Stabbing in San Francisco Chinatown Caught on Video

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Shocking daylight stabbing in SF’s Chinatown caught on video

A man was arrested after stabbing another man in the back on a busy street in San Francisco's Chinatown Thursday afternoon. The unprovoked attack was caught on surveillance video, which shows a man in a hoodie walking down Stockton Street, and then violently lunging at a man who was waiting at the corner to cross the street. The victim was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive. The suspect, described as an Asian man in his 30s, was held on charges of attempted murder.

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U.S. citizen stopped at O'Hare, detained by immigration officials for nearly 30 hours

A U.S. citizen from the Chicago area spent nearly 30 hours in custody by federal immigration officials after she was detained at O’Hare Airport following a work trip Thursday. Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi and five colleagues, including two other U.S. citizens and three individuals with green cards, were all detained at the airport by federal immigration agents for their "recent travel history" after returning from Istanbul.

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Didn't Die

Here's a very different take on the zombie movie... In Didn't Die, directed by Meera Menon, a podcast host struggles to maintain her dwindling audience during the zombie apocalypse, but when her ex shows up with an orphaned baby, priorities shift in order to battle the ever-mutating threat. Starring Kiran Deol, Didn't Die premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and is currently in limited theatrical release.

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LAAPFF Festival Pass

Film fans, if you're in Los Angeles, and you want to support Asian American cinema, mark your calendars for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, happening April 29 to May 3. Better yet, go one step further and purchase a Festival Pass. It's the best way to fest. And a great deal. And an awesome way to support Visual Communications. Purchasing a Festival Pass helps offset rising venue, staffing, and accessibility costs — allowing Visual Communications to keep individual ticket prices lower and sustain artist support. Get yours here.

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JVKE x JEON SOMI - moonboy (official live video)

I cannot resist the charm of this dreamy new song collaboration from Jeon Somi and JVKE: "moonboy," a catchy pop-love duet that captures the thrill of falling head over heels.

Maybe Happy Ending Cast Perform NPR Tiny Desk Concert

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.



Maybe Happy Ending: Tiny Desk Concert

What can robots teach us about humanity and about love? Maybe Happy Ending, the 2025 Tony Award winner for best musical, tells the unlikely story of two humanoid robots, as they fall in love while on a road trip. The show, including stars Darren Criss, Helen J. Shen, Marcus Choi, Dez Duron -- and Hwaboon -- recently paid a visit to NPR's Tiny Desk for a delightfully tiny performance.

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BEEF: Season 2 | Official Teaser

Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated second season of Beef from showrunner Lee Sung Jin. Trading the parking lot for the country club, the new season begins when a young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife -- setting off a high-stakes game of favors and coercion within an elitist world ruled by a Korean billionaire. Season two premieres April 16.

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Chinatown Street to Be Named for Rescuer of Trafficked Girls

A stretch of street in San Francisco's Chinatown will be named to publicly honor one of the neighborhood’s fiercest heroes. Tien Fuh Wu spent half a century rescuing trafficked women and girls and taking care of them at the Occidental Mission Home, which was later renamed Cameron House. "Tien Fuh Wu Way" will cover the portion of Joice Street that runs alongside Cameron House, which continues to be a safe haven for children, as well as women dealing with domestic violence.

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The Many Lives of Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh talks about playing five different characters in Sean Baker's new film Sandiwara, how Quentin Tarantino convinced her not to retire, that viral "Wicked Witch" meme, and the highs and lows of her storied career. "If there's no up and down," she says, "you've flatlined."

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Hoppers Is the Craziest Pixar Movie Yet, and It Could Have Been Even Crazier

The new Pixar animated feature Hoppers involves body-swapping and flying sharks, both of which are absolute insanity from start to finish. But director Daniel Chong reveals that while the movie as it stands is admittedly crazy, it could have been a whole lot crazier.

Naomi Osaka Skips Match in Protest of Police Violence

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Naomi Osaka won't play in W&S semi in protest of Jacob Blake shooting
Naomi Osaka, the two-time major tennis champion, announced she would not play in Thursday's Western & Southern Open semifinal match in reaction to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. Several hours later, the tournament announced that it was pausing play for a day.

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The surprising story of the salesman who became L.A.'s first known COVID-19 patient
A 38-year-old salesman named Qian Lang was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Los Angeles and the fourth in the United States. He played an important role, not widely known until now, in a frantic race to understand the deadly new virus before it hit the U.S. in full force. Public health officials and researchers looked to him as a real-time, flesh-and-blood case study.

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I'm the one who made Tomi Lahren call Trump a 'jackass' in Hindi.
Ali-Asghar Abedi waged $85 that a prominent Trump supporter wouldn't bother researching exactly what 'ulloo' really meant. He was right. The result: a video of conservative commentator Tomi Lahren calling Trump the colloquial Indian equivalent of "jackass," courtesy of the Cameo app. And India having a laugh as her clip ended up appearing across the country’s news networks.

