Syracuse University Professor Refers to "Chinese Communist Party Virus" in Course Syllabus

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



SU places professor on leave after syllabus calls COVID-19 'Wuhan flu'
At Syracuse University, a professor has been placed on leave or using derogatory racist language in a course syllabus. The announcement comes after social media posts circulated a course syllabus appearing to belong to chemistry professor Jon Zubieta that refers to the coronavirus as "Wuhan Flu" and "Chinese Communist Party Virus." I don't know why anyone would need to use those words a chemistry course syllabus, other than to be a racist asshole. The university agrees. "The derogatory language used by a professor on his course syllabus is damaging to the learning environment for our students and offensive to Chinese, international and Asian-Americans everywhere who have experienced hate speech, rhetoric and actions since the pandemic began," the school said in a statement. The professor has been removed while the administration investigates the incident according to university procedures. I don't really know what there is to investigate. But go on.

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"What are you doing in this country?"
In the Bay Area, a man was caught camera shouting racist remarks at an Asian American couple outside a supermarket. Junie and Minh got into an altercation with the man in the parking lot of a Safeway store in Milpitas last week. The man can be seen yelling from his SUV, "He's a fucking Asian. What are you doing in this country?... We have enough people." Of course, the video was shared on social media, where it received the attention of the local news, the mayor, the internet. Wouldn't it be great to go out for some groceries without fear of getting accosted by racist assholes?

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Dispute Over Alcohol, Face Masks Turns Violent at Chinese Restaurant
In Massachusetts, the owner of a Chinese restaurant was pushed and the protective plexiglass at the front counter was knocked down when a dispute over alcohol and wearing face masks turned violent. Surveillance video from inside The Ming Dynasty in Marshfield showed a 49-year-old woman pushing the plexiglass after she became enraged when the management asked her and the group she was with to put on face masks. "The woman pushed one of the owners, pushed another customer, and then began pushing things over inside the restaurant," according to police. Real classy. Can people just wear a damn mask?

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Teen Activist Receives $2500 Bill For Police Overtime
A New Jersey teen thought she was only exercising her First Amendment right when she organized a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. Not long after, she received a bill for thousands of dollars in the mail from the mayor. Emily Gil was inspired to hold a rally in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, this summer after watching thousands of Americans show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The protest went off without a hitch on July 25 and lasted about 90 minutes. A few days later, Gil received a letter from the mayor, billing her for $2,500 worth of police overtime used during the protest.

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BTS video 'Dynamite' breaks YouTube record for most views in 24 hours
Korean pop stars BTS have made history after the group's new single "Dynamite" became the best-ever 24-hour debut of a music video on YouTube with more than 100 million views. The world's biggest K-pop group released the highly anticipated visuals for the record last Friday. By the end of the first day, "Dynamite" had racked up 101.1 million views to become the most-viewed music video premiere on YouTube.

All The Asians On Star Trek - Episode 02: Reggie Lee

The Podcast In Which We Interview All The Asians On Star Trek.



All The Asians On Star Trek is the podcast in which we interview all the Asians on Star Trek. In Episode 2, we talk to actor Reggie Lee. He appeared in the 2009 Star Trek movie reboot as "Test Administrator." But he's probably best known for playing Sergeant Drew Wu for six seasons on the supernatural drama Grimm. We talk about his career, the politics behind his stage name, and his minor role in Star Trek that ended up being -- unbeknownst to him -- a fairly important allusion to franchise canon.

Read These Blogs

Kelly Marie Tran on being the first Southeast Asian actress to lead a Disney animated film
The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran will be the first actress of Southeast Asian descent to lead a Disney animated feature film, starring in the upcoming Raya and the Last Dragon.

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To survive the pandemic SF Chinatown has to adapt — again
The coronavirus has brought a shrinking economy and renewed xenophobia to San Francisco's Chinatown. But there's hope for the neighborhood's future in how it has weathered these problems in the past.

