cool folks to help kick off AAPI Heritage Month. Seed & Spark presents Family Meal: A Virtual Dinner Party and Conversation. We've brought together a group of Asian American podcasters to have a frank conversation on anti-Asian racism in the time of COVID, while we eat our favorite dish. Participants will include Jeff Yang, Dino-Ray Ramos, Rebecca Sun, Taz Ahmed and myself. It's happening Friday, May 1 at 8pm PT/11pm ET. For more details, go here.

Lululemon Fires Employee Over 'Bat Fried Rice' Shirt

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Lululemon Fires Employee Over 'Bat Fried Rice' Shirt
The athletic-wear company Lululemon has issued an apology after its art director posted a racist "Bat Fried Rice" shirt design on social media. Trevor Fleming shared a link on Instagram to the design first shared by artist Jess Sluder, featuring a Chinese take-out box decorated with bat wings and the words "no thank you" on the back. Fleming has reportedly been fired. But the real crime? The damn shirt was selling for $60.

* * *

92-year-old Asian Man Assaulted in Vancouver Hate Crime
Police are searching for a man who assaulted a 92-year-old Asian man with dementia last month in East Vancouver. On March 13, the victim, who suffers from severe dementia, wandered into a convenience store, where staff were trying to assist him. That's when this guy started yelling racist remarks (including comments about COVID-19), draged the elderly man out of the store, then shoved him, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head.

* * *


Coronavirus Reminds Asian Americans Our Belonging is Conditional
"You can’t stand up for some and not for others. And like the virus, unchecked aggression has the potential to spread wildly. Please don't minimize the hate or assume it's somewhere far away. It's happening close to you. If you see it on the street, say something. If you hear it at work, say something. If you sense it in your family, say something. Stand up for your fellow Americans."

* * *

Korean Drama Podcast: Season 2
The Korean Drama Podcast is back! After a long hiatus, the mildly popular podcast I used co-host is back for a second season. While Will, Joanna and I won't be back as your guides, we've handed off the reins to an awesome new set of hosts, Steven Lim, Kathy Yamamoto and Kim Cooper, who will be watching, re-capping and reacting to the 2010 series Secret Garden. I'm looking forward to following along with them.

* * *


Submit Your AAPI Heritage Month Online Event Calendar Listing
With May coming up, and the community basically under lockdown and unable to gather, Jeff Yang and I are compiling a public calendar of online events taking place for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Do you have an online event scheduled or know of one? Email us your event details at theycallusbruce@gmail.com or fill out this form. And if you're reading this and finding out for the first time that May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month -- yes, we get a month -- consider yourself informed. Now you know what's up.

Trump is Suspending Immigration to the U.S.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Trump Plans to Suspend Immigration to U.S.
Donald Trump said on Monday evening that he intended to close the United States to people trying to immigrate into the country to live and work, claiming that the drastic move would protect American workers from foreign competition once the nation's economy began to recover from the shutdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak. A pandemic is a perfect excuse for this administration to double down on its aggressive immigration restrictions. Can't let the wrong people in. Because of the "Invisible Enemy." And jobs!

* * *


"IT'S AN HONOR JUST TO BE ASIAN" Masks
You've seen the shirt. The iconic quote from Sandra Oh is now available on a face mask! Just in time for AAPI Heritage Month. Each order includes a 3-pack of limited use masks. All proceeds from sales will go to East West Players, the nation's oldest Asian American theater company. Show your pride in a time when anti-Asian bigotry and violence is becoming more and more common -- and help a crucial Asian American performing arts nonprofit survive the COVID shutdown of all live gatherings and performances.

* * *


Feed the Frontliners Project
The Park's Finest in Los Angeles serves up some damn fine Filipino-flavored barbecue. While the pandemic has forced the restaurant to shut down its physical dining room, they've been keeping busy with the Feed the Frontliners Project, an effort made possible through community members and angel sponsors buying plates for healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, clerical, custodial, etc.) and emergency responders to be fed during shifts. While it originally started as a way for frontliners to pick up plates at the shop, the approach has shifted where they can now arrange for delivery to hospitals or fire stations. Wanna help feed some frontliners? Donate here.

