EJAE Sings in a New Super Bowl Ad Teaser

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Ejae Sings In the Bathroom in Liquid I.V. Super Bowl Teaser

EJAE, one the songwriters and breakout stars to emerge from Kpop Demon Hunters, will sing and star in a Super Bowl commercial for hydration brand Liquid I.V. In this teaser, EJAE is seen looking into a bathroom mirror before we hear a voiceover of her singing Phil Collins' 1984 hit "Against All Odds." The full 30-second commercial will air during the first half of the Super Bowl on February 8.

St. Paul mayor, a Hmong American, said it was ‘heartbreaking’ to see man taken by immigration agents

Kaohly Her took office as the first woman and the first Asian American mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, the week an immigration officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen who lived nearly 15 miles west of her city. "Nobody ever comes into an office and within the third day of being in office there's an ICE shooting. But I also understand that this is the moment in which you are asked to lead, and so you step up and you lead... I hope I'm rising to the moment."

T.S.A. Leader Defends Working With ICE to Congress

Sighhhhhh. During a House oversight hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting director of the Transportation Security Administration, defended her agency's practice of sharing information about travelers suspected of having deportation orders with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She said her agents were "absolutely" allowing ICE agents access to passenger data to help with their deportation efforts. Disgrasian.

Seattle Children's Theatre Pulls Bruce Lee Play From Kennedy Center Lineup

Seattle Children's Theatre has joined the growing list of artists who wish to no longer be affiliated with the Kennedy Center following President Trump's takeover. The theatre has announced that it willbe pulling its upcoming production of Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story from the Kennedy Center's Family Theatre venue. The show, about martial arts legend Bruce Lee before he became famous, was supposed to run in April. Not anymore. On behalf of Bruce's global fandom, thank you.

And everybody, if you happen to be in Seattle, please support Seattle Children's Theatre.



Alan Chikin Chow Is Coming to Netflix to Form the Next K-Pop Sensation

Alan Chikin Chow, the multi-hyphenate creator behind Alan's Universe and YouTube's most-watched Shorts creator, is partnering with Netflix for a new scripted series in collaboration with HYBE America. The new series will follow a misfit crew of aspiring pop idol rejects enrolled in an arts academy who come together to form a co-ed band. The emerging artists who will star alongside Chow will release original music concurrently with the series.

ICE Wrongly Targets Man, Drags Him Out in the Freezing Cold

And Other Items of Note from Angry Asian America.

1. US citizen says ICE took him at gunpoint in only underwear despite frigid cold and no warrant

Federal immigration agents bashed open a door and detained a Hmong American man in his Minnesota home at gunpoint without a warrant, then led him out onto the streets in his underwear in subfreezing conditions. ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was then reportedly driven out to the middle of nowhere, where ICE agents finally reviewed his identification, then brought home with no apology. What in the fuck.



2. Riz Ahmed's 'Studio'-Esque Prime Video Comedy 'Bait' Drops First Look

Prime Video has released first-look images of Riz Ahmed in his new showbiz comedy series Bait. The six-part series follows Ahmed -- who also serves as writer and showunner -- as struggling Brit actor Shah Latif, whose world implodes when he finds out he's in the running to play the next James Bond. The series premieres on March 25.

3. Your Guide to the Projects by Asian Filmmakers at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival

With the latest edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicking off this week, here's an overview of the exciting new film projects by Asian and AAPI filmmakers -- including eight feature categories and five short programs -- premiering in the 2026 lineup.

4. 2026 ASPIRE Youth Leadership Program

New England! Applications are now open for ASPIRE's 2026 Youth Leadership Program (YLP), dedicated to supporting the development of emerging Asian American women leaders. Designed specifically for high school students (open to sophomores and juniors), YLP caters to their needs as rising leaders in their social, academic, and future professional communities. Learn more and apply here.




5. 'What is being asked of you is extreme': Inside the mayhem of Korea's Oscar hopeful

Just for fun, here are some cool character posters from one director Park Chan-wook's latest diabolical masterpiece No Other Choice, one of my favorite movies of 2025. If there was any justice motivating deities of cinema, this film would be showered with accolades during awards season -- including and especially for star Lee Byung-hun.

The MLK Speech We Need Today, Not the One We Remember

And other items of note from Angry Asian America.

The MLK Speech We Need Today Is Not the One We Remember Most

"What made King truly radical was his desire to act on this empathy for people not like himself, neither black nor American. For him, there was “no meaningful solution” to the war without taking into account Vietnamese people, who were “the voiceless ones.” Recognizing their suffering from far away, King connected it with the intimate suffering of African Americans at home. The African-American struggle to liberate black people found a corollary in the struggle of Vietnamese people against foreign domination."

It's a good day to reflect on tise 2019 TIME essay by Viet Thanh Nguyen, who considers Martin Luther King Jr.'s much lesser-known speech, "Beyond Vietnam," far more necessary and insighful -- and urgent -- than the speech is he most remembered for.

A Bay Area woman thought her music days were over — until TikTok found her song

This is the awesome story of Elizabeth Yi and the obscure song she sang nearly 30 years ago -- "Reunion," as part of the late '90s indie band Korea Girl -- that unexpectedly became TikTok-powered viral hit in 2025, and rediscovered by a new generation of listeners.

