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 design/technology writer Gregory Han, who has been participating in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine. They discuss what it will take to end the pandemic, what the world might look like on the other side, and if karaoke will survive coronavirus.
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.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Baseball Bat Attacker First Accused Asian Muni Driver of Being COVID-19 Positive
Last week in San Francisco, when a bus operator asked three passengers to wear masks aboard the bus, one of the men spat at the driver -- who is Asian -- called him racial slurs and accused him of having coronavirus, before attacking him with a baseball bat. When the driver managed to grab hold of the bat, the man then punched the driver twice in the face. The driver suffered a fractured finger, bruises and pain where he was struck. While bus union insists this was a hate crime, San Francisco police are saying the incident did not appear to be racially motivated. What?
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Caught on Camera: Woman Calls Postal Worker a "Chink"
In Los Altos, California, a woman was caught on camera calling an Asian American postal employee a "chink." In the video, shot by another customer, the woman yells at the USPS worker, "Can you just do your job?! It's simple!" After some more shouting the woman can be heard saying "chink" under her breath. Bystanders in line quickly jump in to denounce the slur. A few seconds later, the woman looks directly into the phone camera and says "chink" again, much louder, and storms out. And now that it's blown up, be on the lookout for the inevitable tearful apology, in which the woman claims she was "having a bad day," and that's "not who she is."
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‘Daredevil’ Actor Peter Shinkoda Claims Jeph Loeb Made Anti-Asian Comments Daredevil actor Peter Shinkoda took a stand on Sunday during #SaveDaredevilCon as he claimed that former head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb said anti-Asian comments during the production of the series. Shinkoda, who played Nobu Yoshioka, talked about how a potential storyline delving into his character's relationship with Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho) got scrapped. "Jeph Loeb told the writers room not to write for Nobu and Gao," Shinkoda said. "He said, 'Nobody cares about Chinese people and Asian people. There were three previous Marvel movies, a trilogy called Blade that was made where Wesley Snipes killed 200 Asians each movie. Nobody gives a shit so don't write about Nobu and Gao.'" As a result, the storyline was dropped. From what I remember about Daredevil... yeah, all this sounds about right.
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SAG-AFTRA Asian American Anti-Hate PSA
In this new public service announcement, SAG-AFTRA members from the Asian American community raise their voices about the current social climate in the country and call for a change.
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The Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack is Now Streaming on Spotify
The entire series soundtrack of ShinichirÅ Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop, composed by Yoko Kanno, is now available on Spotify. Fans know what's up. (If you want to watch or re-watch the series, it's available on Hulu.)
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Alan Yang Teams With Ad Council To Racism Against Asians During COVID-19
As we all know, there's been a surge in racism against Asians Americans since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. To combat the wave of harassment and discrimination Tigertail director and Master of None co-creator Alan Yang has partnered with the Ad Council's Emmy-winning "Love Has No Labels" for a new PSA titled "Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias," which looks to dispel racism against the Asian American community.
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Little noticed, Filipino Americans are dying of COVID-19 at an alarming rate
For a variety of reasons, Filipino Americans have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus. People with roots in the Philippines account for about one-quarter of the Asian Americans in California, yet data shows that Filipino Americans account for at least 35% of COVID-19 deaths in the state's Asian population.
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Man Arrested For Racist Attack on Calgary Woman
And up in Canada... Calgary police arrested a man on Sunday after a video surfaced of him spitting on an Asian woman and using a racial slur against her. The video shows the woman, who identified herself as Jessica Lau on Instagram, being filmed from behind while longboarding along a park path. Moments later, a cyclist coming from the opposite direction spits at Lau and calls her a "fucking chink." The cyclist was later identified as Justin Williams, who was reportedly arrested with charges pending. According to police, it's too soon to say whether the incident will be charged as a hate crime (really?) but it could also possibly be a case of aggravated assault due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hey Canada, stop trying to top our American racism.
