Rest in Peace, Wai Ching Ho

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Wai Ching Ho, 'Daredevil' and 'Iron Fist' Actress, Dies at 82

Wai Ching Ho, best known for her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing crime boss Madame Gao in Daredevil, Iron Fist and The Defenders, has died. She was 82. Her Hollywood career spanned over forty years, with roles in Fresh Off the Boat, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, and Turning Red, among many others.

Most recently, Ms. Ho starred in the excellent narrative podcast Aunties. Written by Kevin Yee, and also starring Rosalind Chao and Lauren Tom, it's a fun comedy/mystery series that follows three Chinatown shopkeepers who secretly fight crime and gentrification. I highly recommend checking it out on Audible.

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What a subway ride with white supremacists taught me about America

"On the Fourth of July, while I was on my way to a party, I found myself riding a Washington Metro train surrounded by hundreds of masked white supremacists. A subway car is supposed to be one of society’s great equalizers. But it was the last place I expected to reflect on what it means to be an American."

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Dallas man sentenced after admitting anti-Asian bias motivated 2022 salon shooting

In Dallas, a man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to a hate crime for shooting three women inside a Korean-owned hair salon. 41-year-old Jeremy Theron Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon classified as a hate crime for firing more than a dozen rounds at Hair World Salon in Dallas' Koreatown in 2022. According to investigators, Smith had apparently "experienced delusions" that Asian people were trying to harm him.

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San Francisco Chinatown’s historic Great Star Theater seeks emergency funds to stay open

The Great Star Theater in San Francisco is asking for the public's support to stay afloat. The historic Chinatown theater launched a GoFundMe campaign this month seeking $45,000 in donations to cover essential operating expenses. The nonprofit venue, which celebrated its centennial last year, is described as the last remaining Chinese theater in any Chinatown in the United States.

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Gemma Chan Shares Update On Anna May Wong Biopic: "It's A Really Resonant Story"

Gemma Chan shares that her upcoming biopic on Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American movie star, is "still in development," with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi and playwright David Henry Hwang adapting Graham Russell Gao Hodges’ 2012 biography Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend.

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."

Ignore Asian American Voters at Your Own Peril

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Asian Americans Are the Fastest-Growing Group in the U.S. Electorate
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing segment of eligible voters out of the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States. More than 11 million will be able to vote this year, making up nearly 5% of the nation’s eligible voters (for this analysis, U.S. citizens ages 18 and older). They are also the only major racial or ethnic group in which naturalized citizens -- rather than the U.S. born -- make up a majority of eligible voters, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.

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Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite, 92, Last of the 'Monuments Women,' Dies
Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite, part of a team of 345 people from 14 countries -- collectively known as the Monuments Men and Monuments Women -- who preserved cultural treasures and artworks during and after World War II, died on Monday in Michigan, from complications of the coronavirus. She was 92.

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The Paper Tigers Official Teaser
Martial arts movie fans, check out the first official teaser trailer for The Paper Tigers, an indie kung fu flick written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao. The action dramedy follows a deadbeat dad, an insurance scammer, and an MMA coach who must avenge their Kung Fu master's death. But first they need to call in sick at their 9-to-5s. The film is currently in post-production. For more info and updates, check out the official website.

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Cambodian Rock Band Cast Recording
New York's Signature Theatre just released the cast recording of its production of Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band, featuring songs by Dengue Fever. The play with music tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia for the first time in thirty years, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia's most infamous war criminals. Backed by a live band playing contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, this story toggles back and forth in time as father and daughter face the music of the past. If you've seen the show and love the music, or if you haven't seen the show and just like dope music, check it out. Get it on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, and wherever music is sold.

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Jimmy O Yang: Good Deal
Comedian Jimmy O Yang's standup special Good Deal is now available on Amazon Prime. Performed live at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Good Deal covers Jimmy's hilarious interactions with fans, his thoughts on Matt Damon, and whether ghosts will haunt one-bedroom apartments.

