*

12.27.2020

Read These Blogs



'Minari' is about immigrants who speak Korean. That doesn't make it 'foreign.'
Viet Thanh Nguyen says the Golden Globes Awards' restrictive categorization of Minari as a "foreign" film rests on a narrow definition of what makes a story American.

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Steven Yeun Reflects on His 'Walking Dead' Demise: 'I Was Always in Service to This Larger Narrative'
The death of Glenn Rhee upset many Walking Dead fans, but Steven Yeun says seven seasons of the show helped him build the skills and confidence he needed for other roles -- and to speak up on the job.

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7-Year-Old Alan S. Kim Is the Breakout Star of 'Minari,' and the Antidote to 2020
Lee Isaac Chung's Minari may be an ensemble drama at heart, but it does feature one inarguable breakout performance by its young star: Alan S. Kim.

* * *

The mental health toll of being a 'model minority' in 2020
"Especially when you talk about the invisibility of some of their issues, in a sense, it's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy," psychologist Richelle Concepcion said.

* * *

How The New Yorker Fell Into the "Weird Japan" Trap
Elif Batuman was duped by a source's fabrications about the country's rent-a-family industry. What went wrong?

* * *
Naomi Osaka: Athletes, Speak Up
"Sports have never been apolitical, and as long as they continue to be played by human beings, they won't be."

* * *

The Lonely Legacy of Spam
Once seemingly alone in their love for the canned meat product, many Asian Americans today are finding comfort in each other's shared histories.

* * *

Have Yourself a Lonely Little Christmas
"I've spent many a holiday by myself. And you know what? It can be absolutely thrilling."

* * *

How Younghoe Koo's career went from NFL nightmare to the Pro Bowl
When Younghoe Koo faced a major career setback three years ago, he was determined to try again, and again, and again. Now he's a star kicker for the Atlanta Falcons.

* * *

Ken Leung on the Industry Finale, Working With Lena Dunham and Becoming the Veteran
An interview with Ken Leung, who plays Eric on HBO's Industry.


12.24.2020

They Call Us Bruce 118 - They Call Us Bugs Bunny

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 Eric Bauza, the new voice of Bugs Bunny. We discuss issues of diversity and inclusion in voice acting, "cracking the code" of a good impression, and how a Filipino kid from Canada ended up as the voice of animation's most wascally wabbit.

12.20.2020

Read These Blogs



How Fake News Is Hatching in Immigrant Communities
Right-wing conspiracy theories have infiltrated Asian and Latino communities through social media platforms like WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook, KakaoTalk and YouTube. Organizers say that older immigrants who don't consume mainstream English-language media can be more susceptible to disinformation about American politics.

* * *

What the Asian-American Coalition Can Teach the Democrats
Viet Thanh Nguyen says the Asian American community's ability to form a solid majority around a shared politics despite its many differences is a model for the Democratic party -- and the nation.

* * *

The Truth Behind Indian American Exceptionalism
"What is forgotten is that before Indian Americans became a model minority, we were regarded as a problem minority. Also forgotten is the extent to which the U.S. engineered the conditions that allowed certain nonwhite groups to thrive."

* * *

How the pandemic threatens to destroy America's three remaining Japantowns
An eviction crisis is intensifying long-standing pressures on America's three remaining historic Japantowns -- from displacement to urban renewal -- and it could lead to their collapse.

* * *

She Saved Thousands of Best Friends. Then Covid-19 Killed Her.
Valerie Louie rescued dogs and matched them with families, including ours. These beloved pets helped countless people bear up during the pandemic, making her death a particular Covid-19 cruelty.

* * *

How This Restaurant Owner Has Pivoted To Endure The 'Craziest' Ride He's Been On
Sung Kim, owner of the Korean-inspired eatery Chick-N-Bap with five locations in upstate New York, shares how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his unique business model.

* * *

‘A Sugar & Spice Holiday,’ ‘House of Ho’ And Accepting Mediocre Attempts At Asian Representation
The Lifetime holiday rom-com and the HBO Max reality series bring Asian American representation to two generic, highly mass-produced genres.

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Challenging patriarchal practices makes "House of Ho" more than just a Vietnamese Kardashians clone
Judy Ho, one of the stars of the HBO Max's House of Ho, spoke to Salon about abiding by her immigrant parents' expectations until being on a reality show let her break free.

* * *

Why Cracklin' Oat Bran is key to Daniel Dae Kim's productive morning
If you work 24 hours a day, like Daniel Dae Kim does, you better eat a good breakfast.


12.17.2020

Sushi Restaurant Vandalized with Racist Graffiti

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Police Arrest Man Accused Of Spray-Painting Hate Speech On Restaurant
In the Sacramento area, authorities arrested a man accused of spray-painting hate speech on the front of a restaurant. 43-year-old Lahn Hansen faces various charges including committing a hate crime. The incident happened early Thursday at Umai Bar and Grill in Elk Grove. Hansen was reportedly caught on surveillance footage and identified. Evidence linking him to the vandalism was located inside of his vehicle, where police also located narcotics, burglary tools and items related to a previously reported church burglary.

