Three White Women Made a Mahjong Line Nobody Asked For

Dallas company apologizes after criticism for redesigning mahjong tiles
It seems that white people, not content with bottling bad kimchee and crappy pad thai, are exploring new dimensions in cultural appropriation. The latest Asian shit stolen and made "new": mahjong, courtesy of three white ladies, who have given the game a "respectful refresh" that absolutely nobody was asking for.

The Mahjong Line, based in Dallas, was the brainchild of Kate LaGere after she "discovered" that traditional mahjong tiles had the same designs and "did not reflect the fun" she had while playing the game, according to the company’s website. Perhaps worst of all: the damn thing costs $425. I had no idea that mahjong could be gentrified. But they've done it. And the internet of Asian America has let them know accordingly. Do not mess with our shit, because we will let you know.

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Brooklyn Democratic Party Leader Resigns Over Racist Tweet
A Brooklyn Democratic District Leader has resigned her post after triggering a firestorm of criticism over a racist rant she posted against Chinese people over the weekend, including the bizarre slight: "I can't even look at Chinese food." Lori Maslow posted the comments on Twitter with a link to a news item on Chinese tariffs. It has since been deleted. On Monday, Maslow issued a statement apologizing and resigning from her position in the party: "I hereby resign from my position as 6th vice chair of the Kings County Democratic County Committee effective immediately. I sincerely apologize for the poor choice of words I used in a social media posts over the weekend, which were hurtful to members of the Chinese American Community."

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Rose Ochi, Japanese American trailblazer for civil rights, dies at 81
Rose Matsui Ochi, a trailblazing Los Angeles attorney who tapped far-flung political networks from City Hall to Congress in her fierce advocacy of civil rights, criminal justice reform and Japanese American causes, has died at 81. Ochi broke barriers as the first Asian American woman to serve as a Los Angeles Police Commission member and as an assistant U.S. attorney general. She advised L.A. Mayors Tom Bradley and James Hahn on criminal justice, served on President Carter’s Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy and worked with President Clinton on drug policy and race relations. Ochi died December 13 after being diagnosed with a second bout of COVID-19, which exacerbated existing health problems.

Fire Destroys Thousands of Chinatown Museum Artifacts

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



85,000 Pieces From Beloved Chinatown Museum Likely Destroyed in Fire
Officials at the Museum of Chinese in America said Friday evening that thousands of historic and artistic items it had carefully collected and curated over decades were most likely lost after a fire tore through New York's Chinatown building where most of its acquisitions were stored. The 85,000 items, some dating to the 19th century, told the rich story of the Chinese migration to the United States: textiles, restaurant menus, handwritten letters, tickets for ship's passage. The collection was one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable. And now destroyed.

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Oh no, Lizzo.
Popular and beloved music artist Lizzo is facing criticism for donning looks that sexualize and appropriate various Asian cultures in a recent cover photo shoot for Rolling Stone magazine. One of the photos features Lizzo nude, adorned with accessories associated with Southeast Asian ceremonial dance, while another photo features the artist sporting headwear reminiscent of geisha culture. This is not a good look.

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Yes, Sikh Soldiers Served in World War I. '1917' Got It Right.
British actor Laurence Fox has been offered a history lesson over his criticism of the inclusion of a Sikh soldier character in the Oscar-nominated World War I film 1917. Appearing on a podcast, the actor complained that the inclusion of a Sikh soldier -- Sepoy Jondalar, played by Nabhaan Rizwan -- in the movie had distracted him from the storyline, claiming, "there is something institutionally racist about forcing diversity on people in that way." No, dude. What's institutionally racist is history erasing the fact that every sixth British soldier serving in World War I was from the Indian subcontinent, with Sikhs comprising more than 20% of the volunteer army. Nobody's "forcing diversity." Nobody's forcing shit. Go read a book.

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FX is Going Through With a 'Shogun' Miniseries
FX's upcoming re-adaptation of Shōgun, based on the novel by James Clavell, is set to go as a 10-episode miniseries with aims to shoot in Japan this summer. According to Deadline, Justin Marks the first two episodes with supervising producer (and wife) Rachel Kondo. The series' writing team also includes co-executive producer Shannon Goss, consulting producer Matt Lambert, script editor Maegan Houang and staff writer Emily Yoshida. I honestly roll my eyes at anything related to this book, but this writing team gives me a little hope...

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Minari
Heads up: Steven Yeun stars in the indie immigrant drama Minari, which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend. Inspired by writer/director Lee Isaac Chung's own upbringing, the film follows a Korean American family whose lives are uprooted and turned upside down when they move from the west coast to chase the American dream on a plot of farmland in 1980s rural Arkansas.

[UPDATED] White woman says she feels Filipino, insists she's "transracial"

But that's not how this shit works.



This is a joke, right? Or maybe some kind of performance art? A Florida woman claims that although she was born white, deep down inside she feels Filipino, and now identifies as "transracial."

A Tampa woman calling herself "Ja Du," who was born white, tells WTSP that she now considers herself Filipino. She insists that she is transracial -- someone born one race, but identifies with another.

"Whenever I'm around the music, around the food, I feel like I'm in my own skin," Ja Du says. "I'd watch the History Channel sometimes for hours you know whenever it came to that and you know nothing else intrigued me more but things about Filipino culture."

No, Ja Du. No.

There is a food truck actually called "White Girl Asian Food"

Serving up "deliciousness from all over Asia."



People. Is this a real thing? This can't be real.

White Girl Asian Food appears to be an actual food trailer operating in Austin, Texas. True to its branding and concept, the proprietor is a white girl serving "Asian food." Also known as "Com Bun Yeu" ("Rice Noodle Love" in Vietnamese), they claim to "serve up deliciousness from all over Asia."

You guys, I can't do this today. The oblivious tone-deaf white privilege here is astounding.


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Cornrows, Bindis, Kimonos: The Impact of Cultural Appropriation on Communities of Color

A Panel on Cultural Appropriation; Wednesday, September 9



If you're in the Washington DC area, API Resistance invites you to Cornrows, Bindis, Kimonos: The Impact of Cultural Appropriation on Communities of Color, a panel discussion focused on the connection between cultural appropriation and state violence. The event, organized as part of the Black Lives Matter Week of Action, is happening Wednesday, September 9 at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church.

Here are some more details: