Judge Compares Stay-Home Orders to WWII Incarceration

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.




Watch Wisconsin Judge Compare Stay-Home Orders to WWII Internment
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments via teleconference on a challenge from the state's Republican lawmakers to the "safer at home" order issued by Gov. Tony Evers to protect citizens during the COVID-19 outbreak and slow the spread of the disease. During the hearing, Justice Rebecca Bradley invoked the landmark Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States, which allowed the government to hold Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II. Bradley suggested that requiring Wisconsin residents to stay home, and to keep non-essential businesses closed, was similar to that decision. I'm sorry, your honor, but please shut up about shit you know nothing about.

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Coronavirus Researcher Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide
A University of Pittsburgh professor on the verge of making "very significant findings" researching Covid-19, according to the university, was shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend. Research assistant professor Bing Liu was found in his townhouse Saturday with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities, according to police. Investigators believe an unidentified second man, who was found dead in his car, shot and killed Liu in his home before returning to his car and taking his own life. According to colleagues at the university's Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Liu was "on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications."

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Turner Classic Movies Spotlight: Asian Americans in Classic Hollywood
Heads up, classic movie fans. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, starting tonight, Turner Classic Movies is running a month-long spotlight on Asian Americans in classic Hollywood movies. Movies on the schedule feature films from the likes of screen legends Anna May Wong, Sessue Hayakawa, Philip Ahn, Richard Loo, James Shigeta and more. See the full lineup here.

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Watching With...: The Half Of It with Writer Director Alice Wu
So you've seen The Half of It. Now watch it with the director's commentary! Writer/director joins Netflix's Marya E. Gates to do a full-length (spoiler-filled) director's commentary on her new film, a coming-of-age tale about a Chinese-American queer teen. Queue up the movie, sync it up with the podcast, and press play.

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I ♥ Chinatown
This Thursday, May 7, join us for a night of storytelling, food and art to provide pandemic relief for Chinatown's small businesses and tenants. The fundraiser, organized by Stephanie Foo, will feature the likes of Joel Kim Booster, Kat Chow, Esmé Weijun Wang, Tienlon Ho, Sasami and more. I'll be taking part with my They Call Us Bruce co-host Jeff Yang. It's all going down on Facebook Live. This event has a suggested donation of $15, but please pay what you can. Donate here.

Angry Reader of the Week: Alice Wu

"Anytime you can increase the human capacity for empathy, you've won."


Photo: K.C. Bailey
Greetings, good people of the internet. It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Alice Wu.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 96: They Call Us Alice Wu

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.

On this episode, we welcome Alice Wu, writer/director of the new Netflix movie The Half of It. We discuss the long-awaited follow-up to her beloved debut feature Saving Face (and why it took 15 years), how her coming-of-age film speaks to Trump's America, and the $1000 check that scared her out of writer's block.

May is AAPI Heritage Month. We've Got You Covered.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



2020 AAPI Heritage Month Digital Event Calendar
Heads up: May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. If you didn't know, now you know. We get a month. While the current state of the world prevents us from gathering in person, we can all still celebrate. We've compiled a running list of digital events you can participate in virtually, happening throughout Heritage Month. Peruse the calendar here and check back frequently. We'll be adding more events as they come in. And if you'd like to submit an event to the calendar, fill out the form here.

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Faces of the Cure
#FacesoftheCure is a social media campaign calling on folks to spotlight the healthcare heroes who are risking their lives to save the world in the fight against COVID19 by sharing their photos and stories. Most of these war-weary doctors, nurses, and hospital staff will never get the recognition they deserve. To the contrary, many have been discriminated against. Think of the campaign as "Humans of New York" but for the pandemic. Let's join together to give them recognition they deserve.

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Stop COVID-19 Disinformation. Stop Anti-Asian Violence
"We're living through a global health pandemic and an insufficient government and corporate response that is causing people to lose their lives and loved ones. The hate and disinformation spread online around COVID-19 are putting even more lives in danger. Companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are hotspots for coronavirus opportunists to spread their dangerously misleading lies and fuel xenophobic and anti-Asian violence. Asian Americans are being blamed for spreading COVID-19 and targeted, particularly those of us who are of East Asian descent." Sign this petition to tell Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to immediately shut down hate and misinformation about COVID-19 on their platforms.

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Irrfan Khan, Bollywood Star at Home in Hollywood, Dies at 53
Irrfan Khan, the celebrated Indian actor who became a crossover star in Hollywood, starring in movies like The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, died on Wednesday in Mumbai. He was 53.

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Alice Wu’s Rom-Com Was Influential, but Her Follow-Up Wasn't Easy
This New York Times profile on Alice Wu, writer/director of the Netflix feature The Half of It, reveals how the filmmaker beat writer's block while working on the movie's screenplay. She wrote a check for $1,000 to the National Rifle Association -- a cause she decidedly does not support -- then gave it to a friend with an ultimatum: if she didn't turn in the first draft of her script in five weeks, send the check. This is gangster shit!

10th Anniversary Screening of 'Saving Face'

With cast/crew in attendance, November 12 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum



Los Angeles film fans, mark your calendars. I'm super excited about this. I am please to partner with Visual Communications and the Japanese American National Museum to present a very special 10th anniversary screening of the 2004 romantic comedy/drama Saving Face, starring Michelle Krusiec, Lynn Chen and Joan Chen. If you've never seen it before, or want to revisit this charming little gem with fellow fans and members of the cast and crew, come on out. It's happening Wednesday, November 12 at JANM.

Here are some more details about the screening: