Read These Blogs

20+ Allyship Actions for Asians to Show Up for the Black Community Right Now
This was posted several weeks ago in response to Ahmaud Arbery's murder, but it's worth re-sharing because, unfortunately, ongoing police violence continues to make it relevant. How can the Asian and Asian American community show up for our Black siblings?

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South Asians and Black Lives
"For South Asians committed to ending state violence against Black people, it has always been clear that our work goes further, that we must also work to undo anti-Blackness within our own communities. The hard conversations with our parents and our uncles and aunties about white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and solidarity are not usually easy or fruitful. But there are moments of clarity and windows of possibility."

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Trump's encouragement of racism against Asian Americans is an affront to all Americans
Deflecting blame for his own failure to heed the warnings of experts to prepare for this crisis, Trump has stood in the White House briefing room day after day and pulled from the same cynical playbook he's relied on so many times before, toking grievances and using the same politics of division that helped him get elected in the first place, this time by casting Asian Americans as the "other."

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'Family Is Just Not Replaceable': How COVID-19 Ravaged One Family in LA's Koreatown
Hannah Kim chronicles her family's journey with COVID-19 in a series of essays and audio diaries.

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Teens Are Helping Their Family Businesses During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Asian American small businesses have had a particularly rough time.

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Hopes for a quick recovery fade in NYC's Chinatown
"The road to recovery for New York City's Chinatown looks fraught with challenges: restaurants at half-occupancy, landlords attempting to collect on months of deferred rent, banks increasing loan-loss provisions. Add in worries over xenophobia and foreclosures, and a picture starts to form over how uphill a battle the community faces."

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Talking to kids about xenophobia
As you know, hate incidents against people of Asian descent are up since COVID-19 was first reported. Here's some advice from the experts on how parents can help kids make sense of that.

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Am I the Enemy or the Hero?
An allergist and immunologist in San Francisco ponders caring for patients in the midst of anti-Asian racism.

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Mixtape features alluring sounds of Asian Americans
A mixtape of artists who navigate the complex space between Asian/Pacific Islander American.

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In 'Be Water', Bao Nguyen looks at the giant shadow cast by Bruce Lee
Filmmaker Bao Nguyen's ESPN 30 For 30 documentary Be Water is a tribute to Bruce Lee, whose martial arts classic Enter the Dragon played an important role in Nguyen's childhood.

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I play Anna May Wong in ‘Hollywood.’ Her invisibility as an Asian American actress mirrors my own.
The new Netflix series tells the story of Wong, played by Michelle Krusiec, trying to prove her worth,

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Aneesh Chaganty Is Living in His Parents' House, Contemplating a Searching Sequel
Filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty shares how he's been spending quarantine.

"Let my buildling burn. Justice needs to be served."

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Their Minneapolis Restaurant Burned, but They Back the Protest
A restaurant caught in the crossfire of unrest in Minneapolis has sent a powerful message to its followers on social media. Gandhi Mahal, a family-owned Bangladeshi-Indian restaurant, was severely damaged by fire on Thursday night amidst protests over the arrest and killing of George Floyd. Hafsa Islam, whose father owns the restaurant, wrote a Facebook post sharing about the destruction, but then shared something she heard her father say over the phone: "...let my building burn. Justice needs to be served. Put those officers in jail."

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Can You Identify the Suspect Who Assaulted This Elderly Woman?
In Metro Vancouver, police are searching for a suspect who assaulted an elderly Asian woman last month. The RCMP released video of the incident, in which a woman walks toward an elderly woman using a walker, comes up from behind and trips her leg. The woman then quickly walks away as the 84-year-old victim falls to the ground. Fortunately, the victim wasn't seriously injured. It's unclear from the video, but police say it's "possible" the suspect, who has dark brown hair, could also be Asian. Whoever the hell it is... what kind of shitty person does this?

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Trump Courts Asian American Vote Amid Coronavirus
Hilarious. Donald Trump's re-election campaign is debuting its "Asian Americans for Trump" initiative in a virtual event tonight... as if his destructive, racist rhetoric hasn't had a major role in the rise of anti-Asian sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Americans for Trump? That's a no from me. That's a hell no.

