Read These Blogs

Photographer Explores Asian American Identity In 'Where We're Really From'
In his multimedia project, "Where We're Really From," photographer Eric Lee explores what it's like to grow up Asian American, through the Pham brothers, Henry, 7, and Hayle, 9. The boys are just beginning to understand and peel the layers of being Vietnamese Americans living in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

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The challenge of combating fake news in Asian American communities
Language diversity within the AAPI community means misinformation is difficult to track.

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A New Political Force Emerges in Georgia: Asian-American Voters
The Asian American population in the state of Georgia has doubled in two decades, and many live in the Atlanta suburbs, which voted for Joseph R. Biden Jr. by large margins.

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Junk Food Was Our Love Language
"To feel close to my father, a man I never fully knew, I eat chicken nuggets."

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Revisiting a breakthrough novel on the Asian-American high-school experience
Marie Myung-Ok Lee's Finding My Voice, published in 1992, was widely regarded as the first young adult novel about being an Asian American by an Asian American writer.

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From 50 First Dates to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Amy Hill is an underrated chameleon
Actress Amy Hill talks to Entertainment Weekly about the legacy of Margaret Cho's All-American Girl, Asian American representation, and her hopes for the future.

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Industry's Ken Leung delivers the breakout HBO performance of the year
Ken Leung plays investment banker Eric Tao on the HBO drama Industry.

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In Need of a Film About Romantic Possibility? Try 'In the Mood for Love'
Director Wong Kar-wai's influential romantic drama In the Mood For Love, along with his Chungking Express, are part of a new retrospective of the Hong Kong auteur's work.

They Call Us Bruce 116: They Call Us Asian in New Zealand

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 hos an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome New Zealand writer/activist Tze Ming Mok. She talks about her country's complicated racial politics, what it's like to live under a functional government that has actually had a handle on COVID-19, and what her view of America looks like right now. (It's not good.)

All The Asians On Star Trek - 10: Away Mission with Andrew Phung

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 10, we embark on another Away Mission, in which we invite fellow Asian American fans of Star Trek to do a deep dive into an episode of their choosing. For this edition of the Away Mission, we look to our neighbors to the north and welcome actor/comedian Andrew Phung (Kim's Convenience) to discuss "Relics" from season six of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yes, the one with Scotty. Here's to you, lads.

Read These Blogs

I Lived Through A Stupid Coup. America Is Having One Now
You've already lost. This is what Americans need to understand

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Patsy Takemoto Mink blazed the trail for Kamala Harris – not famous white woman Susan B. Anthony
Congress had very few women members back in 1960, and just one woman of color: Patsy Mink of Hawaii.

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Baseball told Kim Ng no (and no, and no) before it finally said yes
By any measure, the hiring of Kim Ng as general manager of the Marlins, after a thirty-year career in the major league -- making her first female GM in professional sports -- was long overdue.

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I Thought I'd Get to See My Mother Again. Then the Pandemic Hit
The last time Nicole Chung saw her mother was January 2020. Since her death in May, she hasn't been able to gather or mourn with her family.

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A Case for a More Regional Understanding of Food
American food media's focus on national cuisines turns cultures into monoliths as it ignores regional differences in cooking and eating.

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The oldest Chinese restaurant in America
The oldest continuously-running Chinese restaurant in the U.S. isn't in San Francisco or New York. It's in, of all places, Butte, Montana. The Pekin Noodle Parlor opened in 1911. Jerry Tam's parents, Danny and Sharon, were the third generation of the family to run the restaurant.

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Exploring Vietnam's Coffee Culture With The Founder Of Nguyen Coffee Supply
Nguyen Coffee Supply's Sahra Nguyen, the first-ever Vietnamese American importer, roaster, and supplier of beans from Vietnam, takes us on a caffeinated journey through the remarkable coffee scene of Vietnam.

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Toward a New Afro-Asian Solidarity: Revisiting Cold War Politics in DA 5 BLOODS, WATCHMEN, and LOVECRAFT COUNTRY
Scholars analyze Da 5 Bloods, Watchmen, and Lovecraft Country to see how Cold War Afro-Asian relations are re-membered and re-imagined today.

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How Tyrus Wong's Christmas Cards Captivated the American Public
The unlikely Hollywood visionary of 'Bambi' fame designed what would become some of the most popular holiday stationery of all time

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'I feel joy': how Bisha K Ali went from struggling standup to Marvel maestro
She was living on beans. Now she's writing Ms. Marvel, the eagerly awaited TV series starring MCU's first Muslim superhero. Writer Bisha K Ali talks about joyriding premieres and how to silence trolls.

