Ending Birthright Citizenship Would Disproportionately Affect Asian Americans

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Lawful Asian immigrants would be disproportionately affected if birthright citizenship ends.

If President Trump succeeds in eliminating universal birthright citizenship, there could be 6.4 million U.S.-born children without legal status by 2050, according to a new study. In addition to affecting undocumented immigrants in the country, the authors say, that change would have a disproportionate effect on Asians who are in the country lawfully.

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ACLU’s Cecillia Wang Argues Trump Birthright Order Is Unconstitutional

Here's the audio of Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, aguing in the Supreme Court that Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.

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This Man’s Great-Grandfather Made Millions of People Americans

Norman Wong, the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, is a 76-year-old retired carpenter living outside San Francisco. His family has not only fought for the constitutional right to citizenship, they're painfully aware of what it looks like when that citizenship, once won, can be used against you.

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Padma Lakshmi: The Decision That Would Create a Permanent American Underclass

"If the Supreme Court doesn't block this executive order, it would create a mess of legal and logistical consequences. Confusion would replace certainty, opening the door to discrimination and a patchwork of rules governing noncitizens' access to our society. Hundreds of thousands of children born in the United States would be thrown into legal limbo every year. And the harm would compound. Ending birthright citizenship would create a permanent underclass of people born in the country but cut off from the rights that citizenship provides."

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Member of burglary ring targeting Asian business owners in Oregon pleads guilty

In Oregon, one of seven members of an alleged burglary ring that has targeted Asian American business owners across the state has pleaded guilty. 45-year-old Jhon Alexander Quintero was part of a group that burglarized Oregon and Washington residences starting in early October 2025. The group identified and watched potential victims, performed reconaissance on their homes, then ransacked the residences. Each of the victims were Asian Americans who owned businesses, and were working at the time of the burglaries.

Burmese Refugee Abandoned by Border Patrol Found Dead

And Other Items of Note from Angry Asian America.

Nearly blind refugee abandoned by US border patrol found dead in Buffalo

A nearly blind Burmese refugee who was abandoned by border patrol agents has been found dead in Buffalo, New York. Following his release from a holding center, immigration officials dropped off 56-year-old Nurul Amin Shah Alam, who spoke little English, at a coffee shop miles from his home. His body was found five days later.

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Asian American residents targeted in 8 Fairfax County burglaries

In Fairfax County, Virginia, police are investigating a string of home burglaries targeting Asian American residents. Between January 12 and February 21, suspects entered eight homes scattered throughout the county, stealing cash, jewelry, handbags, gold bars and even safes that had been bolted to the floor. The victims have been primarily Asian American small business owners.

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KPop Demon Hunters Songwriter EJAE Put Her Whole Heart - and Her Past - into "Golden"

For over a decade, Kim Eun-jae, aka EJAE, trained to become a K-pop idol under SM Entertainment, one of South Korea's top agencies. But the label deemed her too tall and her voice too low and husky -- and ultimately decided not to debut her. But that rejection turned out to be a "redirection."

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Vang: The Olympic loyalty test no one asked for

"This winter, two Asian American women, Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, soared across Olympic ice and snow. One wrapped herself in the Stars and Stripes. The other chose to compete for China. And suddenly the country had very strong opinions about Asian daughters. I learned the quickest way to make America nervous is to let an Asian American woman make her own decisions, especially if she wins a gold medal."

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Muralist honors gold medal Olympian Alysa Liu with mural

Seen on the streets of Gardena, California: a tribute to Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu.

"My Parents Thought We Hade Made It. Now We Carry Papers."

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

My parents thought we had made it. Now we carry papers.

"Asian Americans, in particular, have always struggled with being perceived as perpetual outsiders, no matter how long we've lived in the country. When immigrants of my parents\' generation started families here in the 1970s, many of them figured their children would fit in and thrive here, so long as they gave their children Western names and made sure they could speak perfect American English. I always felt they went overboard, that we didn't have to whitewash ourselves to gain acceptance. A half-century later, I'm thinking maybe my parents were onto something."

ICE target was already in prison when agents detained St. Paul man in his underwear

Sorry, Wrong Asian. The images of ChongLy Thao's arrest by ICE in St. Paul sparked outrage in Minnesota and across the internet. Thao was led out of his home in freezing weather, wearing nothing but his boxers and a blanket draped around him. Agents did not present a warrant, nor did they ask Thao for identification. He was released shortly afterward. Turns out, one of the guys they were looking for was already in prison.

Alabama uses Japanese American Internment era law to charge immigrants who don’t self-register

Alabama is finding new ways -- using old laws -- to criminally charge undocumented immigrants. Federal courts in the state are using a law last applied during the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II to charge immigrants who don't register themselves.