May is AAPI Heritage Month. We've Got You Covered.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



2020 AAPI Heritage Month Digital Event Calendar
Heads up: May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. If you didn't know, now you know. We get a month. While the current state of the world prevents us from gathering in person, we can all still celebrate. We've compiled a running list of digital events you can participate in virtually, happening throughout Heritage Month. Peruse the calendar here and check back frequently. We'll be adding more events as they come in. And if you'd like to submit an event to the calendar, fill out the form here.

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Faces of the Cure
#FacesoftheCure is a social media campaign calling on folks to spotlight the healthcare heroes who are risking their lives to save the world in the fight against COVID19 by sharing their photos and stories. Most of these war-weary doctors, nurses, and hospital staff will never get the recognition they deserve. To the contrary, many have been discriminated against. Think of the campaign as "Humans of New York" but for the pandemic. Let's join together to give them recognition they deserve.

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Stop COVID-19 Disinformation. Stop Anti-Asian Violence
"We're living through a global health pandemic and an insufficient government and corporate response that is causing people to lose their lives and loved ones. The hate and disinformation spread online around COVID-19 are putting even more lives in danger. Companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are hotspots for coronavirus opportunists to spread their dangerously misleading lies and fuel xenophobic and anti-Asian violence. Asian Americans are being blamed for spreading COVID-19 and targeted, particularly those of us who are of East Asian descent." Sign this petition to tell Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to immediately shut down hate and misinformation about COVID-19 on their platforms.

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Irrfan Khan, Bollywood Star at Home in Hollywood, Dies at 53
Irrfan Khan, the celebrated Indian actor who became a crossover star in Hollywood, starring in movies like The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, died on Wednesday in Mumbai. He was 53.

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Alice Wu’s Rom-Com Was Influential, but Her Follow-Up Wasn't Easy
This New York Times profile on Alice Wu, writer/director of the Netflix feature The Half of It, reveals how the filmmaker beat writer's block while working on the movie's screenplay. She wrote a check for $1,000 to the National Rifle Association -- a cause she decidedly does not support -- then gave it to a friend with an ultimatum: if she didn't turn in the first draft of her script in five weeks, send the check. This is gangster shit!

Andrew Yang Wants You to Show Your "American-ness"

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Andrew Yang Says Asians Need To Show 'American-ness' To Avoid Racism
In a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang attempted to address the increasing incidents of harassment and racism against Asians amid the coronavirus pandemic, encouraging Asian Americans to "embrace and show our American-ness in ways we never have before." Yang called on Asian Americans to combat coronavirus-related racism by helping to end the public health crisis, urging them to "help our neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear red white and blue, volunteer, fund aid organizations" and "demonstrate that we are part of the solution." It was not well-received.

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Self-Care Tips For Asian Americans Dealing With Racism Amid Coronavirus
"Whether you've been subjected to discrimination or not, simply hearing about the widespread xenophobia can affect your mental health. We asked therapists who work within Asian American communities to share their best self-care advice for these stressful times."

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Liyna Anwar, L.A. Times Podcast Producer, Dies at 30
Liyna Anwar, a rising journalist who helped the Los Angeles Times expand its digital footprint and waged a public fight to save her own life, has died of complications from acute myeloid leukemia. Surrounded by family, Anwar died March 26 at the City of Hope in Duarte, just weeks after the launch of Asian Enough, an Asian American-focused podcast she produced. She was 30.

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Doctor's Log
In the new podcast Doctor's Log, Dr. Esther Choo, an emergency room physician in Portland, Oregon, delivers a twice weekly report from the front lines of the coronavirus crisis: her own ER. She takes listeners into the real world doctors and nurses are facing now, as they grapple with the most significant health threat in modern history, and helps us all understand what to do to stay safe.

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The Linda Linda Lindas - "Claudia Kishi"
And just for fun, here are The Linda Linda Lindas -- Bela, Lucia, Eloise and Mila -- performing their song "Claudia Kishi," as heard in the closing credits of the documentary short The Claudia Kishi Club.