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Couple Who Met in Japanese Incarceration Camp Die Within Days of Each Other at 90
Joseph Yamada and Elizabeth Kikuchi were born two days apart, but they didn’t meet until they were 11, when both were sent with their families to a World War II incarceration camp in Poston, Arizona. Then they became mostly inseparable. After the war, they went to San Diego High School together, then to UC Berkeley. They married, raised a family, and left their marks on San Diego in landscape architecture and community service. They both died this month just days apart. They had each recently turned 90.

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A Salute to Asian Pacific American Filmmakers
In celebration of Heritage Month, IMDb created this cool video montage taking a look back at cinematic history and celebrating Asian Pacific American filmmakers and their visionary work. Lots of great films in there.

Angry Reader of the Week: Jasmine Cho

"I try to make people pause, and I use sugar to do it."



Heyyyyyy everybody! 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 Jasmine Cho.

Why Don't They Just Call it Chinese Exclusion Act II?

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



GOP Senators Introduce Bill to Deny Chinese Nationals Student Visas
What a great way to close out AAPI Heritage Month! On Wednesday, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) unveiled the Secure Campus Act, incredibly xenophobic, destructive legislation that would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving visas to the United States for graduate or post-graduate studies in STEM fields. The bill would also place restrictions on participants in Chinese foreign talent-recruitment programs. Do I have remind folks that student visas are how so many Asian American families' immigration stories began?

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A YouTuber Placed Her Autistic Adopted Son From China With A New Family — After Making Content With Him For Years
This is beyond fucked. A YouTuber with hundreds of thousands of followers who has shared her family's experience of adopting a toddler from China recently announced that she and her husband had permanently placed their child with another family after unspecified behavioral issues. This kid, who had absolutely no say in being a prop in an "influencer's" content stream, has been re-homed like a difficult puppy.

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He was part of Amazon’s coronavirus hiring spree. Two weeks later he was dead.
"Thousands of businesses have had to close and more than 38 million Americans have lost their jobs since the lockdowns began. But Amazon is hiring. The company has put new measures in place to make its warehouses safer for employees, but the number of cases at its facilities keeps rising. As consumers continue to minimize their own risk by shopping from their couches, workers have to decide: Is working for Amazon a lifeline, or a life-threatening risk?"

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Be Water
Check it. Here's the official trailer for ESPN's Be Water, a 30 for 30 documentary that intimately chronicles Bruce Lee's life and complex journey, directed by Bao Nguyen. The film premieres June 7 on ESPN.

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Spelling the Dream
The new documentary Spelling the Dream explores Indian Americans' decades-long success at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, chronicling of the ups and downs of four students as they compete to realize their dream of winning the iconic tournament. The film premieres June 3 on Netflix.

When Food Was Just Food

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Comfort Food
Artist Victoria Ying offers a comic on finding comfort in the food of her people, the food she grew up with, the food that reminds her of a time when her world was simpler, and food was just food.

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This image literally & metaphorically depicts how we Asians reinforce anti-Black racism & systemic white supremacy. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/CV5C8G7dBr

— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) May 26, 2020

Literally and Metaphorically
"This image literally & metaphorically depicts how we Asians reinforce anti-Black racism & systemic white supremacy." Painfully agreeing with this observation by Hari Kondabolu.

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Seattle Man Says Online Troll is Hurting Family's Business
Eric Chan, whose family owns Jade Garden in Seattle's Chinatown International District, says an online troll is targeting him with harassment and trying to tear down his restaurant's good name. It started with racist attacks on Instagram, telling Chan to cook a dog and it eat with chow mein. When Chan called out the commenter, he got slammed with retaliation. Someone Photoshopped Chan's handle on to racist comments and disseminated the screenshots to social media. Now Chan is getting hit with a wave of hate -- including death threats -- from folks falsely accusing him of anti-black messages, and it's taking a toll on his business.