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Naomi Osaka Is Ready to Go Supernova
An interview with rising tennis superstar Naomi Osaka.

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Column: Naomi Osaka stood tall, and alone, in protest following Jacob Blake shooting
Naomi Osaka stood alone, with no teammates to lean on, when she withdrew from the Western & Southern Open in New York on Wednesday, in support of the protest movement moving through professional sports.

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My Family's Shrouded History Is Also a National One for Korea
Decades after the war ended, scars left by the Japanese occupation persist for millions of Koreans and Korean-Americans, including the author Alexander Chee.

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Miyazaki's Magical Food: An Ode to Anime's Best Cooking Scenes
Food plays an important role in Studio Ghibli animated films.

Naomi Osaka Skips Match in Protest of Police Violence

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Naomi Osaka won't play in W&S semi in protest of Jacob Blake shooting
Naomi Osaka, the two-time major tennis champion, announced she would not play in Thursday's Western & Southern Open semifinal match in reaction to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. Several hours later, the tournament announced that it was pausing play for a day.

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The surprising story of the salesman who became L.A.'s first known COVID-19 patient
A 38-year-old salesman named Qian Lang was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Los Angeles and the fourth in the United States. He played an important role, not widely known until now, in a frantic race to understand the deadly new virus before it hit the U.S. in full force. Public health officials and researchers looked to him as a real-time, flesh-and-blood case study.

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I'm the one who made Tomi Lahren call Trump a 'jackass' in Hindi.
Ali-Asghar Abedi waged $85 that a prominent Trump supporter wouldn't bother researching exactly what 'ulloo' really meant. He was right. The result: a video of conservative commentator Tomi Lahren calling Trump the colloquial Indian equivalent of "jackass," courtesy of the Cameo app. And India having a laugh as her clip ended up appearing across the country’s news networks.

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Welcome to Chinatown USA
"Chinatowns across the nation have been devastated by the pandemic. Their businesses, and Chinese restaurants everywhere, are struggling to survive. It felt necessary, then, to share reminders of how much these places matter to all of us, which in turn means we all have a responsibility to help them survive."

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Fauja Singh Keeps Going
The new picture book Fauja Singh Keeps Going, written by Simran Jeet Singh and illustrated by Baljinder Kaur, tells the true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon. The book shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community.

All The Asians On Star Trek

The podcast in which we interview all the Asians on Star Trek.



Check it out! I'm pleased to share the launch a new podcast project: All The Asians On Star Trek, the podcast in which we interview all the Asians on Star Trek. A geeky merging of some of my favorite interests.

The premise is pretty simple. Each episode I'll interview someone, who is Asian, who has worked in some capacity on the Star Trek franchise. Actors, of course -- including series regulars, guest stars, and even background extras -- but also writers, designers, stuntpeople, etc. All the Asians on Star Trek. I know, it's pretty niche. This project been in the works for a long time, with many delays due to, well, everything, but I'm pretty excited to finally get it up and running.

The first episode features actor Tim Lounibos, who guest starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lt. Daniel Kwan, in the seventh season episode "Eye of the Beholder." I hope you'll give it listen, and I hope you dig it. For more information, visit alltheasiansonstartrek.com.

Read These Blogs

How a Joke Twitter T-Shirt Exposes a Frustration Many Asian Women Share
Asian women are tired of hearing about your Asian wife -- and a T-shirt design has made the discussion viral.

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How the story of Kamala Harris upends the Asian American 'model minority' stereotype
"Sen. Kamala Harris -- who is of Indian and Jamaican descent -- challenges our understanding of what it means to be Asian American. It is for this reason that her historic vice presidential nomination is so impactful."

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COVID-19’s Toll on People of Color Is Worse Than We Knew
The new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight a stark disparity: Deaths among people of color during the crisis have risen far more than they have among Whites.

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The DOJ says Yale discriminates in favor of African Americans. Here's what you need to know.
Why you can't just compare Asians and African Americans.

