Read These Blogs

I'm Tired of Trying to Educate White People About Anti-Asian Racism
"I am ready to stop chasing after those who need to see your deepest wounds on display before they will even contemplate believing your words. I've lost the energy or desire to educate or provide reasoned, patient answers to anyone who still needs to be convinced that Asian people face discrimination and violence in this country."

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As Anti-Asian Attacks Continue, What Kind of Bystander Are You?
What R.O. Kwon didn't fully expect, she writes, was the abiding and overwhelmingly white silence many Asian people have encountered from even would-be allies.

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'This could have been me'
The six victims of Asian descentin the Atlanta-area mass shooting represented a diverse community. Their deaths have united many Asian American women.

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Why Don't We Know Mitsuye Endo?
Mitsuye Endo participated in a landmark Supreme Court case challenging the right of the government to hold citizens in concentration camps like Topaz.

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Those 5 Words
It's time to stop saying 'Me love you long time.'

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What Happened To The First Asian American Rapper Signed To A Major Label?
MC Jin was the unofficial face of the AZN Pride movement in the aughts. He's still grappling with his identity and the terms of his success.

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Michelle Zauner Is Not Quite Ready to Retire
The writer and Japanese Breakfast front woman is excited about the future of her art.

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How Subtle Asian Traits made a generation of Asians feel understood on the internet
Founded in 2018 by nine Chinese Australian high schoolers, Subtle Asian Traits has grown into a global phenomenon with nearly 2 million members.

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'Whoa, this is crazy': L.A. teen punks the Linda Lindas on going viral (just before finals)
Hot off their face-melting set earlier this month at the Cypress Park branch of the L.A. Public Library, including the viral anthem "Racist, Sexist Boy," tween/teen girl punk quartet The Linda Lindas are suddenly the most talked-about band in the country.

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The Silence of My White Friends After Atlanta
"I strangely found more comfort on Twitter with fellow Asian Americans—most of them creatives and artists—than I did from my own best friend."

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When the Reporter Asks You Why There Are So Many Filipino Nurses in the U.S.
"The presence of Filipino nurses in the United States is a longstanding one. Yet the reporter's questions suggest that the general public is wondering for the first time why there are so many Filipino nurses in the U.S."

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In many Asian American families, racism is rarely discussed
According to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey, only 13 percent of Asian adults said race came up "often" in conversations with friends and family, compared with 27 percent of Black adults.

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Some Korean pastors say they need to be more vocal about racial justice
Pastor Byeong Cheol Han, who presides over the Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, felt it was vital to condemn white supremacy and systemic racism after the March 16 massacre in Atlanta. Many other ministers discouraged him from doing so.

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Jeremy Lin reflects on lessons he's learned as an Asian American chasing NBA dreams
Jeremy Lin is no longer pursuing a return to the NBA and shares some profound lessons for Asian Americans.

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100 Years of Yuri Kochiyama: Akemi Kochiyama on Her Grandmother's Life, Leadership, and Legacy
On Yuri Kochiyama's 100th birthday, her granddaughter Akemi Kochiyama reflects on her radical anti-imperialist, anti-racist, and internationalist politic and praxis.

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Bowen Yang Is Changing the Late-Night Comedy Landscape
At the end of his second season on Saturday Night Live, Bowen Yang has carved out a space for queer characters whose sexuality isn’t always a punchline.

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A Queer Asian American Photographer In The South Is Making Some Of The Best Art Of His Generation
Originally from Memphis, Tommy Kha creates photos that reflect his relationship with the South and Southern culture, as well as his own Chinese heritage.

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In Praise of Congee
I grew up eating rice porridge, and every culture has its version. From mush we originate — to mush we'll return.

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Constance Wu Portrays The Pain Of Miscarriage In 'Solos' Episode
Each episode of the new Amazon series Solos features a character struggling in isolation. Constance Wu talks to NPR about her 22-minute monologue as "Jenny."

