New Year. New York. New Mayor.

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City. And other items of note from Angry Asian America.



1. Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor, capping historic rise

On Thursday, just after midnight, Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as mayor of New York City in a modest private ceremony held in a historic decommissioned subway station under City Hall. The oath was administered by New York state Attorney General Letitia James.

"Congratulations, Mr. Mayor," she said, to cheers.

2. For Some Asian Americans, There’s No Such Thing As a Casual Drink

After a night of partying, new year reveler, oh, you know it well. For many Asian Americans, a single cocktail -- or hell, a sip of wine -- can cause their faces to turn red. Known as the "Asian glow" or the "Asian flush," the condition can stir up mixed emotions. Here is the paper of record's perennial journalism on said condition.

3. The ABBA song that’s huge in Vietnam at year's end

While it's far from one of the Swedish pop supergroup's well-known hits, ABBA's "Happy New Year" has a poignant, unexpected popularity in Vietnam, becoming a sort of traditional new year song in its own right.

4. K-Pop Group NewJeans Faces New Uncertainty After Member Is Dropped

You don't understand how bummed I am to hear that ADOR has dropped Danielle from the five-person lineup of NewJeans -- the latest flashpoint in the more than year-long legal battle between the label and the band. My favorite Kpop group! [Shakes fist.] Look, if you know, you know. But I just someone had given these gals some good advice early on. This is why we can't have nice things.

5. Angry New Year!

Use the code NEWYEAR26 for 26% off all "Stay Angry" shirt orders. Good through January 5, 2026.

"Asian glow" could be linked to Alzheimer's, study finds

If you've spent any time partying with Asian kids, you've witnessed it.



Some more bad news for us folks who deal with the "Asian glow," according to a new study... In the presence of alcohol, a defective version of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene -- which causes that pesky redness when we drink -- also leads to biochemical changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

A common mutation in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, or ALDH2, a key enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism, increases damage in cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease and in mice, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Do you turn red when you drink? There's a tonic for that.

Before Elixir claims to be a safe, natural and effective way to fight the flush.



Are you a fellow alcohol drinker who suffers from the "Asian Glow"? Party people, you know what I'm talking about. For me, it only takes a few sips. When we drink, we turn red. It happens, and it's not particularly pretty.

Alcohol Flush Reaction, aka "Asian Glow," occurs in people who have a variant of the enzyme used to metabolize alcohol causing them to process alcohol up to a hundred faster than the average person. This creates a buildup of a toxin called acetaldehyde which causes flushing, headaches, pounding heartbeats and other uncomfortable feelings. This is what more or less happens to me when I drink.

But now there's apparently a way to fight the flush. Before Elixir is a new tonic that purports to prevent flushing during alcohol consumption. It claims be "safe, natural, and effective" way to slow down the metabolism of alcohol, and thus prevent flushing. Because somebody had to think of this sooner or later, right?