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Welcome to Chinatown USA
"Chinatowns across the nation have been devastated by the pandemic. Their businesses, and Chinese restaurants everywhere, are struggling to survive. It felt necessary, then, to share reminders of how much these places matter to all of us, which in turn means we all have a responsibility to help them survive."

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Fauja Singh Keeps Going
The new picture book Fauja Singh Keeps Going, written by Simran Jeet Singh and illustrated by Baljinder Kaur, tells the true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon. The book shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community.

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.

To Trump, There's No Difference Between China and Chinatown

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Trump Appears to Equate Chinatown with China
In a tweet posted Thursday, Donald Trump appeared to equate people from Chinatown with those from China. Trump shared a video from February in which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes San Francisco's Chinatown, advocates for people to visit the neighborhood three weeks before the state issued stay-at-home orders because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He accused Pelosi of encouraging people to "pack" Chinatown after his administration had restricted flights from China weeks ahead of the news conference, tweeting "She wanted everyone to pack into Chinatown long after I closed the BORDER TO CHINA. Based on her statement, she is responsible for many deaths. She's an incompetent, third-rate politician!"

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Federal Agencies Are Doing Little About the Rise in Anti-Asian Hate
Researchers are reporting an alarming surge in anti-Asian racism related to COVID-19 that started more than two months ago. But neither the Justice Department nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced efforts to prevent the public targeting of Asians, which ranges from bias incidents to hate crimes. Both agencies were quick to act in similar situations: the CDC during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak and the Justice Department after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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Doctor Becomes Victim Of COVID-19 Racism. How We Should Respond
"These times are saturated with fear, high tensions and irrational blaming. Many historical prejudices that Asian Americans have faced have been exposed and magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. How can we reverse these trends and foster a culture of respect, understanding and equality? And more importantly, what are specific actions that institutions should take to protect their healthcare workers and instill a culture of change within their systems and surrounding communities?"

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Join the Give In May Campaign
Give In May is a giving campaign to support nonprofits across the nation who are dedicated to addressing the needs of the Asian American & Pacific Islander community. The campaign will help fund services and programs for children, youth, families and seniors from 25+ ethnic groups that provide assistance for issues such as education access, food security, housing, domestic violence, poverty and health.

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Superman Smashes the Klan
Check out this amazing trailer for DC's Superman Smashes the Klan. The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Metropolis' Chinatown to the center of the bustling city. While Dr. Lee is greeted warmly in his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to their famous hero, Superman! Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," Gene Luen Yang brings us his personal retelling of the adventures of the Lee family as they team up with Superman to smash the Klan.

Here's Where You Can Report Coronavirus-Related Racism

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Asian American Groups Compiling Coronavirus Hate Crime Reports
Distressed by the rise in xenophobia and racism during the coronavirus pandemic, a coalition of Asian American groups based in California have created a reporting webpage for victims of virus-related hate crimes. The Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University Asian American Studies Department are asking anyone who's been harassed, intimidated or otherwise discriminated against for their race to share their stories on the website.

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President Trump Attacks Asian Americans. He Must Stop Repeating History.
"In a time where our nation is facing a pandemic, it is more important than ever to have a Unifier-in-Chief to lead and guide us. President Trump has exhibited the opposite of that."

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Dumplings Against Hate
"Chinatowns have always been there for you... Now, will you show up for NYC's Chinatowns? Make a donation in the amount of your favorite meal, as if you were at your favorite restaurant, and the money will go to businesses in dire need. Please be generous and 'buy' up a whole banquet! All funds raised will go to Asian Americans For Equality’s Emergency Small Business Relief Fund."

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7 Stages of Being Stuck Home with Kids Because of the Coronavirus
For parents on lockdown: Based on interviews with parents locked down in Italy and Hong Kong, here are seven unexpected stages parents will likely experience over the coming weeks and months. By Stephen Dypiangco.

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High School Choir Spreads Hope, Social Distancing Style
This week, the Chino Hills High School Chamber Singers were supposed to perform at a choral festival, which of course, was canceled. Instead, the kids shared this gorgeous rendition of "Over the Rainbow," with each part individually recorded from their own homes. May it bring you a little hope and cheer during these dark times.

Brutal attack on Chinatown seniors caught on video

Suspects assaulted three elderly men in an attempted robbery.



In San Francisco, police are searching for suspects who were caught on video assaulting a group of elderly men in a violent attempted robbery on Saturday night.

Brutal attack on 3 men caught on camera in SF's Chinatown

Video of the attack shows a group of seniors walking near Portsmouth Square in Chinatown when they're approached by two suspects who begin throwing punches at them. One victim is hit directly in the face and falls down, appearing to be out cold.