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Painted as spies': Chinese students, scientists say Trump administration has made life hostile
A sweeping initiative from the Trump administration targets alleged Chinese government spying and intellectual property theft, particularly at American universities and research labs. Critics say the administration's rhetoric is inflammatory and its actions have created a hostile climate for Asian students and researchers working and studying in the U.S. -- often working on cutting-edge scientific developments.

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'We didn't learn enough or some people have forgotten.'
Journalist and activist Helen Zia has seen hostility against Asian Americans before. When it comes to dealing with today's struggles, Americans didn't learn enough, or might have forgotten, the lessons of the past.

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A Kind of Blueprint
The radical vision of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's Dictée.

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'Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj' spoke truth to power — and told our side of the story
Nayantara Dutta reflects on the impact of Hasan Minhaj's recently canceled Netflix news show Patriot Act -- and how the show's Desi references made her feel like she was in on the joke.

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How Comedian Nigel Ng Became the Internet’s Favorite Asian Uncle
Comedian Nigel Ng's YouTube video as "Uncle Roger," in which he hilariously mocks a now-infamous cooking demonstration of a BBC presenter preparing fried rice, made him an internet sensation.

Finding the Fire: On Community, Burnout, and That One Scene from 'Deep Space Nine'

Guest Post by Sarah Kuhn



There are certain scenes from stories that stay with us forever, their lines looping through our brains like the stickiest of earworms. I can recite sections of the '80s era Anne of Green Gables movies word for word. I know every beat, every breath, in the first Princess Leia/Han Solo kiss scene like the back of my hand. And occasionally, my mind tubes will just randomly call up the post-teaser scene from season 2, episode 2 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "The Circle," and play it like it's my favorite song.

In this scene, tough-as-nails Major Kira Nerys (the iconic Nana Visitor) has been recalled to Bajor and is in the process of packing all her stuff. As she packs, she is constantly interrupted by her colleagues on the space station. They want to say goodbye, they want to give her gifts, they want to encourage her to challenge the reassignment and stay at her current post on the station.

"Fight for what you want!" shapeshifting security chief Odo growls at her. "It's what you do best."

As the door keeps chiming and more and more people pile into Kira's cramped quarters, the chaos builds to a perfectly calibrated pitch -- the dialogue snaps, the ensemble chemistry sizzles, and Kira's irritation grows from kindling to wildfire. Just as she's about to totally lose it and yell at all of them to get the hell out, yet another person enters, someone who's not a space station colleague -- hunky Bajoran religious leader Vedek Bareil. The hijinks bubble is pierced, the one-liners cease. Bareil apologizes for interrupting.

"No, please come in," Kira says hastily. "These are my..."

She pauses, the tension draining from her body. She looks around at all the faces who have intruded on her space, who won't shut up and go away. Her eyes soften, and a slight smile plays around the corners of her mouth.

"These are my friends."

This is a huge realization for Kira, a prickly freedom fighter with a hardscrabble past who never thought she would truly have friends -- or that she needed them. At that point, the beginning of season 2, DS9's varied, clashing ensemble of characters had fused into something she gave up on long ago: they are a family. A community. An assemblage of personages who will always show up for each other, even if it's in the form of totally irritating the friend they're trying to support.

I love this scene. It's like its own little story, its own little arc, each perfectly composed beat playing out to a satisfying conclusion. I love it so much, that I recently realized I've written a version of this type of scene in nearly every one of my books. My Heroine Complex books, in particular, always have this scene: the rag-tag crew of misfits that is my superheroine team have become their own kind of found family, and there's always some moment where they just have to pile into the protagonist's room and offer their own kind of chaos-packed support for whatever she's going through. The latest book, Haunted Heroine, actually starts with this scene, all of fire-wielding, pregnant superheroine Evie Tanaka's friends cramming themselves into a tiny bathroom to check on her after some unceremonious puking.

In a way, it is my favorite song.