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Project Voice 2020
Project Voice is a podcast spearheaded by the voices of the womxn/women and nonbinary folx/folks of the Asian diaspora. They are currently offering a scholarship opportunity to receive a one-time $1000 scholarship and join the Project Voice team as a podcaster mentee. Individuals selected for the scholarship program will work one-on-one with qualified mentors from the podcast community, learning how to become proficient podcasters, as well as explore what it means to engage in this increasingly popular digital medium. The deadline to apply is June 12. For further information, go here.

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Right To Reunite!
Kay Kay, China, Tone, and Chantha were separated from their families by ICE. They came to the U.S. as refugee children fleeing from the U.S.-backed genocide in Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge. Now, ICE has ripped apart their families because their refugee status put them at risk for deportation. 18 Million Rising is raising funds to reunite these four Cambodian deportees with their families and community. They're raising $3,000 to pay for their legal defense so they can all return home. You can help them by ordering one these cool shirts, designed by Raychelle Duazo. All proceeds from shirt sales will support the work of Asian Prisoner Support Committee.

Stand Back, Move Along, Nothing to See Here, Just Murder

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



What We Know About the Death of George Floyd in Minneapolis
"I can't breathe." George Floyd died after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer's knee. By now, you've seen or heard about the video of the incident. Let's not pretend that an Asian American officer wasn't one of the cops who stood watch while Floyd was murdered.

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Kumail Nanjiani, Lulu Wang, Hasan Minhaj, More Get Candid About Success, Failure - and Abs - in Hollywood
In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Variety gathered prominent AAPI creatives Kumail Nanjiani, Hasan Minhaj, Jon M. Chu, Ally Maki and Lulu Wang for a lively discussion about what it means to be successful in the entertainment industry, how their parents and family regard their careers, who their industry role models were as they came up and what what being successful means for AAPIs in the industry going forward.

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Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You is Being Adapted for TV
Annapurna Television has won the rights to adapt Everything I Never Told You, the bestselling debut novel from Celeste Ng, as a television limited series. The book explores the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle to understand each other over a lifetime. Set in a small town in 1970s Ohio, protagonist Lydia is the adored but put-upon child of Marilyn and James Lee. When her body is found in a local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, sending them into chaos.

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I Will Make You Mine
The movie I Will Make You Mine, written/directed/produced by and starring Lynn Chen, is now available on DVD and VOD. The semi-sequel to Surrogate Valentine and Daylight Savings, the indie feature centers on three women (Lynn Chen, Ayako Fujitani, Yea-Ming Chen) who wrestle with life's difficulties while confronting their past relationships with the same man (Goh Nakamura). It's a bittersweet story of growing up while continuing to reach for the familiar, all set to the real-life soundtrack of Goh Nakamura and Yea-Ming Chen.

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Fresh Off the Boat & Kim's Convenience Live Table Reads
This is going to be fun. Fresh Off the Boat and Kim's Convenience were breakthroughs for Asians on prime time television. Now, the casts of both shows are uniting for one night only -- to read their historic pilot episodes live, to raise support for Asian American / Asian Canadian arts during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The live stream is happening Saturday, May 30, 8pm PT / 11pm PT, on Seed and Spark.

This Is, As They Say, Some High Effort Racism

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Woman Arrested for Posting Racist Notes on Homes
On Friday, a Bay Area woman was arrested for posting racist notes on homes in San Leandro. 52-year-old Nancy Arechiga is accused of taping up messages on trees and the doors of at least five homes in the Heron Bay neighborhood. The full-page hand-written notes begin with the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, then demand that the recipient "go back" to their country of origin. One of the notes ends with a very specific ultimatum: "You have until the day May/23/2020 Saturday 10:30 AM to leave this country. In this country no Asian allowed. My country U.S.A." Arechiga was arrested for distributing threatening messages that "instilled fear and intimidation upon those residents," according to police. Like I said, this is some high effort racism.