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What My Korean Father Taught Me About Defending Myself in America
Lessons in tae kwon do, style, and activism.

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The Term 'Asian American' Has an Impossible Duty
In a moment of pain, the descriptor "Asian American" has become a galvanizing force. But what happens when you lump together a group of people whose lives differ so vastly?

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'You cannot do anything': Indian American doctors struggle with COVID-19 crisis back home
Dr. Sunita Puri, who is trying to rally funds to send supplies to India for the COVID-19 crisis, is one of many Indian American doctors struggling with the COVID crisis in India.

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I Am Sikh and Tired
Wracked with pain about being othered, Vishavjit Singh dressed up like Captain America.

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We Need to Talk About What It Means to Be 'White-Adjacent' in Tech
"But it is that mix of privilege and exclusion that also gives us a unique position from which to advocate for anti-racism and the dismantling of structural and systemic racism."

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Grieving Vincent Chin, 39 Years Later
"There are no words that can describe the abuse and erasure we have faced."

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I'm Asian. My parents are white. How do I process anti-Asian violence?
After a year of rampant racism and violence against Asian Americans, some Asian adoptees in white families are left wondering how they fit into the conversation.

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'But I'm Just Like You'
The moment when illustrator Ruth Chan learned what it meant to be the 'other' in America.

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Uncovering the History of America's First Koreatown
A Korean-American professor discusses the most gratifying research of his career, into Riverside's Pachappa Camp -- the first Korean community in the United States, predating the founding of Los Angeles' Koreatown .

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The Lure of H Mart, Where the Shelves Can Seem as Wide as Asia
H Mart is "a beautiful, holy place." The huge grocery chain and other megastores like it have revolutionized the way many Asian Americans shop and eat.

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Meet the mystery woman who mastered IBM’s 5,400-character Chinese typewriter
Lois Lew operated IBM's improbable, ill-fated Chinese typewriter with aplomb in presentations from Manhattan to Shanghai. 70-plus years later, she's telling her story.

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Why I Bought Bruce Lee's Watch
The story behind the martial arts icon's Seiko is almost as legendary as the man himself.

They Call Us Bruce 126: They Call Us The Asian Superhero Celebration

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 episode, we welcome DC Comics Editor Jessica Chen, the mastermind behind DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration, a new comics anthology spotlighting Asian superheroes and creators. We discuss why superhero representation matters and do some deep-cut nerding out over Batgirl, Samurai, Jim Lee and more.

"We Belong '21" by Magnetic North & Taiyo Na (feat. Ann One)

"...but we're still here; And we're going strong; And we're getting tired of proving we belong."



I'm proud to share "We Belong '21," the new track from Magnetic North & Taiyo Na, featuring Ann One.

Back in 2010, Magnetic North & Taiyo Na's "We Belong" was a rallying cry for humanity and belonging amidst the AAPI community's experiences with erasure, exclusion and absurdity. Sampling Asian American folk pioneer Chris Iijima's "Asian Song" on the chorus, the song was part of a larger thematic album Home:Word, where homeland and refuge were explored from an Asian American migrant perspective.

Unless you've been actively putting your head in the sand -- and let's face it, this is entirely possible -- you know that there's been a near-daily deluge of reports of attacks on Asian Americans. Upon hearing the details of yet another violent assault, in which the attacker told the victim, "You don't belong here," I was reminded of Iijima's lyrics: "...but we're still here; And we're going strong; And we're getting tired of proving we belong."

I begged Theresa, Derek and Taiyo to get back on the mic to record an updated version of "We Belong." It just felt like we needed it. Turns out, they were already thinking about revisiting the song in light of recent events, particularly the mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis. And they have delivered.

"We Belong '21" adds layers of urgency and relevance to the original track, delving deeper into experiences of a community being appropriated and othered while pointing towards the possibilities of solidarity and action to bring us forward. The soulful Ann One lends her voice to sing Iijima's timeless words.

Listen here: