Call For Entries: Viet Film Fest 2021

Submit your film to the 2021 Viet Film Fest.



Viet Film Fest
Hey filmmakers! Viet Film Fest, which celebrates Vietnamese stories and voices in cinema, is now accepting submissions for its 2021 film festival, to be held October 15-30, 2021 -- hosted virtually. Founded in 2003 by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association, the festival "showcases the best creative work by and about Vietnamese people. Through the universal language of film, Viet Film Fest brings together multiple perspectives to expand the scope and horizons of Vietnamese cinema." The submission deadline is May 15 (early bird: April 30). For further information, go to vietfilmfest.com.

California Bill Funds Tracking of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes

Legislators approved $1.4 million in state funding for the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center.



California passes bill allocating $1.4 million to track anti-Asian hate crimes
California legislators approved $1.4 million in state funding to help combat anti-Asian violence and racism through the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on Monday. Assemblymember Phil Ting, chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, secured funding through the passage of AB 85, which provides $7.6 billion in additional state resources for the ongoing pandemic response. The money will be used to support Stop AAPI Hate's research and help the organization track anti-Asian incidents.

Is Big Hero 6 Coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Rumor has it, characters from 'Big Hero 6' will make their live-action debut in the MCU.



Big Hero 6 Characters Coming To The MCU
This is an entirely unconfirmed rumor, but according to The DisInsider, characters from Disney's Big Hero 6 will be making their live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Which characters? Hiro Hamada? Baymax, surely. Details are scant, if this is to be believed at all. The 2014 animated feature, loosely based on the Marvel Comics miniseries of the same name, followed the adventures of a high-tech superteam in the hybrid city of San Fransokyo. It was followed by Disney animated series, which recently aired its final episode. Again, this is just a rumor, but it would be cool as hell to see these characters make the leap to live action.

Three Children, Grandmother Killed in Texas House Fire

The family had lost power and were using their fireplace to keep warm.



Three generations were trying to stay warm in the blackout. Then a fire erupted.
This is tragedy upon tragedy. Last week in Sugar Land, Texas, a 75-year-old woman and her three grandchildren were killed in a house fire. The victims, identified as 5-year-old Colette, 8-year-old Edison and 11-year-old Olivia Nguyen, and their grandmotehr Loan Le, were found dead in the home on Tuesday morning. Their neighborhood had been without power for about eight hours, the family had been using their fireplace to keep warm. An online fundraiser has been set up in memory of the children.

Read These Blogs

What This Wave of Anti-Asian Violence Reveals About America
"When it comes to Asian-American grief, do Americans want to know?"

* * *
For Asian Americans, Sharing Our Grief Is an Act of Revolution
With anti-Asian violence on the rise, our fierce love for our elders is compelling us to speak our truth.

* * *
This Is What No One Tells You About Being Asian In America In 2021
"We are used to minimizing our own pain because we don't want to rock the boat."

* * *
Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Are on the Rise. Many Say More Policing Isn't the Answer
Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise, and while there are a lot of possible solutions, more policing isn't the answer.

* * *
Asians Must Stop Comparing Our Issues to Black Lives Matter
"If we as Asians, in witnessing constant protests responding to anti-Black oppression and tragedy, come away with the notion that Black people are overly favored, we should consider whether we are perpetuating the very oppression we’re supposed to be fighting."

* * *
As an Asian American, I'm Tired of Being Racially Gaslit By My Peers
"Just as you ask us to hold our people accountable, we ask you to do the same."

* * *
Amid attacks, school principals concerned over Asian Americans' return to class
As heightened levels of anti-Asian sentiment continue alongside the coronavirus pandemic, racist incidents and attacks on members of the Asian American community in public have, in part, persuaded some families not to send their children back to in-person schooling.

* * *
He Writes Unreliable Narrators Because He Is One, Too
Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Pulitzer for his debut, The Sympathizer, recognition that was great for his career and bad for his writing. Now he's back with its subversive sequel, The Committed.

* * *
Bling Empire and the Energizing Potential of Asian-American Mediocrity
Jean Chen Ho explores what we gain when we give up the idea of perfect representation.

* * *
Meet NASA's Swati Mohan, star of Perseverance rover's epic Mars landing
The cool, collected play-by-play from one of the mission's leaders has observers around the world taking notice.

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The Secret History of a Filmmaker's Family in "No Crying at the Dinner Table"
Carol Nguyen's short documentary is a striking depiction of what families avoid discussing, and what can happen when those taboos dissolve.

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Q&A: Jeremy Lin on Finding Peace Back In the G League
The veteran guard is back where he started, fighting for an NBA roster spot with the Santa Cruz Warriors. But, as he explains, he's never felt more comfortable in his career.

Neighbors Set Up Nightly Watch to Stop Racist Harassment

Has it really come down neighbors setting up watch outside our homes to deter racist harassment? Yes.