Wat Misaka, first nonwhite player in the NBA, dies at 95

Japanese American point guard debuted with the New York Knicks in 1947.



Wat Misaka, the pioneering Japanese American athlete who became the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball, died Wednesday in Salt Lake City. He was 95.

Wat Misaka, First Nonwhite in Modern Pro Basketball, Dies at 95

Misaka, the son of Japanese immigrants, starred for the University of Utah on teams that won two national tournament championships. In 1947, he made professional debut with the New York Knicks -- then part of the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner of the National Basketball.

Architect I.M. Pei dies at 102

Former real estate developer became one of the most revered architects in the world.



I. M. Pei, the Chinese American architect who began his long career working for a New York real-estate developer and ended it as one of the most revered architects in the world, has died. He was 102.

His son Li Chung Pei said on Thursday that his father had died overnight.

Mr. Pei was probably best known for designing the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the glass pyramid that serves as an entry for the Louvre in Paris.

More here: I.M. Pei, World-Renowned Architect, Is Dead at 102

C.Y. Lee, author of 'Flower Drum Song,' dies at 102

C.Y. Lee in 2016 (Los Angeles Times)
C.Y. Lee, the Chinese American author whose best-selling 1957 novel The Flower Drum Song provided the source material for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and feature film, died November 8 at his daughter's home in Los Angeles. He was 102. The family did not publicly announce the death at the time.

Over a career spanning seven decades, Mr. Lee wrote nearly a dozen volumes of historical fiction, but his best-known work was his debut novel, The Flower Drum Song, explored conflict among first- and second-generation immigrants in San Francisco's Chinatown. The novel brought instant literary stardom upon its release.

More here: C.Y. Lee, author of the best-selling novel 'The Flower Drum Song,' dies at 102

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee dead at 65

Edwin M. Lee was the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco.



A pioneer in Asian American and San Francisco politics has died. San Francisco mayor Edwin M. Lee, the first Asian American to lead the city, died early Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. He was 65.

Ed Lee, San Francisco Mayor, Dies at 65

According to the San Francisco Examiner, the mayor was shopping at a neighborhood supermarket when he suffered a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:11 am.

"It is with profound sadness and terrible grief that we confirm that Mayor Edwin M. Lee passed away on Tuesday, December 12 at 1:11 a.m. at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Family, friends and colleagues were at his side," his office said in a statement.

'Chan Is Missing' star Wood Moy dies at 99

He played the cab driver in Wayne Wang's acclaimed indie film 'Chan Is Missing.'


Photo: Nancy Wong
From The Hollywood Reporter: Wood Moy, who starred as the cab driver in the acclaimed Wayne Wang noir film Chan Is Missing (1982), died November 8, his family announced. He was 99.

Moy portrayed Jo, who is out to buy a taxi license with his nephew, Steve (Marc Hayashi). When Steve's friend Chan disappears with the cash they need to purchase their license, he and his uncle become amateur detectives as they set about San Francisco's Chinatown trying to locate the missing man and their money.

The low-budget, black-and-white Chan Is Missing, believed to be the first Asian American indie film, was named for inclusion into the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1995 for its cultural, historical or aesthetic significance.

More here: Wood Moy, Star of 'Chan Is Missing,' Dies at 99

Poet and activist Fay Chiang dies at 65

She championed Asian American education and culture.



From the New York Times: Fay Chiang, whose quest to understand her identity as a child of Chinese immigrants found outlets in vivid poetry and in community activism that helped elevate Asian-American education and culture, died on October 20 in a hospice in the Bronx. She was 65.

Her daughter Xian Chiang-Waren said the cause was complications of cancer. She had lived in Manhattan, in the East Village, until the cancer spread to her brain.

More here: Fay Chiang, 65, Poet Who Championed Asian-American Culture, Dies

2 Live Crew's Fresh Kid Ice dies at 53

Christopher Wong Won was a founding member of the groundbreaking, controversial rap group.



