Senator Andy Kim Pepper Sprayed by ICE Agents

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

ICE agents pepper-spray protesters, N.J. senator in clash outside Delaney Hall in Newark

U.S. Senator Andy Kim was pepper sprayed by ICE agents during a protest outside the Delaney Hall immigrant detention facility in New Jersey. He was part of crowd of demonstrators responding to a hunger strike inside the Newark facility, organized by inmates in an effort to stop inhumane conditions, including poor-quality food and subpar medical care. Kim said he had trouble breathing after being caught in the cloud of pepper spray deployed by federal agents. "What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country," the senator said. "It's a sad day."

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BTS is releasing limited edition hotteok-flavored Oreos

So I guess this is happening! Global music stars BTS are partnering with Oreo, the world's #1 cookie, to create a limited edition Oreo & BTS cookie. Paying homage to the band's Korean roots, the cookie features a brown sugar pancake creme inspired by the street snack hotteok, on an original purple wafer (a first for Oreo) with 13 unique cookie embossments. Rolling out across more than 80+ countries, the Limited Edition OREO & BTS Cookies will be available for presale starting on June 1 before hitting retailers in the U.S. starting on June 8.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 2 | Official Trailer

In case you missed it, here's the official trailer for season two of Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We see the Aang Gaang is back, plus the introduction of fan-favorite Earthbender, Toph (Miyako). Season two continues Avatar Aang's quest to master the four elements to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. The highlight for me? Live action Joo Dee, assuring us that "there is no war in Ba Sing Se." (If you know, you know.)

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Feds say Colombian crew targeted Asian Americans in series of Oregon, Washington burglaries

Last week in Oregon, two men pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in a sophisticated burglary ring which targeted the homes of Asian American business owners in the Northwest. 34-year-old Derinson Martinez-Grandas and 27-year-old Steven Alexander Quiroga-Solano each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods. They were part of a group of at least suspects who burglarized four homes in early October 2025, staying in short-term rentals as they moved between cities and looked for potential victims, all of them Asian American small business owners in Oregon and Washington.

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MC Jin, Pacific Music Group Launch Family Style Records Imprint

Pacific Music Group has launched Family Style Records, a new hip hop imprint led by MC Jin, debuting alongside Jin’s new single, "Humble Flex," in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. The label launches with a four-act roster: MC Jin alongside Korean sibling duo Lil Cherry and Goldbuuda, 13-year-old Indonesian rapper Nada (Nada Askana), and Brooklyn-bred Chinese-American rapper Khantrast.

They Call Us BTS: The Return

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 back friend and filmmaker Bao Nguyen, director of the Netflix documentary BTS: The Return, which follows global pop supergroup BTS -- Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook -- as they reunite and record their highly anticipated comeback album Arirang. Bao talks about riding shotgun and spending the summer with the biggest band in the world; getting an intimate glimpse into the group's camaraderie, artistry, and unique dedication to their massive fanbase; and what it means for BTS to represent their nation and culture at this pivotal moment in their career. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making BTS: The Return.

Oh Shit: The New Last Airbender Movie Got Leaked Online

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

The Last Airbender Leaked Online

Over the weekend, a full version of the highly anticipated animated feature Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender leaked online -- about six months before the film was scheduled to officially premiere on Paramount+.

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Bao Nguyen - "BTS: The Return" | The Daily Show

Acclaimed filmmaker Bao Nguyen sits down with Ronny Chieng on The Daily Show to discuss his latest documentary, BTS: The Return. They talk about following BTS' creative process as a fly on the wall, the big reunion after the band completed their national military service, the documentary narrative around honesty rather than facts, and the band's vulnerable moments when living out their normal lives.

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Valarie Kaur’s Sage Warrior Reframes Love As A Tool For Justice In A Divided America

"Revolutionary Love is not passive. It is disciplined and asks us to see no stranger, be brave with grief, harness rage as information and not as destruction, listen across difference, and reimagine institutions that were never designed to hold all of us. Through tools designed for classrooms, homes, and communities, the movement translates these ideas into practice and invites individuals not just to believe in love, but to operationalize it."