Neighbors Help Stop Harassment Of Asian American Family
In the Orange County community of Ladera Ranch, neighbors have been taking nightly shifts to protect a local family from a series of ongoing anti-Asian attacks. Home security video shows teens running up to Haijun Si's home, pounding on the door and at times flashing light in the camera to prevent them from being identified. Si says others have thrown rocks at the home, hurled racial insults, and left pornography at her front door. Police have apparently been called to the home several times, but the attacks have persisted. The only thing that's helped has been neighbors, organized through social media, setting up camp outside the home to deter the harassment. Has is really come to this?

They Call Us Bruce 121: They Call Us Angry Asian Man

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.

Happy Angryversary! In this episode, we take a moment to observe the 20th anniversary of this blog, Angry Asian Man. It's been a journey. I look back at the blog's beginnings, how I got here, and my unique view of Asian America over the last two decades.

Chinatown Detective Hunts a Serial Killer in 'The Good Asian'

New comic book series from Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi.



Exclusive Preview of The Good Asian
Acclaimed comic book creators Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi are teaming up to launch their latest comic book series, The Good Asian, due out this May from Image Comics. The series follows a hardboiled Chinese American detective named Edison Hark as he hunts for a serial killer in 1936 Chinatown. With systemic racism running rampant, Hark and the characters face the harsh realities living under the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first immigration ban in American history. Check out the preview here.

Angelo Quinto Was Killed By Police with a Knee to the Neck

Family files wrongful death lawsuit against Antioch Police Department.



Family files wrongful death claim alleging police killed son with knee to neck
In Antioch, California, the family of a 30-year-old man who died after police responded to their home in December filed a wrongful death legal claim against the city, saying officers asphyxiated the man by putting a knee on his neck. Angelo Quinto was experiencing mental health problems when police were called to their home. By the time officers arrived, he had calmed down, but they restrained him. According to his mother, one officer held Quinto's legs while another officer had his knee on the back of his neck, ignoring his pleas of "Please don't kill me." Then he passed out and never regained consciousness. The Antioch Police Department never issued a press release or statement about the case when it happened. The family is hoping their legal claim will help get them some answers.

Person of Interest Sought in Shooting Death of Yale Student

Authorities offer $10,000 reward for information about Qinxuan Pan's whereabouts.

$10K reward offered in search for person of interest in Yale student's murder
With the person of interest in the shooting death of a Yale graduate student still at large, federal authorities on Tuesday increased the reward for information about the man's whereabouts. Officials with the U.S. Marshals Service said they are now offering $10,000 for information leading to Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student Qinxuan Pan. The previous reward was $5,000. "Pan should be considered armed and dangerous," the agency said in a statement announcing the higher reward. "Individuals should not attempt to apprehend him themselves." Pan, 29, is wanted for questioning in the February 6 death of Kevin Jiang, a second-year graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment who was fatally shot outside his car in New Haven, Connecticut.

Some Saturday Night Linsanity, G-League Style

In his third game for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Jeremy Lin went off.



Watch Jeremy Lin score 29, hit 7 threes for Santa Cruz in G-League win
If he keeps playing like this, Jeremy Lin could find his way back to the NBA sooner than later. On Saturday, in just his third G League game, Jeremy Lin finished with 29 points, nine assists, and 7-of-9 shooting from three in a 124-116 win for the Santa Cruz Warriors against the Westchester Knicks.

Read These Blogs

Crime, race, safety: what's really happening in Oakland Chinatown?
Assaults on Asians have sparked international outrage and been widely called hate crimes. Is there evidence that they were racially motivated? What do Chinatown stakeholders say Chinatown needs?

* * *
Rising crime, calls for solidarity: a deeper look at what's happening in Chinatown
Is crime in Chinatown really increasing? What does community solidarity look like?

* * *
I want justice for anti-Asian violence — but not at the expense of Black people
"Since the problems that engender crime stem from white supremacy, the solution isn't to implement a white supremacist policing system — it's to destroy the white supremacy that endangers all BIPOC."

* * *
My Mother Was a Victim of the Rise in Anti-Asian Crime—Here's What You Can Do to Help
Reaching out to local communities and their organizations, donating funds to families of victims, and other ways you can support Asian Americans affected by the rise of hate crimes.

* * *
I'm An ICU Doctor. I'm Haunted By What I've Seen During The Recent COVID-19 Surge.
"I can't stop thinking about the 40-something man who told me, 'I can't die like this. I just got engaged and have a 6-month-old baby.' I encouraged him to be positive, but that didn't stop him from dying two weeks later."

* * *
Whitewashing of Asian students and a report that launched a reckoning
A school district sparked fury after grouping Asian and white students together. The message was clear: 'Person of color' meant underperforming.