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Woks for Washington
"Woks for Washington aims to support the Asian restaurant community in the DC area during COVID-19 by purchasing and delivering meals from restaurants to essential workers. Preserving Asian cuisine serves as a major way for the Asian community to continue to share what makes us so diverse with the rest of the world, since it's often one of the easiest and most palatable ways (pun intended) in which people can experience our culture. This is an effort to help preserve Asian American culture and cuisine, while supporting the heroes keeping our families safe." Find out more at woksforwashington.com.
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HIFF @ Home Summer Fest
The Hawaii International Film Festival presents its first-ever HIFF@Home Summer Fest, a mini film festival available entirely online. Scheduled for August 7-14, they've got a killer lineup of the latest award-winning films fresh from the film festival circuit. Titles include Alice Gu's Donut King, Shiro Tokiwa The First Supper, Yi Chen's First Vote, Unjoo Moon's I Am Woman and Hong Khaou's Monsoon, among many others. A Summer Fest Pass is $40 and gets you online access to the full slate of films. For more information, go here.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Tammy Duckworth Bursts Into VP Contention
"Tammy Duckworth is no longer an afterthought in the Democratic veepstakes. The Illinois senator and Purple Heart recipient has landed squarely in the conversation after a high-profile clash with Tucker Carlson last week and her advocacy against politicization of the military in the weeks prior. The attention hasn't escaped Biden's vetting team. It has stepped up information-gathering on Duckworth recently, scrutinizing her legislative record and talking to her colleagues, according to three sources familiar with the matter."
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Michael Lofthouse Resigns as CEO of Solid8 After Racist Video
Michael Lofthouse, that asshole who was caught on camera harassing an Asian American family with racist remarks at a restaurant, is reportedly resigning from his position as the head of the tech startup Solid8, according to a statement to Fox Business. I find this this rather funny, considering that internet research has turned up the fact that Solid8 is basically a company of one employee, run out of this guy's house. Who the hell got into their head that this dude was the "CEO" of anything? What's also hilarious is Lofthouse claiming that in addition to resigning, he has "enrolled in an anti-racist program with immediate effect." I'm sorry, but what in the hell is an "anti-racist" program? Is it a Learning Annex class? Is it like rehab? Sounds like a lot of bullshit.
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Two-thirds of Asian American health, food workers fighting COVID-19 are immigrants
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are immigrants are critical in supporting essential industries during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly in the health care and food supply industries, where more than two-thirds of AAPIs helping fight the virus are immigrants, according to data released late last month.
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Bath and Body Works Employee Fired After Yelling 'Fuck Donald Trump' at Customer
An employee at a Bath and Body Works in Arizona was out of a job last week after cursing at a man wearing a "Trump 2020" face mask. Jeremiah Cota, a strategic initiatives director for the Trump Victory Committee, was walking past the store at a shopping center in Scottsdale, when the employee -- a manager named Karren -- allegedly told him, "Fuck Trump." After Cota tweeted about the incident, Bath and Body Works responded... and Karren was apparently out of a job. Thank you for your service, and where do I donate to the GoFundMe?
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Cardi B Used a Racial Slur To Describe Her Daughter's Eyes
Over the weekend on social media, Cardi B posted a photo of her daughter and commented that she had "chinky eyes." Let's just let that sit for a moment. She said it so casually, you have to assume... she had no idea how offensive it was? Fans jumped in to educate the rapper and explained that the term is considered to be a racial slur. Catching wind of the backlash, Cardi took to Twitter to admit that she "didn't know" the term was offensive. Seriously? How, in the year of our Lord 2020, do people now know that "chinky" is a damn slur?
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
White Chef Who Cooks Vietnamese Food Accused of Harassing Asian Americans
Imagine whiteness so fragile, you lose your shit over being corrected about a typo. Peja Krstic, the (white) chef-owner of Dallas Vietnamese restaurant Mot Hai Ba, wrote an Instagram post in which he misspelled "bánh mì." But then three Vietnamese American women replied to correct the typo and Krstic lashed out, sending the women a series of angry messages in public and private, accusing them of "racial profiling," threatening legal action and calling one woman's boyfriend. And then it all came tumbling out..