Connie Chan has a not-so-secret weapon in run for Congress: Being Chinese

Meet Connie Chan, the San Francisco Supervisor who is running in a competitive race to replace the finally-retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi -- and leaning hard into her Chinese American heritage to get her name out, build community coalitions, and court the city's Chinese American voters.

Martial arts icon Bruce Leung passes away at 77

Hong Kong veteran martial arts actor Bruce Leung Siu-Lung passed away last week at the age of 77. Yes, he was one of the many "clones" of the Bruceploitation era. More recently, he was seen as "The Beast" in Stephen Chow's 2004 blockbuster Kung Fu Hustle. Known in the 1970s as one of Hong Kong's "Four Dragons" alongside Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Ti Lung, he had established a multi-faceted career as an actor, stuntman, action choreographer, and director.

This is My Year T-shirt

This "Year of the Horse" shirt design from Subtly Asian Shop is my vibe.

Buy a Stay Angry Shirt, Support Immigrant Rights in Minnesota

And others items of note from Angry Asian America.

1. Stay Angry Fundraiser

This weekend, all proceeds from sales of Stay Angry gear -- fine shirts and hoodies -- will be donated to MIRAC (MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee), a grassroots, multiracial, and multinational immigrant rights mass-movement organization fighting for legalization for all, an end to immigration raids and deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life. Buy a shirt or donate directly.

2. Man acquitted of murder in S.F. killing of 'Grandpa Vicha'

The man who was caught on video violently shoving and kililng 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco has been found not guilty of murder. Instead, Antoine Watson was convicted of lesser charges, including involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause injury. The 2021 case became a nationwide symbol of rising attacks against Asians during the coronavirus pandemic.



3. Video of St. Paul man refusing to open door for federal agents goes viral

When federal agents knocked on this guy's door, he said nope. Kong Vang was working from home in St. Paul on Monday afternoon when ICE agents apparently showed up at his doorstep. Vang started recording. He refused to let the agents inside and demanded to know why they were there. They were not forthcoming. After a minute and a half of back and forth, they left. Because fuck those guys. Vang posted the video to Facebook to spread the word and remind people to know their rights. "They keep on telling you that they think they’re doing the right thing," he told Fox9, "but they're not."


4. Leave Us Alone

"Trump, MAGA, and the right chose Minnesota not because there's an immigration or corruption problem. They want to corrupt us with fear. They want us to stop caring for our neighbors. They want us to stop supporting one another through our robust public programs. When they murdered Renee Nicole Good, a white woman in broad daylight, they used the state as ground zero to see if they can break all of us."

5. Gene Luen Yang To Write X-Men's Jubilee For Marvel With Michael YG

Gene Luen Yang is writing a new X-Men solo series Jubilee: Deadly Reunion, with art by Michael YG, that puts a spotlight on Jubilee's Chinese American heritage. Debuting in April 2026 as part of Marvel's Voices spotlight on AAPI Heritage Month, the saga kicks off when Jubilee's long-lost cousin shows up at the X-Men's doorstep -- with mutant powers of his own and a mission that will force Jubilee to explore her heritage and family history in a profound way.

What Deportation Actually Does to a Human Life

And other items of note from Angry Asian America.

1. One Minnesota woman’s deportation story

She came to Minnesota as a child refugee in the 1980s. Last year America sent her away to Laos, where she didn’t know anyone. Columnist Ka Vang shares the story of one Hmong refugee and the incalculable cost of deportation. "I am telling her story because Minnesotans deserve to understand what deportation actually does to a human life — what happens after the headlines fade, after the handcuffs are removed, after someone is forced to leave the only home they remember."

2. Hospital needs help identifying man found unconscious in Los Angeles

A Los Angeles hospital is asking for help identifying a patient who has been hospitalized for weeks. According to Dignity Health, the patient is male, around 25-35 years old, and was found near Wilshire Boulevard and Witmer Street in the Westlake neighborhood and has been hospitalized since December 29. He is described as an Asian or Hispanic man who stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He does not have any tattoos or distinct scars. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Dignity Health at 213-742-5511 or 213-507-5495.

3. Chloe Kim says she's 'good to go' for Olympics

It's all good, everybody. Whew. Snowboarder Chloe Kim says she's "good to go” for the Milan Cortina Olympics despite tearing the labrum in her shoulder during a training run last week in Switzerland. Send good vibes.



4. Anderson .Paak Dives Into the World of Korean Music Competition Series in 'K-Pops!' Trailer

Check out the trailer for K-Pops!, the new family comedy from Grammy Award-winning musician Anderson .Paak. Produced, co-written, directed by and starring .Paak, the film follows a down-on-his-luck musician entering a Korean singing competition as he reunites with his long-lost son. Also starring Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park, Yvette Nicole Brown and .Paak’s real-life teen son, Soul Rasheed. K-Pops! opens exclusive in AMC Theatres on February 27.