* * *



Rock Thrown Through Window Of Foster City Vice Mayor's Home
In the Bay Area, police are investigating after a rock was thrown through a window of the home of Richa Awasthi, Vice Mayor of Foster City. The incident occurred on Tuesday night. In a letter distributed by the city, Awasthi said the large rock broke the glass and blinds and nearly hit her husband in the head. Her two children were also in the home when it happened. Police are investigating the incident as felony vandalism though there are no suspects or motive identified. This is actually the second time an incident like this has occurred against a local elected official this year. In June, San Mateo Councilwoman Amourence Lee also had a rock thrown through her window. It's worth noting that Lee and Awasthi are Asian American councilwomen and the only sitting women of color on their respective councils. Doesn't sound like a coincidence to me.

* * *



Bong Joon Ho and Lee Isaac Chung Talk 'Minari'
Variety hosted a conversation between Bong Joon Ho, Oscar-winning director of Parasite, and Lee Isaac Chung, writer/director of the critically-acclaimed Minari. The two filmmakers discussed creating on-screen families, telling personal stories and their work with actor Steven Yeun.

* * *



Ted Chiang's "The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling" is Being Developed for TV
Acclaimed science fiction writer Ted Chiang's short story "The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling" is being developed as an hour-long TV drama. Set against the backdrop of technology that grants users exact recall of their past, the series combines a kidnapping with a messy adult love story in a cautionary tale about privacy in the modern world. The short story was originally published in 2013 by Subterranean Press, was a Hugo Award finalist and later became part of Chiang's collection Exhalation.

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Tamlyn Tomita Returns as Kumiko in a Clip from Cobra Kai
As the latest trailer for season three of Cobra Kai revealed, Tamlyn Tomita and Yuji Okumoto will reprise their roles as Kumiko and Chozen, repsectively, from The Karate Kid Part II. In this advance clip, we get a glimpse of Kumiko and Daniel's reunion. Cobra Kai season three premieres January 8 on Netflix.


They Call Us Bruce 117: They Call Us House of Ho

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 producer/friend Jes Vu and Salon culture editor Hanh Nguyen to discuss the new HBO Max reality show House of Ho. We talk about actual crazy rich Asians, family dysfunction, airing out your dirty laundry, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of Asian Americans on reality television.

12.14.2020

The First Cambodian American Elected Official in Long Beach

And Other Things To Know From Angry Asian America.



Suely Saro is the First Cambodian American Elected Official in Long Beach
When she is sworn in Tuesday, Suely Saro will become the first Cambodian American council member in the history of Long Beach, which has since the 1980s hosted the nation's largest concentration of Cambodian American refugees. She may also be the first Cambodian American elected to office in California.

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Anthony Veasna So, Author of Highly Anticipated Story Collection, Dies at 28
Anthony Veasna So, author of a highly anticipated debut story collection, had died. He was 28. His death was announced Thursday by his publisher, Ecco, which did not immediately provide additional details. In Afterparties, to be published in August, he drew upon the tragedies his family endured in Cambodia during the rule of the Khmer Rouge and his own struggles with sexual and cultural identity.

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Jackson He Becomes First Chinese Player to Score TD in FBS History
On Friday, during Arizona State's 70-7 victory over Arizona, a little bit of history was made. Jackson He, junior redshirt from Shaoguan, China, scored a touchdown for the Sun Devils, becoming the first Chinese-born player to score a touchdown in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision history.

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The Joy Luck Club Added to National Film Registry
The Library of Congress has included 1993's The Joy Luck Club, directed by Wayne Wang, as one of this year's selections for the National Film Registry, an archive of motion pictures chosen for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic" importance to the nation’s understanding of cinema.

* * *


Behold, Baby Bruce, Future Asskicker
This citizenship documentation, recently shared by the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, shows a three-month-old Bruce Lee, as presented to U.S. immigration officials in 1941.


12.13.2020

Read These Blogs



A year of loss, heartache, looming eviction — and rescuing itself — for Chinatown
The pandemic and anti-Asian racism have decimated Chinatowns in New York, San Francisco and Seattle, but many residents are turning to one another for help.

* * *

Why I, a South Korean immigrant, think Donald Trump made America great again
Progressive, grassroots movements, fueled by nothing but the collective faith and desires to restore America's true promise, sprung up across the nation. Millions have rallied to defend democracy, across ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and sociopolitical leanings. Without President Trump, these movements would not have been as, shall we say, tremendous.

* * *

Leading By Example: How Naomi Osaka Became the People’s Champion
In the two years since Naomi Osaka became an international tennis phenomenon, she has used her platform to call attention to issues affecting Black people.