* * *
A Vision of Asian-American Cinema That Questions the Very Premise
Lulu Wang, Lee Isaac Chung, Bing Liu, Alan Yang, Justin Chon, Sandi Tan and Mira Nair talk forthrightly about staying true to themselves while navigating Hollywood and issues of identity.

* * *
Minari and the Real Korean American Immigrants Who Have Farmed U.S. Soil for More Than a Century
For many Korean American farmers, Minari reflected many of their experiences.

* * *
WHAT WE PLANT, WE GROW: BEHIND THE MAKING OF "MINARI"
The women behind Minari—Christina Oh (producer), Julia Kim (casting director), Kelly Park (makeup lead), Susanna Song (costume designer), and Yong Ok Lee (production designer)—share the ways they shaped this tender exploration of a Korean American family.

* * *
Minari's 8-Year-Old Breakout Star Thought Being in a Movie Would Be Kinda Nice
An interview with Alan Kim, the second-grader who made his screen debut in Minari.

* * *
Saving Face: The Half of It director's 2004 lesbian romcom debut was way ahead of its time
Alice Wu's first feature film Saving Face could have been a stock-standard star-crossed queer love story, but the Taiwanese American director had bigger ideas.

* * *
Prince From Brandy's 'Cinderella' CredMusical's Diverse Cast
Paolo Montalban reflects on playing the Asian prince opposite Brandy in 1997's Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, now streaming on Disney Plus.

* * *
Lana Condor Says Goodbye to 'To All the Boys'
Lana Condor discusses being one of the few Asian Americans to headline a rom-com and pushing to make Lara Jean more independent in To All The Boys: Always and Forever, the third and final installment of the series.

Twenty Angry Years

Happy Angryversary.



Hey, everybody! Phil here. Happy Lunar New Year. Happy Valentine's Day. And Happy Angryversary.

On this day, 20 years ago, I hit "publish" on the very first iteration of this website. I barely knew what I was doing, and I honestly didn't think anyone was going to read it, but this shiny new internet thing seemed wide open and free, so I decided to carve out a little space on it. I had no idea I was starting a thing. Two decades later, with a lot of hours and energy in between, I've found a community and a calling. That said, I've seen this day coming up on the horizon, and now that it's here, I don't know how to feel.

I feel bewildered. I know I say this every passing year, but I keep thinking I've done the math wrong. How could twenty years fly by like this? In some ways, I feel like I'm still back on my old noisy desktop monitor at the beginning of the millennium, sitting in my pajamas, coding clunky HTML. I've run this blog longer than I've done anything else. It has basically defined my adult life. In recent years, as personal and professional demands have pulled me in different directions, my time and resources have been diverted away more and more from actual blogging to podcasting, social media and other writing, but at least I can say I'm still here. But where's here?

I feel tired. Twenty years ago, I didn't know where we'd all be in 2021, but it sure as hell wasn't here. Running this blog has given me a unique vantage point. On some days, I marvel at the joys, struggles and progress of Asian America. On other days, it feels like quicksand, and I wonder if any of this is worth it. I don't have to recount what a crap collision of the time/space continuum the past year has been, or ongoing recent events that have shaken our community. It weighs heavy on the heart, I start doubting if any of this is making a difference, and I calculate the actual cost of flinging this laptop off my balcony. Also, I'm just physically tired. I need a nap.

But I also still feel hopeful. Over the years, I've seen too many heartbreaks and setbacks to count (some of them, my own) but I've also witnessed the best of our community. The people, ideas and movements that challenge and inspire me to keep this thing going. Sometimes it feels like the full-time job of being Asian American is simply convincing folks -- America, other Asians, myself -- that we exist. But Asian America is a project, and it's not yet finished. It's a work-in-progress, and it's worth it.

Most of all, I feel grateful. The last few years, I've been in the habit of asking myself "how did I get here?" The answer is you. I always say the best thing about starting Angry Asian Man has been the people it has placed in my life, friends and strangers alike. Thank you for being partners in this journey. Thank you to the loyal readers who gave me a voice and purpose. Thank you to financial backers for your faith. Thank you to colleagues and collaborators for creating something with me. Thank you to the educators, mentors and activists for lighting the way. Thank you to the ancestors for holding us on your shoulders. Special thanks to my family and loved ones who have always held my hand and had my back.

Thank you for the last twenty years. As always, stay angry.

Phil

Mainstream News is Failing to Report on Anti-Asian Violence

While ABC, NBC, and Fox aired just a few minutes of coverage, CNN and CBS have not covered the story at all.



Network and cable news largely ignore wave of anti-Asian violence
Cable and network television news outlets have largely failed to cover the recent surge in anti-Asian violence related to the pandemic, even though Asian Amerians have been urging action on the issue. Over the last two weeks since January 28, ABC has shown one segment on the topic on Good Morning America and NBC aired one reporter segment on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Though MSNBC aired just three segments discussing the violence, it covered the issue the most with almost 20 minutes of airtime. Fox News aired two segments addressing the subject on Fox News @ Night. CNN and CBS have not aired segments discussing the spike. You can't force someone to give a shit, but they can't give a shit if they have no idea what's going on.