The video was circulated widely on social media.

Chinatown Art Brigade protests racist exhibition

"Chinatown lives are not poverty porn!"



On Sunday afternoon in New York, dozens of protesters from the Chinatown Art Brigade and other local art and anti-gentrification activist groups converged in the front room of James Cohan Gallery's Chinatown location, demanding that the gallery take down what the group is calling "racist art."

Their target: Omer Fast's new exhibition, August, which has transformed the space to appear like a poorly maintained Chinatown business. Visitors walk through the space to see the artist's video work in the backroom.

In a letter sent to the gallery last week, CAB called the exhibition a "racist aggression towards the community of Chinatown," and added "this show reifies racist narratives of uncleanliness, otherness and blight that have historically been projected onto Chinatown."

More here: Chinatown Art Brigade Protests Omer Fast's "Racist" Exhibition at James Cohan Gallery

86-year-old Chinatown shopkeeper fights off armed intruder

Elderly store owner used a bamboo stick to beat back a knife-wielding assailant.



File under badass... In San Francisco, an 86-year-old Chinatown store owner successfully fought off an armed intruder, using a bamboo stick to beat back a man who tried to attack him with a knife.

SF Chinatown shopkeeper, 86, fends off intruder with bamboo stick

According to the San Francisco Police Department, 49-year-old Thomas Baker was creating a disturbance inside a Chinatown store on Sunday afternoon. When the shopkeeper tried to get him to leave, Baker responded by punching the elderly man repeatedly in the back of the head.

Then he noticed Baker had a knife in his hand.

Help director Evan Jackson Leong finish his passion project

'Snakehead' tells the story of Sister Tse, one of the notorious human smugglers in FBI history.



Here's a feature film project that could use your help.... Our friend, writer/director Evan Jackson Leong has been hard at work on his passion project Snakehead, an indie crime drama exploring the underworld of international human smuggling, starring Shuya Chang, Sung Kang and Jade Wu. Inspired by true events and based in New York City's Chinatown, Snakehead follows Sister Tse, a Chinese immigrant who rises to become one of the most sought after human smugglers in FBI history.

Here's a very cool-looking teaser trailer:

Do you have what it takes to play the young Bruce Lee?

Casting call seeks Chinese actor to play teenage Bruce in 'Little Dragon.'



I'm not sure how legit this is, but this flyer, recently spotted in a tea shop in Los Angeles' Chinatown, appears to be a casting call for the upcoming Bruce Lee biopic Little Dragon.

According to the flyer, Betty Mae Casting is searching a 16 to 18-year-old English-speaking Chinese actor "with a winning smile and wonderful sense of humor." Previous reporting stated that a worldwide search was underway to cast the role. If they're really posting flyers in tea shops, it looks like they're really are searching high and low to find the right guy to play the young Bruce Lee.

Here's the full flyer:

The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng rips the shit out of Fox News

"If you’re gonna be racist, at least get your stereotypes right, you ignorant sack of shit."



Soooo... you may have heard of that piece of shit segment on Fox News' O'Reilly Factor, in which unfunny asshole Jesse Watters sauntered into New York City's Chinatown to do "man-on-the-street" interviews and mock the shit out of Asians using every stereotype he could summon in his limited imagination. It's pretty infuriating.

That's why this Daily Show segment, in which correspondent Ronny Chieng rips the absolute shit out of Jesse Watters, is so incredibly satisfying to watch. Chieng tells Watters to "go fuck yourself," and advises him that if he's going to be racist, "at least get your stereotypes right, you ignorant sack of shit."

Chieng then goes to Chinatown himself to have actual conversations with local Asian Americans and seek out their actual opinions and political views on the elections. Instead of, you know, approaching every Asian as a slant-eyed punching bag for tired-ass cheap shot Karate Kid jokes.

This Chinatown grandma is one of 'The Forgotten Ones'

Short documentary profiles elderly living alone in Manhattan's Chinatown.



Every grandma in Chinatown, wheeling her cart and clutching her plastic bags, has a story. Mantai Chow's short documentary The Forgotten Ones, recently showcased by the The Atlantic, profiles elderly people who've lived in New York City for decades, but who are struggling as they grow older alone.

80-year-old King-Sim Ng, whose husband passed away years ago, and whose children have moved out. She has been living alone in Manhattan's Chinatown for 15 years. The heartbreaking film follows Ng through her regular routine as she digs through discarded food and finds moments of companionship with fellow seniors.

Misguided Protesters Target NYC's Chinatown Over Dog Meat Festival in China

Cross-posted from Reappropriate.


Animal rights protesters gather in NYC's Chinatown to protest the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, which opened today in Southern China. (Photo Credit: NY Daily News / Susan Watts)
Since 2009, one festival in China has caused a stir in the animal rights community. The festival -- the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival -- was inaugurated that year, and immediately resurrected controversy over the ethics of consuming dog meat. Pictures of dogs crammed into tiny wire cages have shocked netizens for the last several years, along with reports that as many as 10,000 dogs are slaughtered annually at the festival.