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How An NFL Cheerleader Became One Of America's Most Exciting New Chefs

As executive chef at Perry's, an award-winning Japanese fusion restaurant in Washington, DC, Masako Morishita has made it her mission to introduce diners to a broader range of Japanese cuisine. But her path into the culinary world was far from traditional -- including corporate jobs and a five-year stint as a cheerleader for the Washington Commanders.

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THE BLADE (1995): The Edges of Wuxia

In this video essay, Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou, the filmmakers behind Every Frame a Painting, reveal how Tsui Hark radically reimagines the wuxia genre in the 1995 tour-de-force martial arts movie The Blade.

BTS vs The Wings of Death

And Other Things of Note From Angry Asian America.


BTS Breaks Another Record While Eating Spicy Wings

BTS has made a triumphant return as the biggest music act in the world. But how are the members of BTS -- j-hope, Jin, SUGA, RM, V, Jimin, and Jung Kook -- going to be with spicy food? BTS takes on the wings of death and discusses the process of making new music, what it’s like the morning after performances, the secret to the perfect tteokbokki, how to play “369,” and the best anime songs of all time.

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HASAN MINHAJ on Comedy, the immigrant experience, and why America’s in its “janky era"

IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson welcomes comedian Hasan Minhaj, who talks about growing up Indian American Muslim in northern California and the immigrant experience as it stands today. He also opens up about fatherhood and asks Mrs. Obama and Craig for parenting advice. Plus, he explains why magicians are more impressive than comedians, and why clowns are the least respected of the bunch.

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Rapper Dumbfoundead unapologetically represents K-town in memoir 'SPIT'

Koreatown-raised entertainer Dumbfoundead, aka Jonathan Park, tells it straight: “I don’t think I’m just Korean or Korean American. I’m more Koreatown than both of those labels... This is the culture I grew up in, in the neighborhood, and that’s what made me who I am. If I didn’t grow up in a neighborhood that proudly had Korean letters on menus and signs and I could be unapologetically Korean, I would not be able to battle rap in confidence and be able to have thick skin to fight opponents verbally."

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The Curious Case of Afong Moy: Asian Womanhood and National Belonging In the U.S.

Historians believe that the first Chinese woman to appear publicly in the United States was a young woman called Afong Moy, who was imported as an exotic attraction in 1834. From spectacle to exclusion, her story reveals how Asian women have long been exoticized, surveilled and denied full belonging in the American imagination and the law.

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APPEAL Leadership Program

The APPEAL Leadership Program is a 2.5 day program focused on building a vibrant movement in commercial tobacco control, cancer prevention, and health advocacy in Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. This unique leadership program will convene people from across the U.S. and USAPI jurisdictions to discuss and learn about critical health-related tobacco and cancer issues facing AAs & NH/PIs. Fellows will develop the knowledge, skills, and capacity needed to advocate and implement policy change. Apply here.

Min Jin Lee's Slow and Steady Path

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Min Jin Lee Works Best in the Silences

Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel Pachinko was an international smash hit. But it wasn't an overnight success. Like much of her writing life, Pachinko took the slow and steady path, reaching bestseller status about a year after publication. Ahead of the highly anticipated release of her third novel, American Hagwon, this fall, she talks about why being a "slow processor" is the best way forward in these unprecedented times.

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A new program unites West Coast readers for stories of Japanese American incarceration

A new program dubbed "the largest book club on the West Coast" is uniting libraries to explore an often erased chapter of the region. For the first time ever, patrons of over 140 different library systems across Washington, Oregon, and California are joining in for the "One Book, One Coast" program. The club's first pick, George Takei's graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, follows Takei's childhood years imprisoned in incarceration camps in Arkansas and California during World War II.

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These Filmmakers Set Out to Make an Honest Film About BTS—and Got More Than They’d Hoped For

After a nearly four-year hiatus, BTS has surged back into the spotlight. But the group's return to the pinnacle of pop wasn’t easy, as revealed in the new documentary BTS: The Return, which follows the group's seven members as they gather in a Los Angeles studio to work on their comeback album, Arirang. Director Bao Nguyen and producer Jane Cha Cutler talk about the making of the movie and the close collaboration with BTS and Hybe, the group’s parent company, that brought it to life.