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California voters will be asked to restore affirmative action in November
In November, California voters will decide whether governments and public colleges and universities can consider race in their hiring, contracting and admissions decisions. The state has banned affirmative action policies since 1996, when 55% of voters approved a constitutional amendment that banned "preferential treatment”=: based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. The state Senate voted 30-10 on Wednesday to repeal that amendment. But voters must approve it in November before it can become law.
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COVID-19 Multilingual Resource Hub
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center and the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health have teamed up for the COVID-19 Multilingual Resource Hub, available at translatecovid.org. The site is a growing collection of resources, including videos, about COVID-19 and health and safety practices in different languages. The site aims to equip our diverse communities with helpful information as we continue to navigate living in a world with COVID-19, and as we examine its current and long-term impact. Visitors can use the site to share information with everyone, from their elders to their neighbors, or even with social service clients, who could use resources in languages other than English.
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Sharon Choi Interviews Sandra Oh
This is delightful. Sharon Choi, who became one of the unexpected emergent stars of this past awards season as Bong Joon Ho's interpreter -- remember when Parasite won all those Oscars? -- chats with Sandra Oh about season three of Killing Eve, Korean culture, and Asian representation in Hollywood.
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Joy Luck Club Reunion Joy Luck Club reunion! For the first time in decades, author Amy Tan and the "daughters" of film adaptation -- Lauren Tom, Ming-Na Wen, Rosalind Chao, and Tamlyn Tomita -- reunited for a conversation with executive producer Janet Yang and super-investor Aileen Lee on the iconic novel, groundbreaking movie, personal passage reading, personal stories, and the progress of Asian women over the last three decades.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Indian Restaurant Vandalized with White Supremacist Messages
In Santa Fe, an Indian restaurant was ransacked and vandalized with white supremacist obscenities and hate speech. The unknown vandal or vandals caused an estimated $100,000, damaging the restaurant's kitchen, dining room and storage area. They destroyed bottles of wine, broke tables, and shattered glasses and dishes. They also spray-painted walls and artwork with racist remarks directed at the restaurant's Sikh owners. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime. Oh, the cherry on top: amid the racial slurs, the words "Trump 2020" were spray-painted around the restaurant.
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Why Tina Fey Is in Hot Water With the Asian Community, Too
Tina Fey appears to be taking some responsibility for racially insensitive material in her comedy, but some people online are saying that the multi-Emmy winner still has plenty to answer for. Namely, her shitty track record when it comes to jokes targeting the Asian community. From Mean Girls to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, folks have not forgotten... and now it's apparently time for a reckoning.
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THE COVID-19 ADULT RESILIENCE EXPERIENCES STUDY (CARES)
Researchers at Boston University are conducting a study of how young people, ages 18-30, are coping with the COVID-19 crisis and the current climate regarding racism and the protests against police brutality. They're recruiting participants to talk about their personal experiences, physical health, and mental well being following the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will be asked to complete a 30-45 minute online survey. Take part and help an all-Asian team of researchers doing important work. Find out more here.
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Sandra Oh layers in her ethnicity on ‘Killing Eve’ because white Hollywood does not
Sandra Oh on how an Asian character subtly affects sound design: "I remember talking to the sound people, it's like, 'Hey guys, you are layering in the sound of me wearing shoes in the house. I don't wear shoes. My character doesn't wear shoes. I know you don't see the feet. But don't layer in the sound of shoes in the house, because that doesn't happen,'" she adds. "But maybe these people, mostly white English dudes, don't know that. It's something that you might not even think is important, but it is because that's how we start building the nuance of a character."
