They Call Us Bruce 219: They Call Us The Mash-Up Americans

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 our old friend Amy S. Choi of The Mash-Up Americans, who talks about starting her podcast/media company with a question ("Why not us?"); bringing the Mash-Up lens to the images and stories that don't get told in overly simplistic news verticals; and the latest season of their podcast, which aims to give you The Ultimate Guide to a Mash-Up Life. Also: stay tuned for a special bonus episode from The Mash-Up Americans featuring one of our favorite individuals on the planet, Randall Park.

They Call Us Bruce 162: They Call Us Love and Noraebang

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 key creatives behind the k-drama/telenovela-inspired narrative podcast rom-com Love and Noraebang: co-director Amy S. Choi, co-writer Quincy Cho, and actress Julia Cho. They discuss telling stories with joy and authenticity, and why Randall Park is the perfect voice of Los Angeles.

Sunday Evening, Dinner: A Poem

Guest Post by Amy S. Choi



The Girl

I can't eat this. What do I do, I can’t eat this.

After these meals I can't ever get the smell out of my clothes, and it drives me crazy. The steam collects on my hair, too, from this mackerel fish. They eat it wrapped in lettuce leaves with a dab of hot pepper paste and the lettuce crunches in their teeth, but the slivers of green get caught in mine and I can’t eat this. They used to tell me that I could eat the bones of mackerel because mackerel bones are soft. They told me it would make my brain stronger. Right now I'm burying mackerel in my rice bowl. I don't feel stronger.

I wish he wouldn’t slurp his soup. God, I hate that sound. Tapping my chopsticks. They're pretty red wood with mother-of-pearl inlays, not silver. The silver ones are his. My chopsticks click like naked branches on glass, and I look outside through the fogged windows. It's gray. If I hold my breath it numbs the sound of the slurping, his teeth gnashing broth. My bowl has loose grains of sticky rice stuck on the upturned lip. If I keep sticking them up there like the trophies in the living room they won't notice I haven’t eaten.

A few more grains.

I want to leave now. They're not looking at me. I want to leave now.

Angry Reader of the Week: Amy S. Choi

"I get super adamant about being from Chicago."



Hello, folks. Please gather 'round because it's about time 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 Amy S. Choi.