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 hos 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 Alice Gu, director of the feature documentary The Donut King, and Mayly Tao, proprietor of DK's Donuts, to discuss the incredible story donuts, refugee hustle, and the one guy responsible for the Cambodian American stronghold on donut shops on the west coast.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Boston School Committee Chair Resigns After Mocking Asian Names
Boston Schools Committee chairman Michael Loconto has stepped down after reportedly mocking Asian Americans during a Wednesday night school committee meeting, which prompted calls for his immediate resignation. During the virtual meeting, the moderator can be heard on an audio recording saying the names of upcoming participants from the community. Loconto can then be heard saying a series of names under his breath in a manner most certainly mocking the Asian anmes of thos participants. Yup, he said them racistly. And that shit was broadcast on a Zoom call for all to hear. And then the mayor accepted Loconto's resignation Thursday morning.
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Apple's 'Pachinko' Sets Cast, Directors for International Production
Apple has set the cast and directors for its multilingual international drama Pachinko, based on the novel by Min Jin Lee. The cast includes Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Minha Kim, Soji Arai and Kaho Minami. Kogonada will direct four episodes, including the pilot, and serve as an executive producer of the series. Justin Chon will also direct four episodes. The big-budget series is set to begin production next week and will film across multiple continents. The eight episodes, told in Korean, Japanese and English, chronicle the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family.
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Coming Home Again
Acclaimed director Wayne Wang's moving new film, the emotional family drama Coming Home Again, is based on a personal essay by award-winning Korean American writer Chang-rae Lee published in The New Yorker. Justin Chon stars as the main character, also named Chang-rae, who returns to his family home in San Francisco to care for his ailing mother. Wanting nothing more than to fulfill his role as the supportive son, he must come to terms with his own conflicted emotions. The film opens in virtual cinemas on October 23. A free live-stream Q & A will take place on Saturday, October 24 at 4 pm EST, with director Wayne Wayne, writer Chang-rae Lee and 3 Star Chef Corey Lee, moderated by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and film programmer Robert Rosenberg. Registration for the Zoom event here.
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The Donut King
Have you ever wondered why so many donut shops in California are owned and operated by Cambodian immigrants? It's all because of one guy. The Donut King, directed by Alice Gu, is a feature documentary that tells the incredible rags-to-riches story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who came to America in 1975 and founded an unlikely multi-million dollar empire of donut shops across the West coast. He was living the American Dream. But, in life, great rise can come with great falls. The Donut King opens in theaters and vitual cinemas on October 30.
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BYOB: Bring Your Own Ballot
Join Sherry Cola, Ronny Chieng, Jeremy Lin and Kelly Marie Tran for a conversation about making the APIA vote count. Saturday, September 24. Register at VoteWith.Us.
Online fundraiser set up to help cover medical costs for Chea Pol and Heng Hay, founders of King Donuts
Some disturbing news out of Seattle... Late last week, the founders of King Donuts, a popular donut shop, restaurant and laundromat in Rainier Beach, were brutally beaten and robbed outside the store. Loved ones have set up an online fundraiser to help cover the victims' extensive medical costs.
61-year-old Chea Pol was closing up the shop and getting into her car on Friday night when a man ran up, grabbed her purse, and punched her repeatedly in the face. When her husband, Heng Hay, ran over to intervene, the suspect punched him in the face and threw him to the ground, before running off with the purse.
Chea Pol was apparently beaten so hard, her teeth were punched back toward her throat.
These guys did not know who they were messing with.
This story out Tennessee is a couple of weeks old, but hey, I thought you'd really want to know about the badass donut shop owner who fought off three armed robbers with pepper spray -- and it was all caught on tape: Caught On Camera: Donut Shop Owner Pepper Sprays Armed Robbers.
Earlier this month, three would-be robbers walked into Nina's Donut Cafe in Southeast Memphis and pulled a gun on owner Sohka Chin, demanding all the money in the cash register. Big fat mistake, suckas.
Instead of money, Chin gave them each a face full of hurt, courtesy of the can of pepper spray she conveniently keeps in arm's reach from the register. She got all three of the guys in the face, and they ran off crying.
The whole incident was caught on surveillance video. Here's the news clip:
This is amusing and awesome... Blogger Jia Jang is on a 100-day quest to overcome his fear of rejection by making at least one crazy request a day, and chronicling the journey on his blog, 100 Days of Rejection Therapy.
On Day 3, he walked up to a Krispy Kreme counter in Austin and made an order he thought would get denied on the spot: five doughnuts linked together in the colors and shape of the Olympic symbol. Much to his surprise, a resourceful Krispy Kreme employee named Jackie made it happen: Sweet Krispy Kreme worker surprises man on quest for rejection.
