Wisconsin Man Harassed Asians For Wearing Masks

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.

Submit your picture book to Lee & Low's New Voices Award

Award-winning children's book publisher is accepting manuscripts for picture books.



Hey authors! Do you have a story to share with young readers? Want a chance to get published? Lee & Low Books, award-winning publisher of children's books, is now accepting submissions for the eighteenth annual New Voices Award. The Award will given for a children's picture book manuscript by a writer of color.

Established in 2000, the New Voices Award encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent. Past New Voices Award submissions published by Lee & Low include The Blue Roses, winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People; Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, a Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist selection; and It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw, winner of the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Honor.

Call for Submissions: New Voices Award 2015

Lee & Low Books is accepting children's picture book manuscripts by writers of color.



Lee & Low Books, award-winning publisher of children's books, is accepting submissions for the sixteenth annual New Voices Award, to be given for a children's picture book manuscript by a writer of color. The contest encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent.

The Award winner receives a cash prize of $1000 and Lee & Low's standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $500. Past winners include Juna's Jar by Jane Bahk and It Jes' Happened by Don Tate.

Here are some more details about eligibility and submission guidelines:

Submit to Lee & Low Books' 2014 New Voices Award

Seeking children's picture book manuscripts by a writers of color



Hey writers! We need diverse books. We really do. So... Lee & Low Books, award-winning publisher of children's books, is now accepting submissions for the fifteenth annual New Voices Award writing contest. Each year, the award is given to a children's picture book manuscript by a writer of color.

The New Voices Award winner receives a cash prize of $1000 and Lee & Low's standard publication contract, including a basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $500. Manuscripts will be accepted through September 30, 2014.

Here are some more details about eligibility and submissions:

The Diversity Gap in the Academy Awards

You knew it was bad. This infographic shows how bleak it really is.



The 86th Academy Awards, which celebrates excellence in filmmaking, will take place this weekend. It's Hollywood's biggest night! As a movie fan, I used to be avid follower of the Oscars, only to become increasingly disillusioned, year upon year, by the Academy's glaring racial and gender disparities.

The handy infographic above, created by as part of a recently released Diversity Gap study by Lee & Low Books, breaks down the racial and gender representation of the Academy Awards.. I don't think it's going to be a mind-blowing revelation to anyone that Oscar's diversity gap is stunningly awful.

Where's the Diversity, Hollywood? 85 Years of the Academy Awards

You knew it was bad. The numbers show just how bleak it really is. The Producers and Writers branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are both 98% white. Academy voters are 94% white and 77% male. In 85 years, only eight people of color have ever won Oscars in the Best Actress or Best Actor categories. Only one woman has ever won Best Director -- and that was only four years ago.

Lee & Low Books is an award-winning children's book publisher focusing on diversity and stories about everyone, for everyone. To read the rest Diversity Gap study, which includes interviews with independent actors and filmmakers, go here.

Lee & Low Books 2013 New Voices Award Writing Contest

Hey, writers! Lee & Low Books, an independent children's book publisher focusing on diversity, is currently accepting submissions for the fourteenth annual New Voices Award writing contest.

The Award is given annually for a children's picture book manuscript by a writer of color. The contest encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent.

The winner receive a cash prize of $1000 and a publication contract, including Lee & Low's basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $500.

Here are some more details about the contest:

Lee & Low Books receives $500,000 award from First Book

Lee & Low Books is an independent children's book publisher specializing in diversity. With an emphasis on publishing works by artists of color, the company's goal is to meet the need for stories that children of color can identify with and that all children can enjoy. Pretty cool, right?

Even cooler, some cool news: Lee & Low was recently awarded a $500,000 award from First Book. The award, The Stories For All Project, aims is to introduce a significant number of multicultural books into the hands of low-income children: First Book, Stories for All Project Chooses LEE & LOW.

Lee & Low was one of two publishers chosen to receive the award. Here's part of the announcement by publisher Jason Low: