Donate to 81-year-old Man Assaulted in Racist Attack

Raising awareness and support for Mark Sonuvong.



Concerned community members are fundraising support for Mark Sonouvong, the 81-year-old San Diego man who brutally assaulted in a racially motivated attack during his morning walk last week.

The assailant reportedly asked Mr. Sonouvong if he was "Chinese or Vietnamese" then knocked him to the ground and beat him. According to his son, Mr. Sonouvong was hospitalized, and continues to suffer pain in his ribs and left eye. He'll have to undergo further treatment with multiple future hospital visits.

A family friend has set up a GoFundMe to raise awareness and support for Mr. Sonouvong's medical bills. Your help is appreciated: Elderly Asian man beat in San Diego... please help!

81-Year-Old San Diego Man Attacked in Hate Crime

"Are you Chinese or Vietnamese?"



In San Diego, an 81-year-old man, Mark Sonouvong, was hospitalized after being violently attacked while on his morning walk on Friday, by an assailant who reportedly asked him, "Are you Chinese or Vietnamese?"

The victim appears to have been assaulted without provocation. According to CBS8 News, the attacker approached and asked Sonouvong if he was Chinese or Vietnamese. When he told the stranger to leave him alone, he was knocked down to the ground and beaten. He didn't take anything from Sonouvong.

Police are investigating the assault as a possible hate crime.

More here: Assault of 81-year-old man investigated as possible hate crime

Rally for Rose Tico at San Diego Comic-Con

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



It goes without saying that we are huge fans of Rose Tico and Kelly Marie Tran here at The Nerds of Color. Unfortunately, there’s a significant portion of Star Wars fandom that doesn't agree. Even worse, they’ve taken their disdain for a fictional character and used it to harass the actress so much that she had to delete her Instagram.

Online harassment in the Star Wars community -- and fandom, writ large -- is nothing new. Recently, Phantom Menace actor Ahmed Best revealed he contemplated suicide as a result of the fan backlash to his portrayal of Jar Jar Binks. Just the other day, a cadre of angry fanboys cried foul and singled out StarWars.com personality Andi Gutierrez over a mug she owns. But as Rose Tico famously said at the end of The Last Jedi:

Visors! Perms! Flash Mob at the Korean Market!

The ladies of Ajumma EXP crash the produce aisle in celebration of Korean American Day.



Ajumma EXP strikes back! This is how you celebrate Korean American Day.

If you didn't know, January 13 was Korean American Day, commemorating the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States in 1903. And if you were shopping at Zion Market in San Diego on Saturday, you may have seen a badass flash mob of ajummas getting their commemoration on. Hard.

Ajumma EXP describe themselves as "a crew of fierce women who embrace growing older, getting wiser, and being able to laugh at ourselves." Following their stunning debut last fall at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, the ladies of Ajumma EXP recently brought their visor-clad fierceness to the food court and produce section at the local Korean market, busting a move to J.J. Fad's "Supersonic." It was glorious.

Check it out:

Pacific Arts Movement Presents: Right to Resist

Sunday, April 23 at the San Diego Asian Film Festival's Spring Showcase



San Diego film fans! As part of Pacific Arts Movement's 7th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase, you are invited to Right to Resist: From 9066 to 2017, a series of documentaries and short films highlighting those who spoke up against Executive Order 9066 and those who spoke up against the post-9/11 treatment of Muslim Americans, as well as those of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent today.

Right to Resist will screen Sunday, April 23 at Ultra Star Mission Valley Cinemas-Hazard Center. Admission is free for ages 17 and under. Here are some more details about the program:

San Diego police officer killed in shooting

Officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, a 16-year police veteran, was shot multiple times during a stop.



In San Diego, a veteran police officer was shot and killed and another was injured as they tried to make a stop on Thursday night, leading to one suspect's arrest and an extensive hunt for other suspects.

Police identify 2 officers shot overnight in Southcrest

Officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, a 16-year-department veteran and father of two, was killed. Officer Wade Irwin, a nine-year veteran, was shot and hospitalized in serious condition, but is expected to survive.

53-year-old Jesse Michael Gomez was charged in the shootings. He was shot during the confrontation and was in critical condition at the hospital. Another man, 41-year-old Marcus Antonio Cassani, was arrested after a standoff with police and is being held as a potential second suspect.

Serial thief targeting Korean businesses in San Diego

Suspect orders dishes at restaurants that take a while to make and then uses that time to steal.