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Seattle Police Search for Suspect in 3 Bias Incidents targeting Asians
In Seattle, police are investigating three separate incidents of bias targeting people of Asian descent that were reported on Saturday, possibly all committed by the same suspect. Two of the incidents occurred at Golden Gardens Park: a woman was accosted by a man who demanded her identification and yelled, "Chinese disease.. they bring it here!" Later, a couple was targeted by a man who yelled, spat on them and demanded to know where they ere from. In another incident at a restaurant, a man yelled racist remarks about Asians, knocked on the restaurant's windows, kicked a sign inside the business, then threatened to throw a table at an employee. Yeah, these all sound like the same guy.

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CNN's Natasha Chen Describes Beachgoer's Racist Taunt
CNN correspondent Natasha Chen says a man yelled racist comments at her while she was on location working on a story about people headed to the beach on Memorial Day, despite the coronvirus pandemic. Chen was filming a segment at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when a man approached her and started "yelling expletives" about her wearing a mask and blaming her for the pandemic. By blaming her, of course, he meant Asians. Honestly, given the circumstances, I would have been surprised if she didn't encounter some racist bullshit.

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100 Writers Call for an End to Anti-Asian Hostility
More than 100 prominent writers, including several top Asian American authors, have called for an end to a surge in anti-Asian hostility in the US which they say has been “egged on” during the pandemic by the Trump administration’s pandering to racist tropes. The authors of the joint statement, coordinated by Pen America and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, say that "the time to turn back this wave of hate is now. Reports of any individuals being spat on, stabbed, beat up, or verbally assaulted are disturbing enough when they are isolated incidents. When such attacks are collectively driven by hate, in such large volume, the onus lies heavily on civil society and our elected representatives to condemn them."

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Lion's Share Live: But Where Are You From?
Heads up. I'll be moderating a panel, "But Where Are You From?" as part of Lion's Share Live, a week-long live-streamed experience celebrating culture, creativity and community during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We'll be talking Asian stereotypes with Eugene Lee Yang, Tracy Chou, Kayvan Daragheh, Jenny Yang. It's happening Friday, May 29 at 12:00pm PT on Twitch. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Immigration Council.

Read These Blogs

Lucky Grandma Is a Love Letter to Chinatown, Its Matriarchs, and Their Rule-Breaking Style
The new film Lucky Grandma shines a spotlight on the strong-willed, badass matriarch played by the legendary Tsai Chin, while underscoring the inherent swag of the elderly residents of New York City's Chinatown.

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The Rise of Anti-Asian Hate in the Wake of Covid-19
Coinciding with Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jennifer Lee and Monica Yadav chronicle the rise of attacks, harassment and bias toward Asian Americans as the Covid-19 pandemic has unfolded as part of our "Covid-19 and the Social Sciences" series.

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Asian-American studies, more vital than ever: Coronavirus is a moment we should be learning
Incidents of hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen during this pandemic, but this is far from an isolated event. Asian American studies provides important context for racism in the United States.

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An Asian American doctor's perspective on being viewed as the solution and the problem
"I don the mask of a health care hero at work, only to doff it as the villain outside"

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The Pandemic Forced Me Into a Multigenerational Home
But the arrangement does work.

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A Season to Celebrate Asian American Theater Is Lost to Pandemic
Briefly this spring New York theaters featured a stunning array of plays by writers of Asian descent, showing diversity and adventurous experimentation. Then the COVID-19 pandemic aborted their moment.

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In A Racism-Fueled Pandemic, Asian Americans Find Healing Through Art And Storytelling
As the coronavirus continues to ravage the globe, Asian Americans are using their creativity to tell their own stories and find validation in their communities.

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Overlooked No More: When Hazel Ying Lee and Maggie Gee Soared the Skies
Hazel Ying Lee and Maggie Gee never met, but as the only two Chinese-American women pilots during World War II, their lives ran a strikingly similar course, and both thwarted layers of prejudice.

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Elegy for the All-American, Asian-American Buffet
Why the loss of buffet chains like Sweet Tomatoes and Hometown Buffet hits hard for Asian Americans.