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Isa Briones sings "Who's Sorry Now" from JUST IN TIME

Watch Isa Briones singing her ass off in this rendition of "Who's Sorry Now" from Just in Time. The jukebox musical tells the story of legendary singer Bobby Darin. Briones, who also stars as Dr. Santos on the medical drama The Pitt, recently joined the cast on Broaday as Connie Francis. Anything to avoid doing her charts.

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Forget Cruise and Schwarzenegger: Why Chow Yun-Fat is cinema's greatest action hero

"What makes an all-timer action star? Some stand out with their dexterous, daredevil stunts – think Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible franchise. Others' chief selling point is their Herculean physique, as exemplified by the 1980s Hollywood trio of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But set against these invulnerable, seemingly immortal beings, there's one truly remarkable action performer who has been happy to show that he is all too human -- Chow Yun-Fat, the star of some of Hong Kong's most pivotal, internationally influential action films."

Meet Artemis II's Moon Mascot, Designed by 8-Year-Old Lucas Ye

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

8-year-old watches his plush toy rocket to the moon with Artemis II mission

A second-grader's plush toy design has rocketed to space alongside astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on board the Artemis II moon mission launch. 8-year-old Lucas Ye of Mountain View, California designed a plush named "Rise," which wears an Earth cap with a brim highlighting the galaxy and rockets. The moon mascot serves as the Artemis II astronauts' zero gravity indicator, letting the crew know that they have reached weightlessness when it floats upward during their journey.

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Brother, sister charged after explosive device found outside Florida Air Force base

What in the hell. Two siblings have been charged after an explosive device was left outside a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa this month. 20-year-old Alen Zheng and 27-year-old Ann Mary Zheng were charged last week in separate federal indictments. The sister is in custody, while the brother has fled. Alen Zheng is charged with attempting to damage government property, unlawfully making a destructive device and possessing an unregistered destructive device, while Ann Mary Zheng is charged with witness tampering and being an accessory after the fact in Alan Zheng's case.

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Lisa Lee on Translating an Emotion

"In writing toward what I didn't know, I rediscovered something I had largely forgotten. This is one of the benefits of writing into uncertainty. Sometimes you find out that you know more than you thought. For me, I think this embrace of uncertainty might be the answer to the question of how to write about a word that has no direct English equivalent. I believe firmly that nothing is untranslatable. It's just that sometimes a word might take a whole book to translate."

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'BTS: The Return' Director Bao Nguyen on Capturing an Intimate Look at the Band

BTS: The Return follows the band from Los Angeles to Seoul as they reunite after serving mandatory military service. When director Bao Nguyen set out to film the documentary and tell the story of the biggest band in the world, he knew he wouldn't have acces to the band 24/7. So he gave all seven members their own camcorders. And that's how Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook all officially earned "additional cinematography by" credits in the documentary.

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2026 SDAFF Spring Showcase

Attention, San Diego film fans! Our friends at Pacific Arts Movement invite you to the 15th SDAFF Spring Showcase, a curated 3-day celebration of Asian and Asian American cinema, featuring bold, moving, and unforgettable stories from around the world. From Aotearoa New Zealand to Iran, Japan to the Philippines, this year's lineup spans continents and perspectives bringing together stories that connect us across borders and generations. It's happening April 24-26 at UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley. View the full schedule here.

Coming Soon: Kpop Demon Hunters Concert Tour?

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

KPop Demon Hunters Concert Tour Could Be Coming To An Arena Near You

I think we all saw this one coming. Netflix is reportedly in talks to produce a global concert series based on the hit animated film Kpop Demon Hunters. Will we get to see the Huntr/x gals perform their Oscar-winning anthem "Golden"? Maybe Saja Boys singing some "Soda Pop"? Will we actually get to see the likes of Ejae, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna on stage? Or something more virtual (there is mention of holograms)? Nothing's solid yet, but according to Bloomberg, Netflix is currently negotiating with concert promoters to stage an arena concert tour in venues that hold 10,000 to 20,0000 fans.

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Sheng Wang: Purple

Sheng Wang returns for his second Netflix stand-up special, Sheng Wang: Purple, directed by Ali Wong. In this special filmed at the Warner Theater in Washington DC, Sheng delves into what it means to be a grown-up and explores ordinary life moments: sharing prized berries with your friends' kids, cooking with shallots, braving the ghosts in your house, finding joy in nature and much more. Sheng Wang: Purple hits Netflix on April 7.