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'There wasn't much interest in seeing East Asian actresses on screen'
Actress Jessica Henwick, who stars in Love and Monsters and the upcoming Matrix 4 and Nancy Wu Done It, talks apocalyptic worlds and overcoming the lack of representation for East Asian actresses.

Charles Yu Wins National Book Award for 'Interior Chinatown'

Charles Yu Wins National Book Award for 'Interior Chinatown'
Congratulations to Charles Yu, who won the National Book Award for fiction on Wednesday for his mind-bending satire, Interior Chinatown, a sendup of Hollywood and Asian-American stereotypes. The novel, written in the form of a screenplay, features an aspiring actor named Willis Wu who confronts casual racism and the cruel hierarchies of the entertainment world in his quest to graduate from bit roles as the "Delivery Guy" or "Silent Henchman." The judges praised the novel as "wonderfully inventive" and "by turns hilarious and flat out heartbreaking." Watch the announcement here (skip to 1:50:17).

Hate Crimes Have Risen to Highest Level in More Than a Decade

Hate Crimes in U.S. Rose to Highest Level in More Than a Decade in 2019
Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its annual hate crime statistics report for 2019. According to the report, hate crimes in the United States rose to their highest level in more than a decade last year, while more murders motivated by hate were recorded than ever before. The FBI collected data on 7,314 criminal incidents motivated by bias toward race or ethnicity or gender identity in 2019. It was the third straight year the metric surpassed 7,100 incidents and it was the highest number since the FBI reported 7,783 incidents in 2008. Experts say the FBI data likely undercounts the number of hate crimes in America, both because many victims fail to report incidents and local agencies are not required to report hate crime data to the FBI.

Read These Blogs

Living with the legacy of my Trump-voting Vietnamese relatives
"Since my grandparents insisted on backing Trump, I want that voting record on their obituaries."

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Kamala Harris' Historic Candidacy Helped Asian American Turnout Soar
AAPI voters likely set a new record for turnout in 2020, but campaigns still must make sure they're not treated like an afterthought, advocates say.

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Padma Lakshmi: Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris Moved Me to Tears
Imagine how wide the ripples of impact can be when a woman of color is vice president.

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Nikil Saval went from magazine editor to 1st Asian American in Penn. State Senate
Democratic candidate Nikil Saval became the first South Asian American elected to Pennsylvania's state Senate. In addition to making history, Saval stands out for his unconventional resume.

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Chinatowns Everywhere Are Suffering. In Oakland, a New Generation Has Answers
How the newer generation of Oakland's century-old Chinatown is weathering the current economic crisis.

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70% of Asian Americans support affirmative action. Here's why misconceptions persist.
With the Harvard affirmative action case a step closer to the Supreme Court, Asian American activists say much of their work involves dispelling myths about affirmative action's impacts.

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Getting to know new Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng, MLB's first female GM
Kim Ng became the first female general manager in Major League Baseball history on Friday, when she was hired by the Miami Marlins.

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Henry Golding Wants More Than Hollywood's ‘Tiresome' Casting Questions About Race and Sexuality
Modern-day matinee idol Henry Golding talks playing a gay lead in Monsoon, and the latest in the world of the Crazy Rich Asians sequels.

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Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka on Husbands, Asian Grandmas, and AR-15s
Atsuko Okasuka, host of the popular Let's Go Atsuko! podcast talks to Interview about her roller coaster life.

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Early Oscar Favorite Chloé Zhao on Nomadland and a Career on the Rise
In 2018, director Chloe Zhao's The Rider was one of Barack Obama's favorite films. Now Zhao has delivered a transcendent movie about the search for work, peace, and self -- and Marvel's The Eternals is still on the way.

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Snowboarder Chloe Kim on Hot Cheetos, Roxy, and Going for Gold (Again) at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Elle talks to snowboarding champ Chloe Kim talks about her gig as the face of Roxy, Asian American representation, and a snowboarder's hairstyle with a NSFW name.

Kim Ng Hired as General Manager of Miami Marlins

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



The Miami Marlins Make History with Hiring of Kim Ng as General Manager
The Miami Marlins announced they hired Kim Ng to oversee baseball operations. She is now the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations among the Major League's 30 teams and is believed to be the first woman hired to a general manager position by any professional men;s sports team in North America's major leagues. I've been following Ng's career for years. This has been a loooong time coming. Kim Ng has to be the most overqualified person ever to enter this position as a first-time general manager.

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'Chinese virus' sign at doctor's office draws rebuke
A sign at a New Jersey chiropractor's office referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus" is being slammed online as racist. Annesia Paraison took a photo of the sign Tuesday at the Jersey City office of Kevin Julian and uploaded it to Facebook. The sign, posted on the front desk widow, reads, "Dear Patients: During this time period of the Chinese Virus, please observe the six (6) foot rule of social distancing. Only two (2) people should be waiting in the reception room." Online reaction to the sign was... not positive. When reached by phone at his office Thursday morning, Julian declined to comment about the sign.

