9.06.2024

They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us AfrAId

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 back old friend Dino-Ray Ramos to discuss the techno-horror movie AfrAId, starring John Cho. We talk about John Cho's suburban dad thriller era and why it might not be a great idea to surrender every aspect of your family life to artificial intelligence (i.e. it might subscribe you to a meal prep delivery service). Also -- spoiler warning -- The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of AfrAId. .

8.30.2024

They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us The Manicurist's Daughter

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 writer and performer Susan Lieu, author of The Manicurist's Daughter, a memoir about her search for answers after her mother dies during plastic surgery. She talks about grief, trauma, body image, her family's strident unwillingness to discuss what happened, and her attempts to find acceptance and purpose elsewhere -- including what turned out to be a cult. A yoga cult. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of writing The Manicurist's Daughter.

8.23.2024

They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

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 host a live post-screening Q&A with Philip Ng, star of the hit Hong Kong action movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. He talks about the film's epic throwback to old school action cinema, the fun of playing a wild card villain like King, working alongside legends like Sammo Hung, and who got injured during the filming of Walled In (and why it was kind of Philip's fault). Special thanks to IW Group and Well Go USA.

8.16.2024

They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us Didi (弟弟)

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 filmmaker Sean Wang and actor Izaac Wang, writer/director and star, respectively, of the indie coming-of-age film Dìdi. They talk about capturing the very specific emotional turbulence of Asian American suburban male adolescence, revisiting nostalgia for the 2000s internet AOL Instant Messenger era, and the agonizing and savage curation of one's MySpace "Top 8." Also, they share The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Dìdi.

8.09.2024

They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us Jennifer Phang

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 filmmaker Jennifer Phang, director of Descendants: The Rise of Red, the latest installment of Disney's massively popular musical teen fantasy film series. They talk about her indie Asian American cinema roots with films like Half-Life and Advantageous, infusing some K-pop sensibility into a beloved and well-established franchise, and crafting the extreme meme-ability of "Jaladdin."

7.08.2024

They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us OiYan A. Poon

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 writer and race scholar OiYan A. Poon, author of Asian American Is Not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action and Family. She talks about breaking out of her comfort zone to write a sincere and heartfelt exploration of race relations and affirmative action, the interviews she conducted with Asian Americans who have been actively engaged in policy debates over race-conscious admissions or affirmative action, and the not-so-simple question from her daughter that inspired the title of her book.

6.30.2024

Read These


FBI releases 600-page file on death of Vincent Chin, revealing interviews, messages
The FBI has released an extensive file on Vincent Chin, whose killing in 1982 sparked Asian American activism, offering a peek into the agency's investigation of a civil rights case that drew national attention.

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The brutal killing of a Detroit man in 1982 inspires decades of Asian American activism nationwide
"For a whole generation of Asian American activists, the Vincent Chin case was the case that got them involved. It was the thing that brought them to the table."

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Cameras were rolling when a chopper killed an actor and two kids. Was A-list director to blame?
Revisiting the fatal helicopter crash on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie, which killed 7-year-old My-Ca Dinh Le and 6-year-old Renee Chen.

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Don't Call It an 'Ethnic' Grocery Store
Once small, mom-and-pop businesses, as Asian groceries like H Mart, Patel Brothers and 99 Ranch expand rapidly, they are reshaping the American grocery market and how Americans cook and eat.

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Asian American farm collective targets food insecurity: 'It's been really healing'
New York's Choy Commons builds supply chain of heirloom vegetables while reviving an agricultural legacy

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Chili crisp capitalism meets a new wave of Asian American cynicism
"We've entered a strange new world of Asian American cultural capitalism. And judging by the way the Asian American community has roundly criticized chef David Chang's recent attempt to trademark the term "chili crunch," we’ve also reached a new era of Asian American cynicism."

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Let's Talk About Hollywood Portrayals of Asian and Asian American Men (and Real-Life Romance)
The New York Times is asking for your thoughts on representation of Asian and Asian American men you have seen onscreen, and how those portrayals may have affected your romantic life.

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Please Stop Mistaking "Parasite" as an AAPI Film
"To lump together the entirety of the Asian and Asian diaspora’s experience under the AAPI label ignores and erases the specificity and distinct nature of not only AAPI identity but all other Asian identities as well." The Acolyte star Manny Jacinto opens up about his actual Star Wars role
[SPOILER] The newly revealed villain talks about killing all those Jedi.

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