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BTS: The Return

The feature-length documentary BTS: The Return chronicles the long-awaited return of pop royalty, BTS. From acclaimed director Bao Nguyen, the film offers unprecedented access, following the seven membes of BTS as they come back together after completing South Korea's compulsory military service to begin a reunion set to be etched in pop culture history, while reflecting on the journey that transformed seven Korean members into global icons. BTS: The Return premieres March 27 on Netflix.

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White Lotus’-Like Asian Drama 'The Season' Set for U.S. Launch on Hulu in June

The glossy Hong Kong high society-set limited series The Season, describe as a "rich-people-behaving-badly" thriller, will premiere on Hulu in June. The official logline reads: "Set against the opulence and striking contrasts of Hong Kong, The Season follows a privileged group of friends gathering for a summer of sun-drenched luxury as boating season begins. What starts as a glamorous escape soon spirals into a web of deception, power struggles, and life-altering consequences." The series stars Jessie Mei Li, Toby Stephens, Karena Lam, Chris Pang, Celina Jade, Justin Chien, and Yvonne Chapman.

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Giveaway: 2026 LAAPFF Festival Pass

Los Angeles film fans! Enter for your chance to win a festival pass to the 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The Festival Pass includes ten (10) complimentary film screening tickets, additional discounts, advanced ticketing, a festival badge, and gift bag. For details, go here.

Donate to AAPIP's Twin Cities Rapid Response Fund

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

AAPIP Twin Cities Rapid Response Fund

As ICE's surge in Minnesota continues, AANHPI-serving organizations are responding, providing legal defense, food assistance, know-your-rights education, and emergency wrap-around support. In times of crisis, community members turn to these trusted organizations for information and support, but they're critically underfunded.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy has developed a Rapid Response Fund, created in direct response to requests from Twin Cities community leaders who needed a fast, trusted way to move resources to AANHPI-serving organizations. The AAPIP Twin Cities Rapid Response Fund will distribute grants to AANHPI-serving nonprofits to help meet their urgent needs during this critical time. Learn more and donate here.

After ICE release St. Paul woman, she says agents keep returning to her home

Thi Dua Vang legally came to the United States two years ago as an asylum seeker and is awaiting final approval for her green card. So when ICE showed up, she thought it must have been a mistake. But she was detained and sent away to a processing center in Texas for nearly two weeks. And then released. Since then, ICE has shown up at her home three times. Why won't they leave her alone?

BTS Returns with Their First Performance in 3 Years — Streaming Live on Netflix

Attention, Army: BTS is back. And they will be celebrating the release of their highly anticipated new album, ARIRANG, next month with a comeback concert on Netflix, streamed live from the historic Gwanghwamun in Seoul. The comeback festivities will also include a feature-length documentary, BTS: The Return, chronicling the making of ARIRANG and the group's return to global icon status.

LANA LIN with Porochista Khakpour

Filmmaker, artist and scholar Lana Lin talks to Porochista Khakpour about art, Asian Americans, "autobiomythography," and her book The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam

F*CK ICE T-Shirt by Sailor Moon Wisdom

ICE has no place in our communities. Tell them how you feel with this t-shirt.

Syracuse University Professor Refers to "Chinese Communist Party Virus" in Course Syllabus

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



SU places professor on leave after syllabus calls COVID-19 'Wuhan flu'
At Syracuse University, a professor has been placed on leave or using derogatory racist language in a course syllabus. The announcement comes after social media posts circulated a course syllabus appearing to belong to chemistry professor Jon Zubieta that refers to the coronavirus as "Wuhan Flu" and "Chinese Communist Party Virus." I don't know why anyone would need to use those words a chemistry course syllabus, other than to be a racist asshole. The university agrees. "The derogatory language used by a professor on his course syllabus is damaging to the learning environment for our students and offensive to Chinese, international and Asian-Americans everywhere who have experienced hate speech, rhetoric and actions since the pandemic began," the school said in a statement. The professor has been removed while the administration investigates the incident according to university procedures. I don't really know what there is to investigate. But go on.