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'Claudia Kishi Club' to Premiere on Netflix
Just in time for Netflix's adaptation of hit book series The Baby-Sitters Club, they'll also premiere the short documentary The Claudia Kishi Club next month. Directed by Sue Ding, the 16-minute film features interviews with Asian American creatives about the influence Claudia Kishi -- the Japanese American member of The Baby-Sitters Club -- had on their lives and work. The short drops on Netflix on July 10.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Torrance Police Investigate Hate Crime After Store Finds Threatening Note
"Do not forget you are in America. We can do anything we want." In Torrance, California -- yes, friggin' Torrance again -- police are investigating this racist, threatening note that was found pinned to the front door of a Japanese cookware shop. Among many others things, the printed screed reads "go back to Japan" and threatens violence. "We are going to bomb your store if you don't listen and we know where you live." This is a hate crime. There's been some speculation on social media that the note, based on grammar and spelling, was not written by a native English speaker. Maybe. But also I have complete confidence that plenty of Americans, born and raised here, can't write for shit.
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New Jersey Chinese Restaurant Vandalized with Racist COVID-19 Graffiti
A Chinese restaurant in New Jersey was vandalized with hateful messages regarding the coronavirus overnight Wednesday. The owner of New Gourmet Garden in Wyckoff arrived in the morning to discover racist spray-painted graffiti on the restaurant's storefront, including "coronavirus" and "COVID-19" with an arrow pointing at the front door and "Go home to China." The incident -- the second time a business has been vandalized during the pandemic -- is being investigated as a hate crime.
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California Assemblyman Accused of Making Racist Remarks
A coalition of Silicon Valley civil rights leaders are calling for a California legislator to resign over "racist and bigoted" comments they say he made about African American and Latinx children's ability to learn and compete in school. Assemblyman Kansen Chu's alleged comments were printed in the Chinese language newspaper World Journal, in a June 11 article, in which Chu said many Hispanic Americans told him "they did not care about their children's education, they are busy with their livelihoods, and they did not intend to let their children attend college." Chu is also alleged to have said "many Hispanic and African ethnic groups are unable to compete or have the ability to continue their studies due to unresolved structural economic and educational problems." Chu claims the World Journal article "was written with the reporter's own opinion and not direct or literal quotes from me," and the translation was inaccurate.
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Constance Wu Joins Period Rom-Com 'Mr Malcolm’s List'
Constance Wu has joined the cast of the period romantic comedy Mr. Malcolm's List. Based on the novel of the same name, the film stars Sope Dirisu as the titular Mr. Malcolm, London's most eligible bachelor. Wu will play Julia, a society lady who is jilted by Mr. Malcolm when she fails to meet one of the items on his list of requirements for a bride. Feeling shunned and humiliated, she enlists her friend Selina (Freida Pinto) to help her take revenge on Mr. Malcolm by tricking him into thinking he has found his perfect match. Who says Asians can't star in western-set period stories? Bring it, I say.
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See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
"How do we love in a time of rage? How do we fix a broken world while not breaking ourselves? Valarie Kaur -- renowned Sikh activist, filmmaker, and civil rights lawyer -- describes revolutionary love as the call of our time, a radical, joyful practice that extends in three directions: to others, to our opponents, and to ourselves. It enjoins us to see no stranger but instead look at others and say: You are part of me I do not yet know. Starting from that place of wonder, the world begins to change: It is a practice that can transform a relationship, a community, a culture, even a nation."
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Their Minneapolis Restaurant Burned, but They Back the Protest
A restaurant caught in the crossfire of unrest in Minneapolis has sent a powerful message to its followers on social media. Gandhi Mahal, a family-owned Bangladeshi-Indian restaurant, was severely damaged by fire on Thursday night amidst protests over the arrest and killing of George Floyd. Hafsa Islam, whose father owns the restaurant, wrote a Facebook post sharing about the destruction, but then shared something she heard her father say over the phone: "...let my building burn. Justice needs to be served. Put those officers in jail."
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Can You Identify the Suspect Who Assaulted This Elderly Woman?
