Don't Use Asians to Maintain White Privilege

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Don't Use Asians to Maintain White Privilege
The Justice Department's latest accusation that Yale University discriminated against Asian American and white students is an attempt to pit marginalized students against each other, using Asian Americans as the conduit, experts say. Several Asian American activists and scholars criticized the DOJ's letter sent to the Ivy League institution on Thursday. In lumping white students with those of Asian descent, the administration is using Asian Americans as a pawn to dismantle affirmative action.

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Love and Dignity at the End of Life
In 1997, Vu was wrongfully incarcerated and sentenced to 60 years in prison -- for a crime that would normally get a 10-year sentence. His friend later confessed that he was at fault for the crime. Still serving his sentence, Vu was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with less than a year to live. Due to COVID-19, he is not allowed visits and is dealing with medical treatment that leaves him susceptible to infection. Vu's family and friends are mounting a case to appeal to the state to allow him to live out his days around his loved ones instead of dying in prison alone. The've launched a GoFundMe campaign asking for assistance for their legal case. Read more about Vu's situation here.

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How Does a Restaurant Like This Happen in 2020?
"How do you mess up this badly? White people making Asian food isn't anything new, but this specific concept is especially inappropriate and confusing because this place doesn't seem to honor tradition or innovation. You usually open a restaurant like this and pick a lane: authentic or innovative. But they’re playing it straight down the middle. It's not authentic at all; it’s not executed to amplify well-made traditional or modern Korean food close to its authentic form. But it's not very creative or innovative, either -- just watered-down Korean food for white comfort and white taste buds."

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Open Casting Call: Korean Male Proficient in Korean, Japanese and English
This casting call for an unspecified series on a "major streaming service" is seeking "a Korean male actor in his 20s-30s that is very proficient or fluent in Korean, English, and Japanese. The language requirement is important because the character grew up in Japan and Korea, and came to the United States as a young adult." The series will shoot in Korea, Japan and Canada, and talent must be available September 2020 to March 2021. It doesn't mention the name of the series, but I'd put my money on the adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel Pachinko, which is being produced as a series for AppleTV.

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Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Charles Melton To Star In Rom Come 'Love Hard’
Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Charles Melton are set to star in the Netflix romantic comedy Love Hard. Written by Danny Mackey and Rebecca Ewing, the film is described as When Harry Met Sally meets Roxanne, and "follows an LA girl, unlucky in love, who falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for Christmas, only to discover that she's been catfished. But the object of her affection actually lives in the same town, and the guy who duped her offers to set them up IF she pretends to be his own girlfriend for the holidays." Hm. I feel like I already know where this is all going.

Google Doodle Celebrates Olympic Diver Vicki Manalo Draves

And Other Things to Know from Angry Asian America.



Celebrating Vicki Draves
Today's Google Doodle celebrates Filipino American diver and coach Victoria "Vicki" Draves, the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic medal. On this day in 1948, Draves won the gold medal in the women’s 3-meter springboard event at the London Summer Olympics.

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Meet the Bay Area rapper working on a COVID vaccine
Ruby Ibarra will save us all. With her rhymes an her science. You might know her as an incredible ass-kicking Filipino American hip hop artist. But did you know she works a day job? As a freaking scientist? She's a scientist at a Bay Area biotech company, working in the quality-control department on COVID-19 test kits and even a vaccine. She's got the smarts and the flow. I should not be surprised.
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Suspect Arrested in Death of Professional Poker Player Susie Zhao
A suspect is in custody in connection to the death of professional poker player Susie Zhao, whose burned remains were found at a Michigan park in July. A 60-year-old man was arrested on Friday in the investigation of Zhao's homicide. Charges have no been released, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI or submit tips online to tips.fbi.gov.

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BCD Tofu House Founder Hee Sook Lee Has Died
Hee Sook Lee, who founded the beloved, Los Angeles-based BCD Tofu House restaurant chain, known for its bubbling pots of soondubu and its late night hours, has passed away. The Koreatown Youth and Community Center announced her death last week in a post on its Facebook page. No date or cause of death was given, although it appears Lee died in early or mid-July. Pour out some soondubu jjigae in her honor. Rest in peace.

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Wong Kar-Wai's New Series Is an Ambitious Ode to Shanghai
Blossoms Shanghai, famed auteur Wong Kar-Wai's first dramatic series, is an adaptation of the epic, multi-award-winning novel Blossoms by Jin Yucheng. The series "tells the story of an enigmatic, self-made millionaire, Mr. Bao (Hu Ge), and his journey of reinvention from a young opportunist with a troubled past to the heights of the gilded city of Shanghai. Set against the backdrop of massive economic growth in 1990’s Shanghai, the series unveils the glamour that follows his dazzling wealth and his entanglement with four fabulous women that represent the pursuits of his life: adventure, honor, love and innocence."

Stay Angry, But Not Hangry

Sponsored Post by KPOP Foods



KPOP Foods was started by a couple of friends who came together through a mutual love for Korean food (and soju), and wanted to share their obsession with the flavors and experience of eating Korean food with America. Powered by an enormously successful Kickstarter campaign, their first product is KPOP Sauce, a "chili sauce with attitude" that can be used for cooking and as a condiment, "good on everything from burgers to broccoli."

Want to get a taste of KPOP Sauce in action? The folks at KPOP Foods have cooked up a special recipe just for you, the good readers of this blog: Angry Asian Man's Pork Belly & Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich. A spicy, Korean twist on a cheesy traditional American classic.

Steven Yeun explores food porn and fan death, Korean style.

'The Walking Dead' actor and 2NE1's Sandara Park star in the hilarious webseries 'What's Eating Steven Yeun?'



Steven Yeun is packing up and moving to the motherland. Sort of. What if your favorite Walking Dead star just left it all behind to pursue a career in Korea? In the comedic new webseries "What's Eating Steven Yeun?" from BeFunny Studios, Steven leaves his life and love -- Sandara Park of 2NE1 -- to go to the Land of the Morning Calm and make something of himself. It does not go very smoothly.

Can Steven make it as a mokbang superstar? Can he learn the secrets of fan death? And most importantly, if you've ever wondered what Steven looks like rocking eyeliner, this is for you. Check it out:

Robin Ha's 'Banchan' Comics Will Make You Hungry

By Keith Chow. Cross-posted from The Nerds of Color.



Last weekend, at Baltimore Comic-Con, I had the opportunity to run in to several members of the SIUniverse fam in attendance. One of the alums I visited with was artist Robin Ha, who was exhibiting in Artist Alley for the first time. Not only was it great to catch up — however briefly — but it was also an opportunity to get a print copy of Banchan in Two Pages, a pretty cool recipe comic she's been updating on the tumblr of the same name.