5 arrested in local burglary ring targeting Asian American business owners

In Ohio, five people were arrested for their involvement in a highly organized burglary ring targeting Asian Americans. Authorities in the Cincinnati suburbs gathered intelligence indicating that the suspects were planning to burglarize a home and caught them in the act. The group is accused of target Asian American small business owners in the area for years.

SILK STREAM: Digital Shorts Series

Attention filmmakers! The Center for Asian American Media is launching SILK STREAM, a new digital short film series. This initiative is a contemporary, digital-first reimagining of CAAM's groundbreaking SILK SCREEN anthology, specifically designed to engage a cross-generational audience, with a strong focus on digital-native viewers. They're looking for narrative and documentary shorts that not only explore the depth of the Asian American experience but also possess a distinct visual flair and the undeniable energy of contemporary pop culture. Learn more and submit here.

'Soldiers of Christ' Cult Killing Shakes Korean Community

33-year-old Sehee Cho was tortured and killed during the group's "initiation" process."

In Georgia, members of a Korean religious cult were charged in the murder of a 33-year-old woman who was killed during the initiation process into a group that called itself Soldiers of Christ. Police say Sehee Cho was held captive for weeks, tortured and starved her until she died.

Officers discovered Cho's decaying body in the trunk of a car, left in the parking lot in metro Atlanta's busy Korean business district. Video evidence shows the group beating Cho with a belt and putting her in ice baths. Seven individuals, including the group's leader Joonho Lee, face charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of another.

Indiana University Student Stabbed in Anti-Asian Attack

The suspect said she stabbed the victim because it "would be one less person to blow up our country."



It would be nice to not live in fear of literally being stabbed in the head for being Asian.

In Bloomington, Indiana, a woman has been charged after an 18-year-old Indiana University student repeatedly was stabbed in the head on a public bus in an anti-Asian attack. The suspect told police she stabbed the victim because the victim was "Chinese," adding that it "would be one less person to blow up our country."

The victim told investigators she was standing and waiting for the exit doors to open on a Bloomington Transit bus Wednesday afternoon when another passenger began striking her in the head multiple times with a folding knife. Surveillance footage showed that the suspect and the victim had no interaction leading up to the assault.

56-year-old Billie R. Davis has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery. According to NPR, Davis has not been charged with a hate crime because Indiana is one of four states that lack a comprehensive law. So this is, officially, just a regular head stabbing attack -- not a hate-motivated head stabbing attack.

More here: Indiana's Asian American community is grieving after a bus stabbing attack

Judge Overturns Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of 'Serial'

Syed has been in prison for 23 years for the murder of high school classmate Hae Min Lee.



Adnan Syed, whose case was chronicled by the popular podcast Serial, was released from prison Monday after spending 23 years behind bars on charges that he murdered his former high school girlfriend.

Judge Melissa M. Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court overturned Syed's murder conviction in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee, finding that prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Syed at trial and discovered new evidence that could have affected the outcome of his case.

The office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City said in a motion filed last week that there was new information about two potential alternative suspects in the homicide. While prosecutors aren't saying Syed is innocent, they are saying they lack confidence in "the integrity of the conviction."

Prosecutors have 30 days to decide if they will proceed with a new trial or drop the charges against Syed, who was ordered to serve home detention until then.

More here: Judge Vacates Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed of 'Serial'


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Woman Dies After Being Pushed Onto Subway Tracks

40-year-old Michelle Go was "suddenly pushed" in front of an oncoming train.



In New York, a woman died after she was pushed onto the subway tracks and struck by an oncoming train. The incident occurred on Saturday morning at the Times Square-42nd Street station while she was standing on the southbound R-Q train platform. According to witnesses, a man "suddenly pushed" the woman in an unprovoked attack shoving her onto the tracks as the train pulled into the station, killing her.

Woman Dies After Being Pushed Onto Subway Tracks in Times Square

The victim was identified as 40-year-old Michelle Go, who was Asian. The attacker, identified as 61-year-old Simon Martial, fled the scene and rode the subway to Lower Manhattan, where he told officers at the Canal Street station that he had pushed a woman onto the tracks. Martial reportedly has a history encounters with the authorities related to mental health problems. He is expected to be arraigned on murder charges.

Police are calling the attack "random" and said there was no indication that Go had been targeted because of her ethnicity. I have to say that offers very little comfort. These mounting "random" attacks against victims who just happen to be Asian, during a sharp surge of violence against Asians... at some point, "random" really doesn't seem like a sufficient way to categorize a tragedy like this. We do not feel safe.

More here: Woman Pushed Onto Subway Tracks 'Never Saw' Her Attacker

81-Year-Old San Diego Man Attacked in Hate Crime

"Are you Chinese or Vietnamese?"