TCUB 105: They Call Us The Vice Presidential Nominee

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.

In this this episode, we welcome writer/comedian Anna John and WNYC's Arun Venugopal to discuss the historic nomination of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate -- the first woman of color on a major party ticket. They talk about multiracial identity, representation, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of a possible Indian American Vice President.

And This is How Racist Kids Grow Up to Be Racist Grown Ups

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Gwinnett School Apologizes for Racially Insensitive Yearbook Photo
In Gwinnett County, Georgia, a photo featuring multiple students making a racially insensitive gesture -- you know exactly what racially insensitive gesture I'm talking about -- was published in an elementary school yearbook, which was delivered to families last week. Officials at Dyer Elementary School sent a letter of apology to students and families for the photo's publication. The photo showed a group of students, some of whom were pulling their eyes back. The students had apparently been told to "make a silly face" for the photo. And the adults in charge were apparently okay with said silly face. And okay with the photo. And okay with the photo's publication. And okay with distributing it to the school community. Racism! It makes a fun yearbook photo!

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Newsweek Apologizes for Op-Ed Questioning Harris Eligibility
Newsweek has apologized for an op-ed that questioned Sen. Kamala Harris' U.S. citizenship and her eligibility to be Joe Biden's running mate, a false and racist conspiracy theory which President Donald Trump has not dismissed. "This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia. We apologize," read Newsweek's editor's note on Friday, which replaced the magazine's earlier detailed defense of the op-ed. "We entirely failed to anticipate the ways in which the essay would be interpreted, distorted and weaponized," read the apology, signed by Josh Hammer, opinion editor, and Nancy Cooper, global editor in chief. But they ended the note by saying that the op-ed would remain on the site, with their note attached.

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USC Pacific Asia Museum Decolonizes Its Collections
"One institution leading the way in decolonizing its collections is the University of Southern California Pacific Asia Museum (USC PAM) in Pasadena. It has not only declared solidarity with Black Lives Matter but has announced plans to reevaluate its collection in this transformative moment. "We have a moment right now to deconstruct everything, take us down to the studs," said USC PAM director Dr. Bethany Montagano, who sees the museum as a human-centered space for social healing, "If we don't confront the fact that our collections are really loaded with the freight of racism and colonial and imperial structures, destructive forces, then we can't do that healing work."

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Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Stars Who Made America Amazing
Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Stars Who Made America Amazing, from San Francisco-based publisher Immedium, is an upcoming book for all ages that tells the spectacular stories of 10 women and 10 men who inspire us to change the world, brought to life with fantastic comic book artwork. Written by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin, and illustrated by Juan Calle, the book features the stories of real-life heroes such as Yuri Kochiyama, Bruce Lee, Lea Salonga, Helen Zia, Jeremy Lin and more. You can pre-order and back the book right now on Kickstarter.

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'Evil Eye': Revenge, Reincarnation, and Indian Mythology Come to Blumhouse
What if you suspected that your daughter's new fiancé was the reincarnation of a man who tried to kill you 30 years ago? That's the clever and creepy premise behind Evil Eye, a new Blumhouse horror movie that puts South Asian characters and mythology front-and-center. Directed by twin brother filmmakers Elan Dassani and Rajeev Dassani, Evil Eye tells the story of Pallavi, who has found the perfect man in New Orleans. But when she relays the news to her mother Usha back in Delhi, India, a terrifying family secret creeps to the surface. Is Sandeep the reincarnation of a man from Usha's dark past? Evil Eye premieres October 13 on Amazon Prime.

Read These Blogs

Why Kamala Harris Matters to Me
Manisha Sinha is an Indian American professor of African American history. Experiencing Joe Biden's vice-presidential pick is a personal gift.

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Indian Americans want to claim Kamala Harris as ours. It's a trap.
"Recognition is primal. But it can also make us gloss over the complexities of identity — and their unpredictable implications for policy. The heady rush of recognition can lull us into complacency or lead us to quell our deeper ideological convictions."