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"What are you doing in this country?"
In the Bay Area, a man was caught camera shouting racist remarks at an Asian American couple outside a supermarket. Junie and Minh got into an altercation with the man in the parking lot of a Safeway store in Milpitas last week. The man can be seen yelling from his SUV, "He's a fucking Asian. What are you doing in this country?... We have enough people." Of course, the video was shared on social media, where it received the attention of the local news, the mayor, the internet. Wouldn't it be great to go out for some groceries without fear of getting accosted by racist assholes?

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Dispute Over Alcohol, Face Masks Turns Violent at Chinese Restaurant
In Massachusetts, the owner of a Chinese restaurant was pushed and the protective plexiglass at the front counter was knocked down when a dispute over alcohol and wearing face masks turned violent. Surveillance video from inside The Ming Dynasty in Marshfield showed a 49-year-old woman pushing the plexiglass after she became enraged when the management asked her and the group she was with to put on face masks. "The woman pushed one of the owners, pushed another customer, and then began pushing things over inside the restaurant," according to police. Real classy. Can people just wear a damn mask?

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Teen Activist Receives $2500 Bill For Police Overtime
A New Jersey teen thought she was only exercising her First Amendment right when she organized a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. Not long after, she received a bill for thousands of dollars in the mail from the mayor. Emily Gil was inspired to hold a rally in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, this summer after watching thousands of Americans show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The protest went off without a hitch on July 25 and lasted about 90 minutes. A few days later, Gil received a letter from the mayor, billing her for $2,500 worth of police overtime used during the protest.

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BTS video 'Dynamite' breaks YouTube record for most views in 24 hours
Korean pop stars BTS have made history after the group's new single "Dynamite" became the best-ever 24-hour debut of a music video on YouTube with more than 100 million views. The world's biggest K-pop group released the highly anticipated visuals for the record last Friday. By the end of the first day, "Dynamite" had racked up 101.1 million views to become the most-viewed music video premiere on YouTube.

Surprise, Racists! Your Slurs Are Streaming on Facebook Live

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Retired Navy captain apologizes after racial slurs streamed on Facebook
A former member of the U.S. Naval Academy alumni trustees issued an apology Sunday for using racial slurs on social media. Retired Capt. Scott Bethmann was asked to resign as a trustee on Saturday after a live conversation with his wife that was posted on Facebook disparaged admission by the academy of African Americans, Asian Americans and women. The comments were made by Bethmann and his wife, Nancy, while they were watching TV news and discussing the Black Lives Matter movement. They were overheard using the N-word and making other racial comments while accidentally streaming live on Facebook. Gotcha, suckers. Private racism that becomes public is my favorite genre.

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Katie Leung Speaks Out For Trans Women Amid J.K. Rowling Backlash
If you were only Twitter over the weekend, you may have seen that "Cho Chang" was trending. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling stepped in it again, making remarks about transgender women that were widely criticized as transphobic. Twitter was there for the backlash, airing out old grievances about her work -- including the fact that she lazily named Harry Potter's only East Asian character "Cho Chang." I guess we've been holding on to that one for a while. It got so crazy that even Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the movies, weighed in on the matter, sort of. "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes..." she tweeted, before dropping a flurry of links in support of transgender rights. So yeah, I think we know where she stands on what matters.

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BTS Fan Army Matches $1 Million Donation to Black Lives Matter
As I've said before, don't mess with K-pop fans -- particularly the massive fan army behind BTS. When news came out Saturday that BTS and their record label Big Hit Entertainment had donated $1 million to support the Black Lives Matter campaign amid worldwide protests against racism and police brutality, their fans decided to match it. And match it they did -- in just over a day.

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How to Feed Crowds in a Protest or Pandemic? The Sikhs Know
"Since the coronavirus pandemic has halted religious gatherings in most of the country, including langar, gurdwaras like the Sikh Center of New York, in Queens Village, are mobilizing their large-scale cooking resources to meet the skyrocketing need for food aid outside their places of worship."

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Well Played by Beau Sia
"These poems began as an answer. In the face of the undeniable, they became a reckoning. Of the lies that are lived to feel belonging. Of the lies that are told to hide shame. Of the lies that are believed to maintain within illusions. Well Played is a warning to the present, a welcoming of the truth, and a poet working to earn his way."