In San Diego, an 81-year-old man, Mark Sonouvong, was hospitalized after being violently attacked while on his morning walk on Friday, by an assailant who reportedly asked him, "Are you Chinese or Vietnamese?"

The victim appears to have been assaulted without provocation. According to CBS8 News, the attacker approached and asked Sonouvong if he was Chinese or Vietnamese. When he told the stranger to leave him alone, he was knocked down to the ground and beaten. He didn't take anything from Sonouvong.

Police are investigating the assault as a possible hate crime.

More here: Assault of 81-year-old man investigated as possible hate crime

Mother and Son Arrested in Thefts Targeting Elderly Asians

The burglars are allegedly part of an organized group connected to nearly thirty incidents.



In Southern California, a mother and son duo have been arrested in connection with a string of nearly thirty robberies and distraction thefts targeting elderly Asian people over the last six months.

47-year-old Floarea Ghiocel and her son, 32-year-old Marius Ghiocel, were arrested on suspicion of robbery related to approximately 28 incidents over the past six months. According to Garden Grove police, the two are allegedly part of a group of Romanian travelers responsible for the robberies, all following a similar pattern.

In each case, the burglars targeted elderly Asian people with expensive jewelry. The burglars would approach the victims, remove the jewelry and replace it with a similar fake piece.

More here: Mother and son arrested in string of robberies and thefts targeting elderly Asian people

Asian Homeowners Targeted by Burglars in Torrance

Burglars posing as landscapers or gardeners appear to be targeting Asian American homeowners.



A warning for folks in Torrance, California: Asian American homeowners are reportedly being targeted by burglars posing as gardeners or landscapers. Several burglaries have occurred in recent weeks in town homes in gated communities in the central and eastern areas of Torrance.

According to police, the victims are homeowners of Asian descent who own businesses outside the city. Those victims may have been followed home from work and kept large quantities of cash at home.

The suspects are described as three to four people posing as gardeners or landscape workers. They were believed to be driving late model American minivans and SUVs.

More here: Torrance police warn of burglars who appear to be targeting Asian American homeowners

Man Pleads Not Criminally Responsible in Cinder Block Attack

Darryl Doles is charged with attempted murder in anti-Asian attacks on three Baltimore businesses.

In Baltimore, a man accused of attacking two Asian American woman with a cinderblock inside their liquor store is pleading not criminally responsible. 50-year-old Darryl Doles is charged with attempted murder and hate crime offenses, among a list of other charges, in a "rampage" on Asian-owned businesses back in May.

According to prosecutors, Doles attacked Asian people in three separate West Baltimore businesses on May 2, attacking a security guard with "a large piece of lumber," vandalizing a window display, and voicing racial epithets, in addition to the attack on the two Korean American women. Doles reportedly attacked the victims because he was denied service for refusing to wear a mask.

More here: Baltimore Man Charged In Asian American Women's Beatings Pleads Not Criminally Responsible

Suspect Arrested in Attack on Elderly Woman

80-year-old woman violently pushed in unprovoked assault.



In Honolulu, surveillance cameras caught a disturbing violent assault on an 80-year-old woman on the street. 37-year-old Jordan Wong was arrested Tuesday after violently pushing down the unnamed victim in an unprovoked attack. The woman fell to the ground, over the curb and landed in the shoulder of the road, hitting her head. She reportedly walked away from the assault, but suffered bruises and complained of back pain. Honolulu Police have classified the incident as a second degree assault.

More here: Suspect accused of knocking down elderly woman in Honolulu arrested

Suspect Pleads Guilty in Atlanta Spa Shootings

Robert Aaron Long faces four other murder charges in a neighboring county.



The man accused of killing eight people at a string of Atlanta-area spas pleaded guilty on Tuesday to four counts of murder in suburban Cherokee County and will serve four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 35 years in prison. Robert Aaron Long, who already admitted to investigators that he was responsible for the March 16 shooting spree, still faces four other murder charges in nearby Fulton County, where the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty.

More here: Suspect in Atlanta-Area Spa Shootings Pleads Guilty to 4 Counts of Murder

Person of Interest Sought in Shooting Death of Yale Student

Authorities offer $10,000 reward for information about Qinxuan Pan's whereabouts.

$10K reward offered in search for person of interest in Yale student's murder
With the person of interest in the shooting death of a Yale graduate student still at large, federal authorities on Tuesday increased the reward for information about the man's whereabouts. Officials with the U.S. Marshals Service said they are now offering $10,000 for information leading to Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student Qinxuan Pan. The previous reward was $5,000. "Pan should be considered armed and dangerous," the agency said in a statement announcing the higher reward. "Individuals should not attempt to apprehend him themselves." Pan, 29, is wanted for questioning in the February 6 death of Kevin Jiang, a second-year graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment who was fatally shot outside his car in New Haven, Connecticut.