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A Vacation that Led to an Unexpected Arranged Marriage Proposal
Monica Luhar tells the story of her parents' union, an unexpected arrangement for both of them.

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In Conversation With Harvey Weinstein's Former Assistant, Rowena Chiu
"He could sue me for every single interview I've ever done for breaking my NDA, but in practice, he's probably not going to. He's got bigger problems."

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How Yuri Kochiyama Inspired this Young Oakland Artist
Kathy Liang painted a mural inspired by a quote from late civil rights leader Yuri Kochiyama.

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Poet and author Bao Phi: 'It felt like the hate was cranked up to 11'
An interview with Vietnamese American poet and author Bao Phi, whose theatre adaptation of his children's book, A Different Pond, was postponed due to COVID.

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Why Yo-Yo Ma Would Invite Socrates to Dinner
The New York Times asks renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma about what books have influenced his artistic development, what books are on his nightstand, and the three writers he'd invite to a dinner party.

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What K-Pop's Beautiful Men Can Teach Us About Masculinity
K-pop's rise in America is forcing many to confront long-held stereotypes they have regarding masculinity — especially when it comes to Asian men.

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14 Asian American Stars Recall When They First Felt Represented in TV and Movies
Asian American entertainers dig deep into their memory to talk about the first time they felt represented while watching a mainstream Hollywood movie and TV show.

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Linsanity, Redux: Jeremy Lin's Star Is Shining Bright In Beijing
After injuries derailed his NBA career, Jeremy Lin took a step he always knew he would: Playing in China, where he remains a megastar -- even as play is suspended.

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Fast & Furious Is the Greatest American Blockbuster Franchise. This Is How it Happened.
Before COVID-19 pushed the release of F9, Justin Lin explained how he turned a series about stunts, cars, and family into Hollywood's most inclusive and beloved franchise.

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Hong Chau Doesn't Need Your Approval
"I don't task myself with changing minds or being understood anymore."

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Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani on the Real Challenge of 'The Lovebirds'
Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani say their new Netflix movie The Lovebirds, which starts where most rom-coms end, needed to acknowledge their characters were people of color.

Angry Reader of the Week: Sasie Sealy

"We'd all be better off if we just gave each other the benefit of the doubt."



Hey, everybody. It's that time again. Let us 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 Sasie Sealy.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 99: They Call Us Lynn Chen

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. (Almost) 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 Lynn Chen, who wrote, directed, produced and stars in the movie I Will Make You Mine. She talks about getting the "band" back together, the song that almost busted her budget, and completing the lowest budget movie trilogy ever.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.


Dear Racist
"I'm sorry that when you are faced with the unfamiliar, you can only shut down in terror instead of opening up in curiosity. You see, I won't be afraid to go out into the world for much longer. But you will always be. Xenophobia is, by definition, fear. And phobias cripple those affected."

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Late Night’s Karen Chee on Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month
As you may know, or perhaps did not know, May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as officially decreed by the United States of America. In observance of the occasion, Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Karen Chee shares the ways she is celebrating her heritage during AAPI Heritage Month.

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First Look at ESPN's "30 For 30" Be Water
Take a sneak peek at Be Water, the upcoming "30 for 30" documentary about the life of martial arts trailblazer Bruce Lee, directed by Bao Nguyen. The films debuts Sunday, June 7 on ESPN.

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So What Now?!
Hosted by Anthony Ma and Roxy Shih, So What Now?! is "a quarantine talk show for creatives who have nothing else better to do on a Saturday afternoon." So quarantine has you feeling isolated, depleted and a little bit crazy. Fear not! Anthony and Roxy are here to bring you a one hour, interactive variety show that features guests to help you remove that block. Join in on the fun live on Saturdays on Facebook and YouTube.

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And... I guess we're writing a book? I am pleased to announce that I'm co-authoring a book with They Call Us Bruce co-host Jeff Yang and Wong Fu Productions co-founder Philip Wang tentatively titled RISE: Asian America from the 1990s to Now, "a visual history of how generations of Asian Americans powered through stereotypes and mainstream exclusion to push their community into the spotlight and make their culture irresistibly cool," according to this blurb from Publisher's Marketplace. They say it's not official until you share an unsightly screenshot from the trade announcement, so here you go.