5. Fast & Furious Han Lue Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure

At long last! It's the Fast & Furious Han Lue Funko Pop! Figure! Made in the likeness in Sung Kang, in that Funko kinda way, as he munches on a snack while planning a heist with Family. The figure stand four inches tall and comes packaged in a window display box. Now available for pre-order.

Why Minnesotans Fear ICE

And other items of note from Angry Asian America.

1. Why Minnesotans Fear ICE

"All of this calculation of distance and I can’t reconcile the most important space of all: the distance between myself and some of my fellow American citizens, who believe that the actions of ICE—from the racial profiling, imprisonment, and detainment of people on American soil, to the killing of Good and Porter—are acceptable. I have felt sick all week. This vast gulf between us, not just as Americans but as human beings, has drained me of hope." Poet, author, and lifelong Minnesotan Bao Phi on the outrage in his community.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HwaJeong Kim (@hwajeongkimstp)

2. ICE agents are knocking on doors and asking "Do you know any of your Hmong neighbors?"

In Instagram video posted on Monday, St. Paul Councilmember Hwa Jeong Kim said that she has received first-hand accounts from constituents about ICE agents knocking on doors and asking whether the residents know their Hmong or Asian neighbors.



3. Philadelphia police probe string of violent purse snatchings targeting Asian women

In Philadelphia, police are searching for suspects in a string of violent thefts targeting Asian women in during the holiday season. Investigators say the attacks occurred between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, all within the same area in Northeast Philadelphia and under similar circumstances. All of the victims were Asian women who got their purse snatched in broad daylight by men in ski masks. Police believe the crimes are connected, with three men involved in most, if not all, of the thefts, including two attackers and a getaway driver.

4. 'Squid Game' Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk Sets New Netflix Series 'The Dealer'

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, is following up the biggest Netflix show of all time with his next series, The Dealer, a crime Korean drama set in a casino that follows a card dealer who is roped into a seedy underworld of gambling. Produced by Hwang for Netflix, the series stars Jung So-min leads the cast as the titular dealer. Here's the official synopsis:

"The Dealer" centers on Geonhwa, a gifted casino dealer whose life is upended when her wedding plans collapse after she becomes entangled in a housing scam. Forced back into a world she had deliberately left behind, Geonhwa plunges into the shadowy underworld of illegal gambling — and is compelled to tap long-suppressed supernatural abilities that give her an unnatural edge at the tables as she fights to reclaim control of her future.

5. The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller

The Moon Without Stars, the new book from New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor–winning author Chanel Miller, hits shelves this week. In this household, we are big fans of her 2024 children's book Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All. Her new middle school novel explores the way growing up, finding friends, and discovering who you are can be both awkward and empowering. From the back of the book:

At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she is: an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, Luna is somehow swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she’s going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for?

Featuring author-illustrator Chanel Miller’s signature line drawings, The Moon Without Stars is a deeply personal and often funny novel about what it means to lose and then find yourself again during the vulnerable, life-changing years of middle school.

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Sorry, Wrong Asian: Laufey Edition

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

1. Laufey Corrects Photographers Who Called Her the Wrong Name on the Golden Globes Red Carpet

Oh, no you did not. While posing on the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards, singer-songwriter Laufey ran into an awkward case of mistaken identity when a group of photographers repeatedly called her "Megan" while trying to get her attention. "My name isn't Megan," the Icelandic Chinese singer told the photographers. "So, I don't know." Yikes. My guess? They thought she was Megan Skiendiel from Katseye. Sorry, wrong Asian.




2. Arden Cho & Ahn Hyo-seop from KPop Demon Hunters
Half a year after its release, Kpop Demon Hunters is still going strong with the awards/publicity push and people can't seem to get enough. Voice actors Arden Cho and Ahn Hyo-seop, who play Rumi and Jinu in the hit animated feature film, were guests on The Tonight Show -- an appearance that was hyped weeks in advance. They talk about reading the script for the film for the first time and recording their own covers of "Free" before demonstrating their voice-acting skills.

3. Asian-American sues South Coast Plaza security provider for alleged slur by guard

In Southern California, a man is suing an Orange County mall's security provider for discrimination, after a security guard allegedly used a racial slur against him during one of two encounters while he was using the center's EV charging stations. John Le says a security guard at South Coast Plaza called him a chink -- as in "Chink, you must leave" -- and unfairly targeted him over allegedly time limits for staying on the premises.



4. U.S. Figure Skater Alysa Liu Heads Toward 2026 Olympics With Momentum— and Statement Performance

After stepping away from the sport at age 16 following a sixth-place finish at the Beijing Olympics, Alysa Liu's return has been one of the most unexpected comeback stories in recent skating history. Following an impressive second place finish at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Liu joins skaters Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito to round out the U.S. women's singles Olympic figure skating team headed to Milano Cortina next month.




5. We Were the Scenery

Filmed on location in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Long Beach, California, We Were the Scenery is a short documentary based on the experiences of writer Cathy Linh Che's parents, two Vietnam War refugees who, while in a refugee camp in the Philippines, were utilized as background extras in the film Apocalypse Now. Shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards for Best Documentary Short Film, We Were the Scenery premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 where it won the Short Film Jury Prize for Nonfiction.