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Dinesh D'Souza's Attacks On Kamala Harris Are Part Of A Bigger Problem In The Indian Community
As an Indian man, Dinesh D'Souza has the privilege of appealing to white conservatives by being the minority in the room willing to attack Black people.

* * *
Voters will be looking for more than just symbolism in Biden and Harris
"We've never been closer to having a Black woman VP than now. We've never been closer to having an Asian VP than now. The likelihood that we'll see an Asian American president in my lifetime, something I would have found difficult to imagine just a few decades ago, is higher than it has ever been. But getting there will require connecting this moment to the movements surging around it, movements that want real change, real soon."

* * *
Mourning my baby brother, Fahim
Ruby Angela Saleh remembers her brother, Fahim, who was found brutally murdered in July.

* * *
With BCD Tofu House, Hee Sook Lee Built More Than A Restaurant Empire
When Hee Sook Lee, founder of the BCD Tofu House chain, came to Los Angeles, she didn't intend to launch a Korean restaurant empire -- she wanted her children to master English.

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Director Sujata Day on Exploring Mental Health in Feature Film Debut 'Definition Please'
Sujata Day's first feature film, Definition Please, tells the story of an Indian American spelling bee champion who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns to help care for their sick mother.

* * *
How Justin H. Min Became The Umbrella Academy's Breakout Star
Rising talent Justin H. Min, who stars in The Umbrella Academy, talks about his Tumblr account, how fans helped his character develop, and the inspiring effect of an Asian superhero.

Don't Use Asians to Maintain White Privilege

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Don't Use Asians to Maintain White Privilege
The Justice Department's latest accusation that Yale University discriminated against Asian American and white students is an attempt to pit marginalized students against each other, using Asian Americans as the conduit, experts say. Several Asian American activists and scholars criticized the DOJ's letter sent to the Ivy League institution on Thursday. In lumping white students with those of Asian descent, the administration is using Asian Americans as a pawn to dismantle affirmative action.

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Love and Dignity at the End of Life
In 1997, Vu was wrongfully incarcerated and sentenced to 60 years in prison -- for a crime that would normally get a 10-year sentence. His friend later confessed that he was at fault for the crime. Still serving his sentence, Vu was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with less than a year to live. Due to COVID-19, he is not allowed visits and is dealing with medical treatment that leaves him susceptible to infection. Vu's family and friends are mounting a case to appeal to the state to allow him to live out his days around his loved ones instead of dying in prison alone. The've launched a GoFundMe campaign asking for assistance for their legal case. Read more about Vu's situation here.

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How Does a Restaurant Like This Happen in 2020?
"How do you mess up this badly? White people making Asian food isn't anything new, but this specific concept is especially inappropriate and confusing because this place doesn't seem to honor tradition or innovation. You usually open a restaurant like this and pick a lane: authentic or innovative. But they’re playing it straight down the middle. It's not authentic at all; it’s not executed to amplify well-made traditional or modern Korean food close to its authentic form. But it's not very creative or innovative, either -- just watered-down Korean food for white comfort and white taste buds."

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Open Casting Call: Korean Male Proficient in Korean, Japanese and English
This casting call for an unspecified series on a "major streaming service" is seeking "a Korean male actor in his 20s-30s that is very proficient or fluent in Korean, English, and Japanese. The language requirement is important because the character grew up in Japan and Korea, and came to the United States as a young adult." The series will shoot in Korea, Japan and Canada, and talent must be available September 2020 to March 2021. It doesn't mention the name of the series, but I'd put my money on the adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel Pachinko, which is being produced as a series for AppleTV.

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Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Charles Melton To Star In Rom Come 'Love Hard’
Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Charles Melton are set to star in the Netflix romantic comedy Love Hard. Written by Danny Mackey and Rebecca Ewing, the film is described as When Harry Met Sally meets Roxanne, and "follows an LA girl, unlucky in love, who falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for Christmas, only to discover that she's been catfished. But the object of her affection actually lives in the same town, and the guy who duped her offers to set them up IF she pretends to be his own girlfriend for the holidays." Hm. I feel like I already know where this is all going.