Wisconsin Man Harassed Asians For Wearing Masks

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Man Faces Hate Crime Charges for Harassing Asians at the Grocery Store
In Wisconsin, police are recommending hate crime charges against a man they say harassed Asian Americans for wearing masks in a grocery store. 57-year-old Robert Shrote admitted to verbally harassing Asian Americans at the Save A Lot store in Stevens Point. According to police, "customers were called names and harassed for wearing masks because of their race." Shrote faces a charge of disorderly conduct and a hate crime "enhancer," meaning the misdemeanor charge could carry up to 90 days in jail and a $10,000 fine.

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'American Idol' Crowns Season 3 Winner Virtually
The season 18 winner of American Idol was crowned last night -- from home -- and it's worth noting that the runner-up was Dibesh Pokharel (stage name: Arthur Gunn), a 22-year-old Nepalese singer-songwriter who, for had emerged as the front-runner of the competition. I'm told he was clearly the judges' favorite, and many watchers thought he'd end up winning it all. But alas, at the end of the night, amidst the televised confusion of the remote finale, the title awkwardly went to Just Sam, a 21-year-old subway singer from Harlem. Congratulations. And I wouldn't worry about Arthur Gunn -- just watch the video of him performing and you'll see. This guy is runner up to nobody.

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Remembering Our Co-Founder, Thomas Low
Thomas Low, co-founder and CEO of multicultural children's publishing house Lee & Low Books, has died of cancer at his home in Connecticut. He was 78. Low co-founded Lee & Low Books with Philip Lee in 1991. Though they had no previous publishing experience, both men had noticed, and been dismayed by, a dearth of contemporary diverse stories for children and believed there could be a business opportunity in pursuing their passion to fill that gap in the industry. Since then, Lee & Low has been a leader in supporting new voices in children's literature, particularly from authors of color.

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Far East Movement Debuts New Song for Heritage Month
"Identity: Project Blue Marble" is an eight-hour relief event happening March 20 on Twitch in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. To mark the occasion, hip hop group Far East Movement is debuting a new song, "We Are the Truth," which can be heard in the trailer for the event (watch video above).

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Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards
Remember when Parasite won all those Oscars? That was awesome. Now you can experience the movie in graphic novel form, sort of. With hundreds of mesmerizing illustrations, the new book Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards, is a fresh look at Bong Joon-Ho's award-winning, genre-defying masterpiece, featuring storyboards drawn by the director himself prior to the shooting of the film. The book also contains a foreword written by Bong that shares early concept drawings and photos from the set which take the reader even deeper into the creative process. If you enjoyed Parasite, the book is a fascinating glimpse at Bong's creative process.

Some Good Ol' Fashioned Racism in The Home Depot Parking Lot

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Man says officer shrugged off racist incident at Home Depot
In Seattle, an Asian man says he was the target of racist remarks at a Home Depot store, but when he reported the incident to store management and police, nobody acted like they gave a shit. Kert Lin said he was on his way into the store when another driver cut him off. When the two arrived in the parking lot, the other driver called Lin and racial slur and told him "Open your eyes, go back to China." Lin informed store security, who did nothing. Lin told a police officer who arrived at scene, who did nothing. At the very least, the officer should have filed an incident report. Lin has since received an apology from the police chief, after sharing about the incident on social media. Whatever you do, don't let this shit slide, folks.