Christopher Wong Won, aka Fresh Kid Ice, a founding member of the groundbreaking, controversial rap group 2 Live Crew and one of the first high-profile Asian American rappers, has died. He was 53.

2 Live Crew Rapper Fresh Kid Ice Dies at 53

Won died of an undisclosed medical condition in a Miami hospital on Tuesday, according to his longtime manager Debo. 2 Live Crew's former frontman Luther Campbell, aka Uncle Luke, aka Luke Skyywalker, tweeted his condolences on Thursday morning, calling Fresh Kid Ice "a legend."

Los Angeles firefighter dies after falling from ladder

29-year-old Kelly Wong fell several stories during a training exercise.



Some tragic news out of Los Angeles... A firefighter died Monday morning, two days after he fell from a fire engine's aerial ladder during a training exercise in downtown Los Angeles.

Firefighter, 29, dies 2 days after fall from aerial ladder in downtown Los Angeles

29-year-old Kelly Wong was participating in an exercise Saturday morning when he fell several stories from an aerial ladder on to a fire truck, suffering numerous blunt force trauma injuries. He was transported to a local trauma center where he was listed in critical condition.

The Los Angeles Fire Department announced Wong's death on Twitter in a written statement.

Bharati Mukherjee, Writer of Immigrant Life, Dies at 76

Author of 'The Middleman and Other Stories' and 'Jasmine.'



Bharati Mukherjee, an Indian-born American writer who explored the internal culture clashes of her immigrant characters in the award-winning collection “The Middleman and Other Stories” and in novels like “Jasmine,” died on Saturday in Manhattan. She was 76.

The cause was complications of rheumatoid arthritis and takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a stress-induced heart condition, her husband, the writer Clark Blaise, said.

Read more at the New York Times.

Pioneering artist Tyrus Wong dies at 106

His paintings served as the visual inspiration for Disney's 'Bambi.'



Tyrus Wong, the pioneering Chinese American artist who paintings served as visual inspiration for Disney's animated classic Bambi and other Hollywood works, died on Friday. He was 106.

Tyrus Wong, Pioneer 'Bambi' Artist, Dies at 106

Wong was a painter, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer, designer and kite maker. His professional career included working as a greeting card designer for Hallmark, a film production illustrator for Warner Brothers, and an inspirational sketch artist for Disney, where he most famously served as the lead artist for Bambi.

Wong's death was announced on the Facebook page for Tyrus, the 2015 documentary on his life and career.

"With his passing, we have lost a brilliant artist, motion picture & animation legend, Chinese American pioneer, and hero," the post read. "He survived Angel Island, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Great Depression, discrimination, and the loss of Ruth, his soul mate and beloved wife of over 50 years. Yet Tyrus always faced adversity with dignity, courage -- and art."

Sammy Lee, first Asian American man to win Olympic gold, dies at 96

Dr. Lee won consecutive gold medals in platform diving at the 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Games.


Dr. Sammy Lee in 2012.
Dr. Sammy Lee, the first Asian American man to win an Olympic gold medal and the first American to win consecutive gold medals in platform diving, died of complications from pneumonia on Friday. He was 96.

Sammy Lee, diver who became first Asian American to win Olympic medal, dies at 96

Lee won a gold medal in 10-meter platform diving and a bronze in 3-meter springboard diving at the 1948 Olympics in London, and a gold in platform diving at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, becoming the first male diver to win back-to-back gold medals in two different Olympics -- and at age 32, the oldest to win an Olympic diving title. He was named to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1990.

(By the way, 1948 was a hell of a year for Asian Americans at the Olympics. At the same Olympic Games in London, Vicki Manolo Draves became the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic gold medal, and the first woman to win springboard and platform gold medals in the same Olympics.)

Award-winning actor and filmmaker Keo Woolford dies at 49

Honolulu native wrote, directed and produced the 2013 indie film 'The Haumana.'