84-Year-Old Man Fatally Assaulted in San Francisco

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Suspect arrested in deadly attack on 84-year-old man in San Francisco
San Francisco police have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder for a vicious, unprovoked attack last week on an 84-year-old man. The attack occurred Thursday in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood. Security footage shows the suspect barreling into Vicha Ratanapakdee before taking off running. Antoine Watson was booked on suspicion of murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Officers also arrested 20-year-old Maylasia Goo on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. Ratanapakdee's family believes the attack was racially motivated.

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Jon M. Chu to Direct Movie Adaptation of 'Wicked'
Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, will reportedly direct the feature film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked. A prequel to The Wizard of Oz the musical tells the story of everything that happened before Dorothy dropped down in Oz, focusing on best friends-turned-mortal enemies Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch). No word on who will star in the film, or when it will be released.

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Chien-Shiung Wu Commemorative Forever® Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Professor Emerita Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the most influential nuclear physicists of the 20th century, with a commemorative Forever stamp. There will be a virtual ceremony for the first day of the stamp's issue on February 11, via Facebook and Twitter. To find out more, visit usps.com

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WiNDUP
The beautiful animated short WiNDUP, directed by Yibing Jiang, breathes life into the special bond between a father and his ailing daughter to highlight the fragile nature of life, love, and the healing power of music.

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The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Julie Kwon, is an inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military. Description: "Hazel Ying Lee was born fearless -- she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she belonged. When people scoffed at her dreams of becoming a pilot, Hazel wouldn't take no for an answer. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. It was a dangerous job, but Hazel flew with joy and boldness. This moving, true story about a groundbreaking figure will inspire young readers to challenge barriers and reach for the sky."

Six arrested in Fresno backyard party shooting

Suspected gang members arrested in the shooting deaths of four men in November.



From The New York Times: Police in California announced Tuesday that they have arrested six suspected gang members in the shooting deaths of four men in November at a backyard gathering of family and friends that they believed was a rival gang's party.

The victims were killed November 17 when gunmen entered the back of a Fresno home through an unlocked gate and used semiautomatic weapons to open fire on people watching a football game in the backyard. Four people were killed, and six people were wounded.

More here: 6 Arrested in Killings of 4 Men at California Backyard Party

Two dead, three injured in shooting at Southern California high school

The shooter was reportedly a classmate, described as an "Asian male wearing black clothing."



Two students are dead and at least three others were injured, two of them in critical condition, after a classmate reportedly opened fire on Thursday morning at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California.

Santa Clarita, California, high school shooting leaves multiple people injured, suspect dead

Officials said they had located the suspected shooter and that the person is "no longer a threat." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says the suspect is in custody and is reportedly in grave condition at a local hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shooting occurred in the school's quad area. Officials say video from the scene shows the suspect pulling a semi-automatic pistol out of his backpack, shooting five students, and then shooting himself in the head.

The shooter has been identified as a 16-year-old male student at the school whose birthday is today. Earlier reports described the suspect as an "Asian male wearing black clothing."

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.

"Yeah, I pushed you": Anti-vaxxer assaults Calfornia lawmaker

And streamed it live on Facebook.



An anti-vaccine activist was cited for misdemeanor assault Wednesday after shoving a California lawmaker who has worked to tighten the state's laws for childhood vaccinations.

'Yeah, I pushed you': Anti-vaxxer cited for assaulting lawmaker while live-streaming on Facebook

54-year-old Kenneth Austin Bennett livestreamed the confrontation on Facebook, showing him exchanging words with state Senator Richard Pan before shoving him on the sidewalk near the capitol in Sacramento.

Pan, a pediatrician, has authored several bills that limit exemptions for child vaccinations, including legislation that prohibits parents from opting out of vaccinating their school-age children on account of personal beliefs.

His efforts have made him the target anti-vaccination activists, including screaming protestors, online harassment and death threats. But this is apparently the first time things have gotten physical.

Administrator stabbed to death at Cal State Fullerton

Suspect described as "an Asian man in his mid-twenties with black hair."



From The Orange Country Register: A retired administrator was stabbed to death Monday morning at Cal State Fullerton, with police deploying bloodhounds to try and track down the suspect.

The victim, a man of Asian ethnicity in his late 50s, was found with multiple stab wounds inside a gray car in Parking Lot S at College Place and Langsdorf Drive. He was working as a consultant at the university.

No motive for the killing was known.

More here: Retired administrator stabbed to death at Cal State Fullerton, with police looking for the suspect