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This is my daughter Dakota. We are Indigenous. She was walking her dog last night in #Vancouver when a #racist guy heard her sneezing. He yelled at her, punched her and walked away. He thought she was Asian and her sneezing was #COVID19. @VPD attended. #racism #RacismIsAVirus pic.twitter.com/mBhVgdFaBk

— Don Bain (@lheidli1) May 17, 2020

Indigenous woman says she was punched, told to 'go back to Asia'
So this is an anti-Asian hate crime in which the victim wasn't actually Asian. Last week, a 27-year-old Indigenous woman says she was repeatedly punched in the face, knocked down and told to "go back to Asia" while walking her dog in East Vancouver. She says she was walking through a park on Friday night when she sneezed. A man then walked up to her, began yelling racist Asian slurs, pushed her to the ground, then punched in her in the jaw and temple before walking away. The assailant is described as a white man in his mid-30s, heavyset, 5 foot 11, and wearing a hat and a navy blue or black sweater. So... yeah. Be on the lookout for that guy. Fuck racists.

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I lost both my parents in the COVID-19 era. How do I reopen my own life?
"I don’t know what’s going to happen next. No one does. We make our choices and we live with them. I do know that I can’t imagine not having made the trip to see my siblings, bury our father, and grieve together. Whatever happens with the pandemic, we all need each other; we need to work hard and ask the right questions; we need to be honest and not afraid."

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Filipino nurses battled discrimination to work in the U.S. Now they fight for PPE.
Maybe you've noticed: there are a lot of Filipino nurses working in our hospitals. The story of why Filipino nurses came to this country is the legacy of a very long colonial history between the U.S. and the Philippines.

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Research Survey: Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health for Asian/Asian Americans
Lydia Ahn and Mira An, researchers at University of Maryland, College Park, are conducting a study on the impact of COVID-19 and racism on mental health for East Asian/Asian Americans, and are looking for folks to take part. Participation will require completing a confidential online self-report survey (approximately 20 minutes) at your convenience. If you are East Asian/Asian American, age 18 and older, and would like to help out with this research, complete the survey here.

Read These Blogs

What I Want the Woman Behind the Counter to Know
Remember this the next time you order takeout.

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Why I’ve Stopped Telling People I’m Not Chinese
When confronted with racism toward anyone, our instinct should be indignation, not deflection.

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Taking My Place at My Father's Grocery Store
"Under the new state order, grocery stores were deemed one of the few essential businesses allowed to remain open. Our neighborhood would depend on us -- I think I can say this without exaggeration -- to stay alive."

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What It Means to Make Art as an Asian American in the Pandemic
Many Asian-American artists feel a calling to make explicitly political art that pushes back against racism during the pandemic, continuing a legacy of protest art that began in the 1960s.

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Harvard Law School Came After Me for Speaking Up About My Sexual Assault
Kelly Yang attended Harvard Law School from 2002–2005. She was one of the youngest women ever to go to Harvard Law School, having gone to college at 13 and law school at 17 years old.

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This Korean Cooking Facebook Group Makes Me Feel Less Alone
It's an online utopia of eager-to-learn kimchi lovers.

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A New History of Being Asian-American
The PBS documentary series Asian Americans is an ambitious attempt to make Asian-American history accessible to a broader public.

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Jon M. Chu Picks His Most Influential Films from Asian-American Filmmakers
Director Jon M. Chu put together his personal list of influential Asian American filmmakers.

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Gene Luen Yang discusses Superman's battle against the KKK in new graphic novel
Gene Luen Yang’s adaptation of Superman Smashes the Klan focuses on a Chinese American family moving to a mostly white Metropolis suburb.

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Sandra Oh Is in a League of Her Own
What makes a woman of character? Just ask Sandra Oh.

So Another Guy Wore a Klan Mask to the Grocery Store

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Colorado Man Wears KKK Mask Inside Grocery Store
In Colorado, police are asking for community help in identifying a man who wore a Ku Klux Klan mask inside a local grocery store Thursday. Shoppers at the Dillon City Market were treated to the sight of a dude wearing a Klan-style pointed hood picking up some 2% in the dairy aisle. When store employees asked him to leave, he apparently refused. Police were called to the scene, but pointy reportedly left the area before they arrived. So is this becoming a thing? For the record, this is an entirely different incident from that other guy who wore a Klan hood in a San Diego area supermarket.