* * *

Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In
With a cover like that, how can I not read this new memoir by Phuc Tran? But if you need more convincing, here's the official description off the book jacket: "In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents.

Appealing to fans of coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man's bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the '80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes -- and ultimately saves -- him."

* * *

Digital Town Hall - Asian Americans in the Time of COVID-19
The Center for Asian American Media, along with WETA, the flagship public media station in the nation's capital, and Asian American community leaders will host a digital town hall exploring how lessons from Asian American history can help us understand the experience of Asian Americans in the time of Covid-19. Panelists will discuss what can be learned from the history of Asian Americans, and how we can move forward together as Americans in this particularly challenging moment. Panelists include: Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, Journalist Amna Nawaz, Filmmaker Renee Tajima-Pena, Journalist and Activist Helen Zia, and Comedian Hari Kondabolu. It's happening Thursday, April 30 at 5pm PST / 8pm EST.

"Go to China if you want communism. Go to China."

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Anti-quarantine Protester Clashes with People in Scrubs
Over the weekend in Denver, health care workers clashed with anti-lockdown protesters, defiantly standing in front of the cars of demonstrators who flocked to protest against the state's stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19. Yeah, I'm going to be siding with the health care workers on this one -- not the white lady hanging out the passenger side window screaming "Go to China!"

* * *


"Coronavirus reveals the chinks of our health care armor"
Actual headline from the Marin Independent Journal. (It has since been changed.)

* * *

"Unprepared"
In the wake of Donald Trump's campaign attack ad accusing Joe Biden of being "soft of China," the Biden campaign has taken a similar page out of the anti-Chinese propaganda playbook. The presumptive Democratic nominee unveiled a campaign ad -- filled with menacing images of Chinese soldiers -- claiming that "Trump rolled over for the Chinese." The path to November has been laid.

* * *

Stage 13 Studio Creates Campaign To Support Asian Restaurants
Stage 13 content studio has launched #stage13supports, a campaign to highlight the Asian restaurants and small businesses featured in season 1 of its original unscripted Asian cuisine and travel series Family Style (I was a guest on Episode 8), and recommend ways people can order takeout or delivery. Join the Facebook group here.

* * *

Dumbfoundead & Satica - "Inside/Outside"
Los Angeles rapper Dumbfoundead has released a two-song collaborative quarantine project titled Inside/Outside with singer Satica. The two tracks, produced by Big Banana, explore the themes of being locked "Inside" during this unique quarantine era, and the excitement of finally getting through it in "Outside." Check out the trippy visualizer for "Outside."

Read These Blogs

How San Francisco's Chinatown Got Ahead of the Coronavirus
Despite being densely populated neighborhood full of vulnerable people, San Francisco's Chinatown has thus far turned out to be well-prepared to fight of the novel coronavirus, unlike other places around the United States.

* * *
Our Pandemic Summer
"The pandemic is not a hurricane or a wildfire. It is not comparable to Pearl Harbor or 9/11. Such disasters are confined in time and space. The SARS-CoV-2 virus will linger through the year and across the world. 'Everyone wants to know when this will end,' said Devi Sridhar, a public-health expert at the University of Edinburgh. 'That's not the right question. The right question is: How do we continue?'"

* * *
Smashed windows and racist graffiti: Vandals target Asian Americans amid coronavirus
Across the country, Asian-owned businesses are being targeted in a wave of coronavirus-related vandalism. And some businesses can't afford repairs amid huge customer declines.

* * *
The Darkness Has Not Overcome It
"As a human race, it feels like we’re at a crossroads right now. I know that social media and our ever-updating newsfeed is probably not the best representation of humanity, but it’s the only mirror we have, right? It’s the only thing we’re all looking at every day, every hour. And that little screen is reflecting back the best and the worst of us in the middle of a crisis we’ve never seen before."

* * *
The Pre-pandemic Universe Was the Fiction
What the coronavirus outbreak reveals is not the unreality of our present moment, but the illusions it shatters.

* * *
A Note to My Fellow Asian Americans: Political power is the only path to true security
"Power is the only guarantee of our place in this country -- real political power to hold the worst impulses in American politics to account. The good news is that there is a path for our community to gain such power. But it will require us to step out of the shadows, to stand up for ourselves and our allies, and to engage in this democracy like never before because the future of this democracy depends on it."