In Metro Vancouver, police are searching for a suspect who assaulted an elderly Asian woman last month. The RCMP released video of the incident, in which a woman walks toward an elderly woman using a walker, comes up from behind and trips her leg. The woman then quickly walks away as the 84-year-old victim falls to the ground. Fortunately, the victim wasn't seriously injured. It's unclear from the video, but police say it's "possible" the suspect, who has dark brown hair, could also be Asian. Whoever the hell it is... what kind of shitty person does this?
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Trump Courts Asian American Vote Amid Coronavirus
Hilarious. Donald Trump's re-election campaign is debuting its "Asian Americans for Trump" initiative in a virtual event tonight... as if his destructive, racist rhetoric hasn't had a major role in the rise of anti-Asian sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Americans for Trump? That's a no from me. That's a hell no.
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Couple Who Met in Japanese Incarceration Camp Die Within Days of Each Other at 90
Joseph Yamada and Elizabeth Kikuchi were born two days apart, but they didn’t meet until they were 11, when both were sent with their families to a World War II incarceration camp in Poston, Arizona. Then they became mostly inseparable. After the war, they went to San Diego High School together, then to UC Berkeley. They married, raised a family, and left their marks on San Diego in landscape architecture and community service. They both died this month just days apart. They had each recently turned 90.
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A Salute to Asian Pacific American Filmmakers
In celebration of Heritage Month, IMDb created this cool video montage taking a look back at cinematic history and celebrating Asian Pacific American filmmakers and their visionary work. Lots of great films in there.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
GOP Senators Introduce Bill to Deny Chinese Nationals Student Visas
What a great way to close out AAPI Heritage Month! On Wednesday, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) unveiled the Secure Campus Act, incredibly xenophobic, destructive legislation that would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving visas to the United States for graduate or post-graduate studies in STEM fields. The bill would also place restrictions on participants in Chinese foreign talent-recruitment programs. Do I have remind folks that student visas are how so many Asian American families' immigration stories began?
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A YouTuber Placed Her Autistic Adopted Son From China With A New Family — After Making Content With Him For Years
This is beyond fucked. A YouTuber with hundreds of thousands of followers who has shared her family's experience of adopting a toddler from China recently announced that she and her husband had permanently placed their child with another family after unspecified behavioral issues. This kid, who had absolutely no say in being a prop in an "influencer's" content stream, has been re-homed like a difficult puppy.
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He was part of Amazon’s coronavirus hiring spree. Two weeks later he was dead.
"Thousands of businesses have had to close and more than 38 million Americans have lost their jobs since the lockdowns began. But Amazon is hiring. The company has put new measures in place to make its warehouses safer for employees, but the number of cases at its facilities keeps rising. As consumers continue to minimize their own risk by shopping from their couches, workers have to decide: Is working for Amazon a lifeline, or a life-threatening risk?"
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Be Water
Check it. Here's the official trailer for ESPN's Be Water, a 30 for 30 documentary that intimately chronicles Bruce Lee's life and complex journey, directed by Bao Nguyen. The film premieres June 7 on ESPN.
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Spelling the Dream
The new documentary Spelling the Dream explores Indian Americans' decades-long success at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, chronicling of the ups and downs of four students as they compete to realize their dream of winning the iconic tournament. The film premieres June 3 on Netflix.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Man Faces Hate Crime Charges for Harassing Asians at the Grocery Store
In Wisconsin, police are recommending hate crime charges against a man they say harassed Asian Americans for wearing masks in a grocery store. 57-year-old Robert Shrote admitted to verbally harassing Asian Americans at the Save A Lot store in Stevens Point. According to police, "customers were called names and harassed for wearing masks because of their race." Shrote faces a charge of disorderly conduct and a hate crime "enhancer," meaning the misdemeanor charge could carry up to 90 days in jail and a $10,000 fine.