Read These Blogs

As a Chinese Sex Editor, I Have a Lot to Say About That Racist, Wrong-as-Hell Kung Fu Vagina Video
"Not only is the video highly offensive and actively perpetuating harmful stereotypes that marginalize Asian women, but many of Anami's claims are also factually, medically incorrect. As a sex and relationships editor who specializes in health reporting and who also happens to be Chinese, I'm more than happy to break down every single line of Kim Anami's racist, misinformed video."

* * *
Corky Lee 'Was Chinatown to Me'
"Over more than four decades of photography, Lee also created a definitive body of work capturing Asian American life - from the intimate moments of a restaurant worker's off hours to the grandeur of collective movement-building. He made his life a ceaseless act of creative intervention in a history shaped by erasure."

* * *
What it's like for Asian Americans to watch family enjoy 'normal' life overseas during Covid
One woman with family in South Korea said she's "jealous that they're in a place where people care about other people and take precautions." As opposed to the United States, where people... don't.

* * *
Top K-pop choreographer gives 50-something reporter a serious dance workout via Airbnb
Todd Inoue recounts taking a virtual class with a K-pop choreographer.

* * *
There's More to Bling Empire and House of Ho Than Crazy Rich Asians
A pair of streaming reality shows, Bling Empire and House of Ho, have come under fire for promoting stereotypes -- but both also go deeper into the Asian and Asian American experience.

* * *
The Many Lives of Steven Yeun
What's a typical immigrant story? In his new film, Minari, actor Steven Yeun has his own to tell.

* * *
The Truth Behind the Minari Foreign Language Film Controversy
Director Lee Isaac Chung explains why his American film Minari ended up nominated in the Foreign Language Film category at the Golden Globes.

* * *
Why Aren't More Asian-American Costume Designers Helping Tell Our Own Stories?
Asian American costume designers talk about the importance of bringing their perspectives and expertise in the effort to bring Asian American stories to life.

* * *
'I Was a Simple Man': Constance Wu, Christopher Yogi on Hawaii's Indie Film Community
"A lot of times the island is used as a pretty backdrop and the locals are at the margin," explains Christopher Yogi, the writer/director behind the Sundance dramatic competition film I Was a Simple Man.

* * *
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee on fatherhood, family, 'Star Wars' and 'Kim's Convenience'
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has played many roles before, but his part as the patriarch of the family in Kim's Convenience was the first that truly reflected his life experience.

* * *
Randall Park talks returning to the MCU for WandaVision and perfecting his close-up magic
Randall Park returns as FBI agent Jimmy Woo in WandaVision.

They Call Us Bruce 120: They Call Us Asha Rangappa

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 former FBI agent, lawyer, CNN commentator and Yale lecturer Asha Rangappa. She talks about kicking down doors, the rise of right-wing extremism, and how a girl from Virginia became the first Indian American female agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

84-Year-Old Man Fatally Assaulted in San Francisco

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Suspect arrested in deadly attack on 84-year-old man in San Francisco
San Francisco police have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder for a vicious, unprovoked attack last week on an 84-year-old man. The attack occurred Thursday in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood. Security footage shows the suspect barreling into Vicha Ratanapakdee before taking off running. Antoine Watson was booked on suspicion of murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Officers also arrested 20-year-old Maylasia Goo on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. Ratanapakdee's family believes the attack was racially motivated.

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Jon M. Chu to Direct Movie Adaptation of 'Wicked'
Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, will reportedly direct the feature film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked. A prequel to The Wizard of Oz the musical tells the story of everything that happened before Dorothy dropped down in Oz, focusing on best friends-turned-mortal enemies Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch). No word on who will star in the film, or when it will be released.

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Chien-Shiung Wu Commemorative Forever® Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Professor Emerita Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the most influential nuclear physicists of the 20th century, with a commemorative Forever stamp. There will be a virtual ceremony for the first day of the stamp's issue on February 11, via Facebook and Twitter. To find out more, visit usps.com

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WiNDUP
The beautiful animated short WiNDUP, directed by Yibing Jiang, breathes life into the special bond between a father and his ailing daughter to highlight the fragile nature of life, love, and the healing power of music.

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The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Julie Kwon, is an inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military. Description: "Hazel Ying Lee was born fearless -- she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she belonged. When people scoffed at her dreams of becoming a pilot, Hazel wouldn't take no for an answer. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. It was a dangerous job, but Hazel flew with joy and boldness. This moving, true story about a groundbreaking figure will inspire young readers to challenge barriers and reach for the sky."