* * *

What's in a Page: Searching for Sylvie Lee author Jean Kwok's writing career started with a doodle
Jean Kwok’s upbringing in a Chinese immigrant household didn’t necessarily encourage creativity. The author of Searching for Sylvie Lee talks about how she started her writing career.

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Ang Lee on 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' 20 years later
Tuesday marked the 20th anniversary of the release of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

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'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' turns 20: Why Jen Yu is the Asian heroine we're still looking for
Twenty years after the release of Ang Lee’s iconic film, some are still searching for a heroine like Jen Yu.

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Kelly Marie Tran talks 'unfair pressure' of playing Disney's first Southeast Asian princess
At first, actress Kelly Marie Tran felt a lot of pressure in her role as the voice of Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess in the upcoming animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. But she's come to look at the situation differently.

* * *

Jacky Lai on Starring in Lifetime's First Asian-American Holiday Movie: 'The Industry Is Changing'
Actress Jacky Lai is making history with her latest project, Lifetime's A Sugar & Spice Holiday.

12.06.2020

Read These Blogs



Asian American And Pacific Islander Turnout Helped Hand Biden Georgia
President-elect Joe Biden carried Georgia with less than a 13,000-vote lead, a tiny margin made possible, in part, by historic turnout among Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the Peach State. It's the first time in nearly 30 years that Georgia voters chose a Democrat for president.

* * *

Why it's time to retire the term 'Asian Pacific Islander'
"API" came out of a movement strategy to unify different Asian American group. Now, some Pacific Islander community leaders say it's time to claim, celebrate, and advocate for themselves.

* * *

Tony Hsieh's American Tragedy: The Self-Destructive Last Months Of The Zappos Visionary
When the business icon died in a fire last week, questions abounded. The answers seem rooted in a Covid-period spiral, where he turned to drugs and shunned old friends.

* * *

From Chinatown Pretty To Nora From Queens, Chinese Grandmas Are 2020's Fashion Icons
Not only do Chinese grandmothers have experience and wisdom to share, but also practical, functional, and pattern-ladened clothes.

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'Be Water' Reexamines Bruce Lee from an Asian-American Lens
"I wanted to make sure that Bruce Lee's story wasn't just lensed in the view of a cultural icon, but as an Asian American icon, as an Asian American. And I think that story has been lost in his narrative over time and that really propelled me towards making this film."

* * *

The NFL's best origin story belongs to Younghoe Koo
There might be equally improbable NFL journeys out there, but there aren't any better than Younghoe Koo's.

* * *

Riz Ahmed knows his worth. With the gut-wrenching 'Sound of Metal,' he ensures you do, too.
In Sound of Metal, Riz Ahmed stars as a punk metal drummer who begins to lose his hearing.

* * *

Warrior's Olivia Cheng on Bringing Activism to Her Art
"The norm for many Asian actors is to play the 'dependable exposition giver' -- constantly available and helping the leads solve the case, or as a doctor in a hospital without a full character arc. My role in Warrior is to play complexity and humanity in all its colors: joy, humor, grief, pain, conflict."

* * *

Dianne Doan on 'Warrior,' Season 3 Hopes, and Landing Her 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Role
"I don't think 'Warrior' is done."
* * *

Momona Tamada's Week: 'Satisfying' Baking Videos and Peace Through Podcasts
Momona Tamada, who stars in The Baby-Sitters Club, had a head start on our new, socially distant reality.


12.04.2020

All The Asians On Star Trek - 11: Rosalind Chao

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 11, we welcome Rosalind Chao. She is best known for her recurring role as Keiko O'Brien on multiple seasons of both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. A veteran actress whose career started when she a teen, her long list of film and TV credits include MASH, The Joy Luck Club and Mulan.

11.29.2020

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.

* * *

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

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

11.27.2020

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.)

11.25.2020

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.

11.22.2020

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

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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

* * *

'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.

* * *

'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.


11.18.2020

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).


11.16.2020

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.

11.15.2020

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."

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.


11.13.2020

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.

* * *



'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.

* * *



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.

* * *



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.

* * *


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...


11.11.2020

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.

* * *



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.

* * *



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.

* * *



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.

* * *



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.


11.09.2020

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.

11.05.2020

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.

11.01.2020

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.

10.31.2020

Submit Your Halloween Costume Photos!

Send in your awesome photos for the annual reader Halloween costume photo gallery.



It's that time of year again. In the madness of everything going on this year, I actually almost forgot. But in what has become an annual tradition, we want to see your awesome Halloween costume photos! Each year, we put together a fun gallery of reader-submitted costume photos. If you would like your photo to be feature, send it in! We are accepting photos of your fun, cool, scary, not racist Halloween costumes. Photos of cute kids are especially encouraged. (By submitting your photo, you consent to having the photo featured on this website, for the purpose of inclusion in the Halloween gallery and/or promotion of the Halloween gallery.) Thank you!