Photo Credit: Olivier Koning
Actor Keo Woolford, who wrote, directed and produced the award-winning 2013 independent film The Haumana, died Monday afternoon in Hawaii after suffering a severe stroke last week. He was 49.

Keo Woolford, Actor on 'Hawaii Five-0,' Dies at 49

A native of Honolulu, Woolford had a recurring role as Detective James Chang on CBS' Hawaii Five-0, as well as small roles in films like Happy Texas (1999), Act of Valor (2012) and Godzilla (2014). He also starred in more than 300 performances as the King of Siam in The King & I at the London Palladium.

Hawaii Five-0 star Daniel Dae Kim shared his remembrance of Woolford on Twitter:

Newspaper runs obituary for Glenn of 'The Walking Dead'

"His bravery in the face of both the Undead and the Brutal Living inspired all who knew him."



By now, if you didn't watch Sunday night's shocking season premiere of The Walking Dead, the internet has already surely somehow spoiled it for you within the last 48 hours. So... there's no way to share this without revealing that one of the hit zombie drama's beloved, fan-favorite characters, Glenn, did indeed die. It was brutal, it was gruesome, and it was deeply upsetting. People are going to be talking about this one for a while.

And people are mourning Glenn Rhee, played by Steven Yeun for six seasons. One Walking Dead fan, paying homage to the fallen hero, wrote an faux obituary (fauxbituary?) for the Batesville Daily Guard, based in Batesville, Arkansas. The piece, which ran in Tuesday's print edition, praised the former pizza deliveryman for his "impeccable moral grounding" and "bravery in the face of both the Undead and the Brutal Living."

Remembering Uncle Bob

Guest Post by Karen L. Ishizuka


A traditional Filipino appellation of respect, anyone older than you is called auntie or uncle. But beyond protocol, Uncle Bob Santos was truly everyone's favorite Uncle Bob, Filipino or not. Greeted by a jaunty "Hey Kiddo!," whenever you saw him, you knew you could always count on him for lunch money, to bring 200 people to a demonstration or to keep a community from becoming gentrified.

He was called "the Asian American community's elder statesman and enduring rabble-rouser,"ⁱ "an advisor, mentor, confidante, and drinking buddy for a generation of our community's Jedi Knights,"ⁱⁱ and "a hero in an urban hamlet called the International District"ⁱⁱⁱ. And this was while he was still alive and raising hell. Now hailed as one of Seattle's greatest civil rights and social justice champions whose accomplishments you can read about in HistoryLink, his autobiography Hum Bows, Not Hot Dogs!: Memoirs of a Savvy Asian-American Activist (International Examiner Press, 2002), Gang of Four: Four Leaders, Four Communities, One Friendship (Chin Music Press, 2015), and the multitude of tributes by the many organizations he was a part of, the following remembrance is not so much on the importance of his achievements as the magnitude of his character.

Joe Montano, Regional Director for Sen. Tim Kaine, dies at 47

Virginia Democrat is remembered as a passionate community activist and public servant.



Sad news out of Virginia... Joe Montano, the Northern Virginia regional director for Democratic vice presidential candidate and Senator Tim Kaine, died suddenly this week at his home in Falls Church. He was 47.

Joe Montano, regional director for Sen. Kaine's office, dies at 47

Described by many as the face of Senator Kaine's office, Montano is remembered as a passionate community activist, committed public servant, advocate for immigrants and champion of the Filipino American community.

"My staff and I are deeply saddened by the death of our Northern Virginia Regional Director," Senator Kaine said in a statement. "Joe was an outstanding representative of this office, enthusiastic servant of the people of Northern Virginia, and admired colleague by all who worked with him. We will remember him by his positive energy, tireless work ethic, and infectious smile. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe's family."

At a DNC breakfast on Wednesday, Kaine remembered Montano's friendship, service and spirit, calling him a "proud, patriotic American" who was about "outreach, bridge-building and bringing people together."