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'American Idol' Crowns Season 3 Winner Virtually
The season 18 winner of American Idol was crowned last night -- from home -- and it's worth noting that the runner-up was Dibesh Pokharel (stage name: Arthur Gunn), a 22-year-old Nepalese singer-songwriter who, for had emerged as the front-runner of the competition. I'm told he was clearly the judges' favorite, and many watchers thought he'd end up winning it all. But alas, at the end of the night, amidst the televised confusion of the remote finale, the title awkwardly went to Just Sam, a 21-year-old subway singer from Harlem. Congratulations. And I wouldn't worry about Arthur Gunn -- just watch the video of him performing and you'll see. This guy is runner up to nobody.
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Remembering Our Co-Founder, Thomas Low
Thomas Low, co-founder and CEO of multicultural children's publishing house Lee & Low Books, has died of cancer at his home in Connecticut. He was 78. Low co-founded Lee & Low Books with Philip Lee in 1991. Though they had no previous publishing experience, both men had noticed, and been dismayed by, a dearth of contemporary diverse stories for children and believed there could be a business opportunity in pursuing their passion to fill that gap in the industry. Since then, Lee & Low has been a leader in supporting new voices in children's literature, particularly from authors of color.
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Far East Movement Debuts New Song for Heritage Month
"Identity: Project Blue Marble" is an eight-hour relief event happening March 20 on Twitch in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. To mark the occasion, hip hop group Far East Movement is debuting a new song, "We Are the Truth," which can be heard in the trailer for the event (watch video above).
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Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards
Remember when Parasite won all those Oscars? That was awesome. Now you can experience the movie in graphic novel form, sort of. With hundreds of mesmerizing illustrations, the new book Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards, is a fresh look at Bong Joon-Ho's award-winning, genre-defying masterpiece, featuring storyboards drawn by the director himself prior to the shooting of the film. The book also contains a foreword written by Bong that shares early concept drawings and photos from the set which take the reader even deeper into the creative process. If you enjoyed Parasite, the book is a fascinating glimpse at Bong's creative process.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Man says officer shrugged off racist incident at Home Depot
In Seattle, an Asian man says he was the target of racist remarks at a Home Depot store, but when he reported the incident to store management and police, nobody acted like they gave a shit. Kert Lin said he was on his way into the store when another driver cut him off. When the two arrived in the parking lot, the other driver called Lin and racial slur and told him "Open your eyes, go back to China." Lin informed store security, who did nothing. Lin told a police officer who arrived at scene, who did nothing. At the very least, the officer should have filed an incident report. Lin has since received an apology from the police chief, after sharing about the incident on social media. Whatever you do, don't let this shit slide, folks.
Indigenous woman says she was punched, told to 'go back to Asia'
So this is an anti-Asian hate crime in which the victim wasn't actually Asian. Last week, a 27-year-old Indigenous woman says she was repeatedly punched in the face, knocked down and told to "go back to Asia" while walking her dog in East Vancouver. She says she was walking through a park on Friday night when she sneezed. A man then walked up to her, began yelling racist Asian slurs, pushed her to the ground, then punched in her in the jaw and temple before walking away. The assailant is described as a white man in his mid-30s, heavyset, 5 foot 11, and wearing a hat and a navy blue or black sweater. So... yeah. Be on the lookout for that guy. Fuck racists.
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I lost both my parents in the COVID-19 era. How do I reopen my own life?
"I don’t know what’s going to happen next. No one does. We make our choices and we live with them. I do know that I can’t imagine not having made the trip to see my siblings, bury our father, and grieve together. Whatever happens with the pandemic, we all need each other; we need to work hard and ask the right questions; we need to be honest and not afraid."
Research Survey: Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health for Asian/Asian Americans
Lydia Ahn and Mira An, researchers at University of Maryland, College Park, are conducting a study on the impact of COVID-19 and racism on mental health for East Asian/Asian Americans, and are looking for folks to take part. Participation will require completing a confidential online self-report survey (approximately 20 minutes) at your convenience. If you are East Asian/Asian American, age 18 and older, and would like to help out with this research, complete the survey here.