The Kamala Harris Birther Bullshit Has Already Begun

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Trump and His Campaign Amplify 'Birther' Conspiracy Against Kamala Harris
Well, that shit didn't take long. As soon as Kamala Harris was announced as Joe Biden's pick for vice president, the birther conspiracies were off and running. Some shitbag lawyer writes a racist, baseless Newsweek opinion piece calling Harris' eligibility into question, based on the fact that her parents were both immigrants. For the record, Senator Harris was born in Oakland, California, which indeed makes her eligible for the presidency, like anyone else born in the United States. But of course, Trump couldn't help dip his toe in the birther conspiracy. He's been here before, after all. "I heard it today that she doesn't meet the requirements," Trump said at today's White House briefing, referring to the Newsweek piece. "I have no idea if that's right. I would have assumed that the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president." Like I said, that didn't take long. Are we going to have to deal with this bullshit all the way to election day?

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Justice Dept accuses Yale of discriminating against Asian and White applicants
The Justice Department accused Yale University of discriminating against Asian American and White applicants in its undergraduate admissions process. The announcement, the culmination of a two-year investigation, represents the latest move by the Trump administration to undermine affirmative action policies that have bolstered diversity within higher education for decades. All I have to say about this as it pertains to Asian Americans: I refuse to be the Trump Administration's wedge, in this matter and all matters.

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Fonda Lee's 'Jade City' is Being Adapted for Peacock
Peacock has put in development Jade City, a series based on the first book in Fonda Lee's bestselling fantasy trilogy The Green Bone Saga. Written Dave Kalstein, Jade City is described as "an epic saga of magic and martial arts where two rival clans will fight to the bitter end for love, honor and power. Set in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis reminiscent of 70s Hong Kong, jade holds mystical powers and our two warring families will fight to the end over its control."

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1970s-Set 'Batman' Animated Movie Reveals Cast
The Dark Knight is headed to the 1970s for his latest animated adventure, the upcoming Batman: Soul of the Dragon. Directed by Sam Liu, the film is an original tale, rather than based on a specific comic book storyline, that sees Bruce Wayne face a deadly menace from his past with the help of three former classmates: world-renowned martial artists Richard Dragon, Ben Turner and Lady Shiva. It sounds like Batman by way of Bruce Lee, with a voice cast that includes Mark Dacascos, Kelly Hu and James Hong. Batman: Soul of the Dragon is due out in early 2021.

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Ruth Asawa Postage Stamps
Ruth Asawa was a pioneering Japanese American artist who transformed our understanding of art, culture, and education. USPS has honored Asawa with Forever stamps, available starting today. Showcasing Asawa's abstract wire sculptures, the pane includes 20 stamps, with two each of 10 designs. Get them here.

Biden and Harris Make First Appearance as Running Mates

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Harris, As Biden's Running Mate, Says Case Against Trump Is 'Open And Shut'
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his newly named running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, made their first joint appearance Wednesday. Watch the video of their remarks here.

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Where Can AAPI Voters Have the Most Impact in November 2020?
Asian Americans and Pacific Islander voters saw increases in voter registration after the 2016 election. These sizable gains in voter registration could potentially make a noticeable impact this November in battleground states like Arizona, where 173,231 AAPIs comprise 4.6 percent of the state’s electorate. In addition to increases in voter registration, AAPI turnout might also be influenced by other factors, such as the selection of Senator Kamala Harris as the first Asian American person on a major party's presidential ticket.

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'47 Ronin' Sequel Sets 'Mulan's Ron Yuan As Director
Ron Yuan is set direct the upcoming sequel to the Keanu Reeves film 47 Ronin. While the 2013 movie, based on a real-life story of a group of samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master, was set in 18th century Japan, it's being reported that the untitled quasi-sequel re-imagines the tale set 300 years in the future, blending martial arts, action, horror and cyber-punk. You have my attention.