The festival -- which is not sanctioned by the local government -- is intended to celebrate a centuries-old tradition in parts of China where dog meat is considered a delicacy. Government officials insist that the festival is attended by a small minority of local residents. This doesn't stop outraged animal rights activists, however, from protesting the festival as outrageous and unethical.

Help preserve the stories of Manhattan's Chinatown

Eveline Chao's project will document stories of Manhattan Chinatown from the 1940s, '50s and '60s.



What was it like to live in Manhattan Chinatown in the 1940s and 50s? What are the untold stories from this unique era of American immigration? Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor Eveline Chao, whose stories have appeared on RollingStone.com, The Daily Beast, Fast Company and Foreign Policy, is working on a project to document and preserve the Disappearing Stories From Manhattan's Chinatown.

Through a series of print stories and recorded oral histories, Eveline will document stories about Manhattan Chinatown from Chinese-American immigrants who grew up or socialized there during the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. From record hops to the World's Fair, stickball games to the Miss Chinatown pageant, their memories fill in the gaps from an era when Asian America was largely invisible.

Check the Senior Street Style of 'Chinatown Pretty'

Blog and photo exhibition inspired by the unique elder fashion of San Francisco's Chinatown.



Chinatown Pretty is a fashion and storytelling project chronicling the street style of seniors living (and grocery shopping) in San Francisco's Chinatown. Because dude, let's face it, these elders have got some serious style.

"We're here to celebrate the ingenuity, flair, and beauty of San Francisco Chinatown and its longtime residents," the blog declares. "Chinatown Pretty brings us joy and we hope it will put a smile on your face too."

Photographer Andria Lo and writer Valerie Luu, "two friends who love dim sum and chasing after pretty po-pos," say they were inspired to create the project while Luu was living in Chinatown, when she would see silver-haired seniors looking hella fresh, rocking their own unique fashions.

Photo series shines a light on "The Model Minority Reality"

Cynthia Trinh's stunning photo essay highlights low-wage Asian laborers in New York City.



Mic.com has published a stunning gallery of images showing a side of the Asian American immigrant experience that doesn't normally get the spotlight. "The Model Minority Reality" by Cynthia Trinh is a black-and-white photo series of low-wage Asian laborers in New York City's Chinatown and Midtown neighborhoods.

Trinh, a 31-year-old Brooklyn-based activist and former intellectual property lawyer says her photo essay was inspired by the New York Times investigation on the exploitation of nail salon workers. "I think that was one of those things we all kind of knew was happening, but it took that piece to really hammer it home."

"The Model Minority Reality" aims to combat the stereotype that Asians are highly educated, successful and thriving in professional careers, while highlighting the immigrant community's tenacity, hard work and struggle to survive in this country.

See more photos here: These Striking Images Tell the Often Forgotten Story of Asian People in America


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Dragons in Oakland Chinatown!

Dragon School is a neighborhood youth project to paint 99 golden dragons in Oakland's Chinatown.



Have you heard about the dragons in Oakland? I recently about an awesome community project happening in Oakland Chinatown called Dragon School. Founded by artist Luqman Lin, the project empowers local youth to reclaim their own neighborhood by teaching kids to beautify the walls with 99 golden dragons.

Luqman, who has been doing street art in Oakland and elsewhere for years, came up with the idea to paint 99 dragons in Chinatown to reclaim the community and walls. So he teaches young people how to paint dragons, offering templates and instructional YouTube videos. Like this one:

Boston Chinatown church vandalized with racist graffiti

The Boston Chinese Evangelical Church was spray-painted with racist caricatures.



Last month in Boston, a Chinese American church was vandalized with several instances of hate graffiti. Church members found racist Asian caricatures spray-painted on their office building in Chinatown.

Chinatown church building defaced by racist graffiti

The Boston Chinese Evangelical Church's office building was vandalized with racist graffiti on July 31. According to Sampan, the graffiti depicted a face with slanted eyes, buckteeth and a cone-shaped hat. The image was drawn twice, along with the words "creep" and "have a nice day."

I'm sure someone thought they were being clever.

Chinatown leader Donnie Chin killed in Seattle shooting

Community leader dedicated his life to protecting and serving the Chinatown International District.



Some tragic news out of Seattle, where a beloved community leader, widely known as one of the "beating hearts" of the Chinatown International District, was shot and killed early Thursday morning.

Donnie Chin, Chinatown ID's 'frontline hero,' killed in early morning shooting

Police found 59-year-old Donald "Donnie" Chin, director of the International District Emergency Center, critically wounded inside a car with shot-out windows. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died a short time later. Police do not believe he was the intended target of the shooting.