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Koreatown Company Accused of Touting Radish Paste as Coronavirus Deterrent
In Los Angeles, the city attorney announced a lawsuit against a local company for allegedly selling a radish paste as a way to prevent people from contracting COVID-19. According to the lawsuit, filed against Koreatown-based Insan Healing, the radish paste product had not been tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or state agencies as a way to protect people against the virus, and advertising it as such is against California's laws of unfair competition.

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A post shared by Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz, MD (@dr.audreyxsue) on Apr 10, 2020 at 9:21am PDT

Asian American Doctors Created A Video To Challenge COVID-19 Racism
With the Asian Americans being widely scapegoated for COVID-19, a group of Asian American health care workers on the coronavirus front line created a video speaking out against the hate.

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Seadrift
In 1979, a Vietnamese refugee shot and killed a white crab fisherman at the public town docks in Seadrift, Texas. What began as a dispute over fishing territory erupts into violence and ignites a maelstrom of boat burnings, KKK intimidation, and other hostilities against Vietnamese refugees along the Gulf Coast. Set during the early days of Vietnamese refugee arrival in the U.S., Tim Tsai's feature documentary Seadrift examines the circumstances that led up to the shooting and its dramatic aftermath, and reveals the unexpected consequences that continue to reverberate today. The film is currently streaming on PBS.org.

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Online Class: Facing AAPI Race-Based Harassment
We all know the coronavirus pandemic has given rise to anti-Asian harassment and even violence. But will you know what to do if you are personally targeted or witness anti-Asian harassment? IMPACT Bay Area is offering free online classes to empower the community during the pandemic. From using your voice to expanding your self-care toolkit, they're here to help you and your loved ones grow your safety and confidence while remaining safe at home in support of public health. Find out more and register here.

When White Supremacists Hack Your Zoom Session

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Pilipino Workers Center's Zoom Town Hall Hacked by Racists
The Pilipino Workers Center works with the Filipino community in Southern California, providing resources, immigration assistance, housing support and fighting trafficking. This week, they were holding a COVID-19 town hall via Zoom when they were hacked by white supremacists who interrupted the proceedings, yelling and writing Nazi slogans and pro-Trump messages. See the video here and find out how to fight back.

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Give Essential
Give Essential, created by Dartmouth College roommates Amy Guan and Rine Uhm, is an online matching platform that helps connect essential workers with supplies from donors. Give Essential lets you send your extra household items directly to an essential worker who needs them, providing a way to support the frontline from your home. If you have any supplies or funds to share, you can help. Find out more here.

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COVID-19 Advocacy Leads to an Assembly Run for Francesca Hong
"If I don't fight for my business, if I don't fight for the industry, if I don't fight for individuals who are affected by this industry... it's a chain reaction, what happens if our businesses fail. If I don't at least try to fight for that from a political level, I don't think I would be fighting for my business and my family."

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'House Of Ho,' The 'Crazy Rich Asians'-Inspired Docuseries, Is Coming Soon
I don't want to watch this. But I want to watch this. "The House of Ho is a multigenerational family docusoap that chronicles the lives of a wealthy Vietnamese American family in Houston, Texas. Led by patriarch Binh Ho and his wife Hue Ho -- two immigrants from Vietnam who’ve built a multi-million empire and seem to be living the height of the American Dream -- the half-hour comedy will explore their lavish lifestyles and the drama that ensues as their two adult children, Judy and Washington, attempt to live up to their parents' expectations." The House of Ho premieres on HBO Max on July 16.

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Superman Smashes the Klan
The graphic novel Superman Smashes the Klan is now available as a full collected edition. Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Gurihiru bring us a personal retelling of two different immigrants finding ways to belong. The year is 1946. Teenagers Roberta and Tommy Lee just moved with their parents from Chinatown to the center of Metropolis, home to the famous hero, Superman. Tommy makes friends quickly, while Roberta pines for home. Then one night, the family awakens to find their house surrounded by the Klan of the Fiery Kross! Superman leaps into action, but his exposure to a mysterious green rock has left him weak. Can Roberta and Tommy help him smash the Klan?