* * *


42 & A-Major Media Team For Movie Adaptation Of 'Good Fortune'
Production companies 42 and A-Major Media are teaming up to produce develop and produce a film adaptation of Megan Chan Meinero's play Good Fortune. Developed in New York with the New Group and Ensemble Studio Theatre, the darkly comic social satire tells the story of Mei-Ling, who was adopted at birth from China by Julie, an American woman who wanted a daughter that would love her and be with her forever. Eighteen years later, Mei-Ling is ready to go to college, but Julie has a different plan.

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Apply to AAWW's 2021 Margins Fellowship
Hey writers! Applications are now open for the Asian American Writers' Workshop's 2021 Margins Fellowship. Every year, AAWW supports four emerging creative writers of color based in New York City with a year-long fellowship that includes a $5,000 stipend; month-long residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts; six-month mentorship with an established writer; career meet-ups with agents, editors, and fellow writers; publication opportunities and more. Applications are due September 7. For more information, go here.

Kamala Harris is Biden's Pick for Vice President

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.


Kamala Harris Is Biden's Choice for Vice President
And there it is. We have a Democratic ticket. Joe Biden selected Senator Kamala Harris of California as his vice-presidential running mate on Tuesday. Harris is the first Black woman and the first person of Asian descent -- her mother is Indian, did you know? -- to be nominated for national office by a major party, and only the fourth woman in history to be chosen for one of their presidential tickets. We are a big step closer to making this damn thing happen. Get it all out now, because we have one job, come November -- getting Trump the fuck out.

* * *


"She punched me on my face"
In Philadelphia, police are looking for a suspect who attacked an Asian American woman an her daughter last week. While authorities say they're not currently pursuing the attack as a hate crime, the victim says it was racially motivated. Jing Chen and her 12-year-old daughter were walking on the street when a woman, identified as Delores Marte, "came out of nowhere" and started spraying water at them. When Chen confronted her, the woman said "You (expletive), Chinese (expletive)." When the woman got in her face, Chen asked, "What you gonna do -- I'm pregnant, are you going to hurt me?" Marte apparently looked at Chen's belly then punched her in the face. Police now have a warrant out for Marte's arrest. However, the district attorney claims there isn't enough evidence to call this an act of "ethnic intimidation." Marte is being charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment. Huh?

* * *


Help! I Can’t Believe My Son’s Friend Fed Him Indian Food Without Calling Me First.
This letter to Slate's "Dear Prudence" advice column is kind of heartbreaking. Because somewhere out there, a 9-year-old's parents have been feeding him bland, terrible food his entire life. Tragic. Basically, a dad is upset because his son, Chris, went over to an Indian friend's house, and said Indian friends' parents had the audacity to feed Chris some Indian food for dinner without asking if it was okay. Because "spicy foods can be hard on small tummies." The kid is nine years old, dude. Your concern for his small tummy is rooted is some kind of racism. And by the way, it sounds like Chris really enjoyed his chicken curry and lentils and vegetables. His small tummy has corrupted by "ethnic" food! Welcome to the dark side, young Chris. You're going to love it.

* * *


Kal Penn to Host Election Series for Freeform Aimed at Young Voters
Kal Penn is set to host and produce an unscripted election-themed series that looks to explore issues and topics relevant to Millennial and GenZ voters. Freeform has issued a series order for the untitled comedy project.

* * *


'Lingua Franca': Isabel Sandoval Tells Timely Story Of Immigration And Civil Rights
From romance to tragedy, the first trailer for Isabel Sandoval's Lingua Franca offers a riveting glimpse of the story of Olivia, an undocumented Filipina trans woman. Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Releasing is set to virtually debut Lingua Franca in select theaters and on Netflix August 26.