* * *
Community Organizer Helps Rebuild New York's Forgotten Filipino Community Hit Hard by Coronavirus
Riya Ortiz, lead organizer and case manager for the non-profit Damayan Migrant Workers Association, is working with her team to raise funds and to provide crucial services to an already vulnerable community that is now at the epicenter of the pandemic.

* * *
What It's Like To Be A Chinese-American High School Senior During Coronavirus
"It has become more crystal-clear than ever to me as I='m living through all this how quickly the 'model-minority' myth internalized by many Chinese-Americans, which is blatantly anti-Black, can unravel."

* * *Superman Smashes the Klan: Superman and Me by Gene Luen Yang
In this preview of "Superman and Me," a prose essay-afterword to the forthcoming graphic novel Superman Smashes the Klan, writer Gene Luen Yang uses his childhood love of Superman -- and his personal experience of racism as a Chinese American -- to deliver a fascinating history of the Ku Klux Klan, the rise of white supremacy in the U.S., and the role the 1940s Superman radio show played in fighting American bigotry.

* * *
Alan Yang Thinks Tigertail "Might Hit Different" Now
Alan Yang, writer/director of Tigertail, talks about embracing his heritage and releasing his first movie during a global lockdown.

* * *
Devs Star Sonoya Mizuno Doesn’t Recognize Her Life Right Now
Actress Sonoya Mizuno talks about her first lead role in the techno thriller miniseries Devs, the frustrating realities of acting, and why technology leaves her unsettled.

* * *
Exclusive Secret Society of Second-Born Royals first look debuts a new kind of Disney princess
A first look at Disney+'s new sci-fi fantasy film Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, starring Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Sam, a second-born royal who discovers she has super-powers and is drafted into a top secret group charged with keeping the world safe.

New Jersey Teen Arrested in Coronavirus-Related Hate Crime

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Girl Charged with Making Racial Slurs, Punching Asian Woman
In Edison, New Jersey, a teen girl has been arrested in the coronavirus-related hate crime attack on a 55-year-old Asian woman. According to police, the girl and a group of others surrounded the victim and yelled racial slurs regarding the origins of the coronavirus, then punched the woman on the back of the head. The teen was charged with bias intimidation, riot, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, as well as one count of violation of an emergency order because her presence outdoors during the stay-at-home order was not authorized or deemed essential.

* * *


Philly Lawyer Sues for Defamation Over Instagram Post
Last month in Philadelphia, Tess Wei got into an altercation with Josiah Knapp while she was jogging. Wei alleges that Knapp told her to "go back where you came from" and then coughed in her face. She posted a photo of Knapp on Instagram, saying "PHILLY! This man yelled at me and then came right up to me and coughed in my face. who tf is he?" Wei's cousin, Peter Chau, re-posted the photo, asking, "Anybody recognize this piece of shit?" Now Knapp, an attorney, is suing Wei and Chau for defamation.

* * *


Crisis Text Line Sees Spike in Activity from Asian Americans
The mental-health support Crisis Text Line received a fairly regular number of texts this year from people identifying as Asian -- until the week that Donald Trump called the coronavirus the "Chinese virus." The line also saw a large increase in crisis counselor applications from Asian Americans in the latter half of March.

* * *


Irene Hirano Inouye, champion of Japanese American causes, dies at 71
Irene Hirano Inouye, a prodigious fundraiser who led the nation’s premier Japanese American museum in Los Angeles and built bridges across cultures with groundbreaking projects, has died after a battle with with leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. She was 71.

* * *


'Green Hornet and Kato' Movie Project Lands at Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures and Amasia Entertainment are partnering on The Green Hornet and Kato, which is currently in feature development. The Green Hornet which originated as a radio show during the 1930s, follows the adventures of publisher Britt Reid, who moonlights as the titular masked vigilante. The 1966 TV series is probably best known as the show that introduced U.S. audiences to Bruce Lee, who played The Green Hornet's intrepid, capable sidekick Kato. So... the most important question, as I always ask when talk about a new Green Hornet starts up: who's going to play Kato?