With Community Care, We Will Prevail

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Community Care During COVID-19: A Message To and From AAPIs
"During this crisis, our communities are being targeted and scapegoated, with GOP politicians referencing COVID-19 as the 'Chinese Virus' and numerous incidents of hate crimes against Asians. We've seen this before. Throughout history, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been oppressed, harmed, and even killed due to our race. But time and time again, we have prevailed from these hardships by taking care of each other."

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Random Woman in Mask
Asian Woman Assaulted in Manhattan, Blamed for COVID-19 Outbreak
In Manhattan, an Asian woman was assaulted in what appears to be another coronavirus-related hate crime. The 34-year-old victim was headed to the subway when she was attacked Monday evening near East 25th Street and Madison Avenue. "You are the reason we have the coronavirus," the assailant allegedly said, then spit in the victim's face and grabbed the woman's hair when she tried to walk away, according to police. The attacker, 33-year-old Lynn Ferguson, was arrested by transit police and charged with hate crime, aggravated harassment, criminal possession of marijuana and criminal possession of hypodermic instruments.

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Confronting Anti-Asian Discrimination During the Coronavirus Crisis
"At this point I lose track of his onslaught, as I go into attack mode: 'Fuck you -- I’m not sick.' The air explodes with F-bombs. This guy -- already I think of him as My Racist -- still isn’t looking at me. He trudges on, swearing, and through my rage I study his face for a second. He's full of hate right now, but maybe also confusion. Is the Chinese guy supposed to talk back?"

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She Was the First Death in Los Angeles County Connected to Coronavirus
Loretta died at 2:57 a.m. March 10 -- the first to be reported connected to the coronavirus in Los Angeles County. But to her family's shock, the county Department of Public Health did not recommend her 72-year-old husband Roddy be tested, even after Loretta's tests came back positive. When he arrived at the hospital, he was isolated and questioned but then discharged. Instead, he has been ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days at his sister's house, while his family was told to wait and see if he becomes ill.

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Asian Enough
From the Los Angeles Times, "Asian Enough" is a podcast about being Asian American -- the joys, the complications and everything else in between. In each episode, hosts Jen Yamato and Frank Shyong invite celebrity guests to share their personal stories and unpack identity on their own terms. They explore the vast diaspora across cultures, backgrounds and generations, share "Bad Asian Confessions," and try to expand the ways in which being Asian American is defined. The first episode, featuring John Cho, and the second episode, featuring Lulu Wang, just dropped.

Pioneering Comedian Johnny Yune Dies at 84

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Comedian Johnny Yune Dies at 84
Pioneering Korean American comedian Johnny Yune, who performed standup on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1970s and 80s nearly three dozen times, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 84. His Hollywood credits included the feature film They Call Me Bruce (which he co-wrote and starred in), the sequel They Still Call Me Bruce, and the title role in the NBC pilot Sergeant T.K. Yu.

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Here’s the #coronavirus piñata —and I can’t even... 🙆🏻‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/r4shqZ0KJw

— Laura Martínez® (@miblogestublog) March 10, 2020

A Coronavirus Piñata Doesn't Sound So Bad. Oh, Wait.
Spotted in Mexico, taking bad taste to new heights: the coronavirus piñata! The mustache really sells it.

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What It Means To Wear A Face Mask In America
"Face masks, to Asians, used to feel like a necessary nuisance, but also a small act of civic duty, public responsibility, and kindness to our neighbor. They are a signal that society is stronger when we consider the vulnerabilities of the strangers who surround us. But now, and here, they feel like a scarlet letter, a sudden swerve in meaning that's been forced upon us. Without a cure or a vaccine, this kind of prejudice is its own type of disease. The stigma itself, rampant and quickly spreading, is dangerous all on its own."

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Asian Enough
From the Los Angeles Times, "Asian Enough" is a podcast about being Asian American -- the joys, the complications and everything else in between. In each episode, hosts Jen Yamato and Frank Shyong of The Times invite celebrity guests to share their personal stories and unpack identity on their own terms. The first and second episodes will premiere on March 17, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.

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Dragon Hoops Trailer
Here's the trailer for Gene Luen Yang's new graphic novel Dragon Hoops, a nonfiction work that follows the varsity basketball team at Bishop O'Dowd -- the high school where Gene teaches -- and their phenomenal winning season in pursuit of the state championship. The book hits shelves on March 17.