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Jon M. Chu to Direct ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Live-Action Movie
Jon M. Chu is reportedly in talks to direct Disney's upcoming live action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch. The original movie, written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, was released in 2002. The animated family film follows a 6-year-old Hawaiian girl Lilo and her teenage sister Nani, who adopt a blue extraterrestrial creature nicknamed Stitch. No word on a screenwriter or casting or scheduling, but I imagine the biggest challenge will be how to visualize a live action version of Stitch that isn't totally terrifying.

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Hasan Minhaj Joins Season 2 of 'The Morning Show'
Hasan Minhaj has been tapped for a major recurring role in the upcoming season of Apple TV+'s The Morning Show. He will play Eric, a charismatic, rising star who joins The Morning Show team.

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Kim's Convenience Star is Now an (Unofficial) Action Figure
If you're a fan of both Star Wars and the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, you were probably pretty excited to see actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee's recent appearance in The Mandalorian as X-wing pilot Captain Carson Teva. One fan, Jason Loo, was so excited, he made a custom action figure of Captain Teva. Now if someone would actually produce an official one...

Tea Shop Owner Pepper Sprayed in Hate Crime Attack

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Suspect Yells 'China' and 'COVID' in Pepper Spray Attack
In Washington DC, police are investigating a suspected hate crime assault at a Dupont Circle tea shop, where a man pepper sprayed the owner after yelling "China" and "COVID-19." Surveillance video shows the suspect entering Valley Brook Tea on Tuesday morning, shouting. When the owner, Yunhan Zhang, asked him to leave, the man pulled out the pepper spray on Zhang, who was reportedly sprayed on his face, arms and clothes. Zhang says this is not the first time he's been attacked, and it seems like the tea shop is the only business in the neighborhood dealing with such harassment. Wonder why. The Metropolitan Police Department says there are no arrests in connection with the case.

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Jeremy Lin works out with Stephen Curry amid NBA comeback bid
In his bid to make a return to the NBA, Jeremy Lin was spotted working out with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. This week, Lin was photographed playing some pickup ball with Curry and other Warriors players such as Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, Marquese Chriss, and Alen Smailagic. After winning a title in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, Lin played one season with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association, before announcing his intentions to the return to the NBA. Hopefully this is a sign we'll be seeing him playing stateside soon.

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Claim Us If You're Famous
If you didn't know, now you know: our new Vice President is Black and Asian and South Asian and Indian American. On this week's Code Switch, they discuss what exactly it means for Kamala Harris to be the United States' first Black-South-Asian-multiracial-female-vice-president-elect. They get into a lot of messy territory, like what her political prominence might help illuminate (or obscure) about South Asian political identity, how multiracial people are perceived, and how Blackness intersects with all of those things.

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Bishal Dutta to Direct Untitled Horror Feature for New Line
Director Bishal Dutta will make his studio debut with New Line, directing an untitled original horror feature based on a spec by Joshua Rollins, and produced by James Wan's Atomic Monster. Plot details are being tightly held, but the project is an original horror film set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.

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New Blue's Clues & You Will Feature Josh's Lola
This is fun. An upcoming new episode of the children's show Blue's Clues & You will feature a visit from "Lola" -- Josh's grandmother, played by Carolyn Fe. In "Blue's Big Baking Show," Josh and Blue will spend the day making bibingka, a cake from the Philippines that is "masarap"! The episode will premiere Friday, November 20 on Nickelodeon.

They Call Us Bruce 115: They Call Us Election 2020

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 hos an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome blogger Jenn Fang and columnist Aisha Sultan to discuss the historic election of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States, the troubling truth about Trump supporters and the American electorate, and the amazing gift of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.

They Call Us Bruce 114: They Call Us The Donut King

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 hos an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome Alice Gu, director of the feature documentary The Donut King, and Mayly Tao, proprietor of DK's Donuts, to discuss the incredible story donuts, refugee hustle, and the one guy responsible for the Cambodian American stronghold on donut shops on the west coast.

Your Halloween Costumes 2020

It's been a wild ass year, and it's not over. But I think we could use a little distraction. So here is our annual Halloween Costume Gallery, featuring photos submitted by you, the good readers of this website. Over the years, this has become one of our favorite annual traditions. But I have to admit, given the madness of everything going on right now, I actually almost forgot to put the call out. But I did indeed call, and you answered. Here is this year's gallery of awesome Halloween costume photos.