Beware the suspicious man who orders kalbi. In the San Diego area, police are searching for a serial thief who has been caught on surveillance video primarily targeting local businesses in the Korean community.

An unknown suspect appears to be targeting Korean eateries on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. In each case, he order dishes at restaurants that take a while to make and then uses that time to steal from the business.

Thievin' is bad enough, but the dude is wasting perfectly good barbecued meat!

Sikh football fans harassed for wearing turbans

Also, someone called the cops on them for being brown and standing next to a car.



More idiocy in the name of "safety." In San Diego, three Sikh football fans say they were harassed and nearly barred by security from entering Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday because they were wearing turbans.

Fans: We were hassled at Qualcomm stadium over our turbans

Varinder Malhi and his friends drove seven hours from Fresno to see the Denver Broncos play the San Diego Chargers. They were decked out in Broncos jerseys, hats and other fan gear, right down to the color-coordinated turbans they were wearing in accordance with their Sikh faith.

But when they tried to enter the stadium, security guards told Malhi and his friends that they couldn't enter the game unless they removed their turbans. They were ultimately allowed in, but were warned they wouldn't be able to wear their turbans again if they ever returned to the stadium.

On top of that, some overly nervous fan apparently got jumpy and called the cops when they saw Malhi and his turbaned friends in the parking lot, rummaging in the trunk of a car. They were just putting a bag back in the car when they realized they couldn't bring it inside the stadium.

15th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival

Presented by Pacific Arts Movement, November 5-14



Hey, San Diego film fans! It's time for one of the best events of the year! Pacific Arts Movement presents the 16th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival -- the largest showcase of Asian cinema on the West Coast, with ten packed days of more than 130 films and program from 20 countries. The festival runs November 5-14, with things kicking off this Thursday with the Opening Night Presentation of Miss India America.

Take a look at the festival trailer:

Chew The Scene: San Diego Asian Film Festival Launch Party

Get hungry for SDAFF, October 1 at the Corky McMillin Event Center.



San Diegooooo! This one's for food and film lovers alike. Our friends at Pacific Arts Movement invite you to join them at Chew The Scene, the official launch party for the 16th San Diego Asian Film Festival, where they'll unveil and announce what's on the menu for this year's film festival. Be the first to see the lineup! It's happening Thursday, October 1 at the Corky McMillin Event Center in San Diego.

Here are some more details about the event:

Leaving a guy in a holding cell for five days, nearly killing him, is apparently not bad enough to get you fired.

DEA agents responsible for Daniel Chong's mistreatment got off with a slap on the wrist.



Remember that UC San Diego student who got swept up in a drug raid and nearly died after being thrown in a holding cell and forgotten for five days without food or water? According to the Justice Department, the federal agents responsible for almost killing Daniel Chong received only reprimands or brief suspensions from the Drug Enforcement Administration. A slap in the wrist, as they say.

DEA agents jail student 5 days with no food, water; get slap on wrist

Chong, then 23, was taken into custody during a DEA raid in April 2012, placed in a cell, then promptly forgotten. He was handcuffed behind his back, locked up for five days without food or water (or access to a toilet), and later found delirious, dehydrated and suicidal. He was never charged with a crime.

5th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase

Presented by Pacific Arts Movement, April 16-25



San Diego film fans, this is gonna be goooood. Pacific Arts Movement, the folks behind the San Diego Asian Film Festival, present their annual Spring Showcase, running April 16-25. They've put together another incredible 10-day lineup of some of the best Asian and Asian American films on this side of the calendar year.

The 5th Annual SDAFF Spring Showcase kicks off on Thursday, April 16 with the Opening Night screening of the Sundance documentary In Football We Trust, directed by Tony Vainuku and Erika Cohn, which follows four young Polynesian NFL hopefuls using football as a way out of poverty and gang violence.

Here's this year's Showcase trailer:

Disoriented Comedy in San Diego, January 23

Use the discount code 'STAYANGRY' for $10 off your ticket.



San Diegoooooo! Get yourself ready for some laughs. Disoriented Comedy, the first ever all female (sorta) all Asian American standup comedy show tour is coming to San Diego. Two shows, one night, featuring Jenny Yang, D'Lo, Atsuko Okatsuka, Yola Lu and a surprise veteran comedy headliner that you do not want to miss. It's happening Friday, January 23 at The Comedy Palace in Kearney Mesa.

Here are some more details about the show:

15th San Diego Asian Film Festival

Presented by Pacific Arts Movement, November 6-15



San Diego film fans, this one's for you. Make some plans. Our good friends at Pacific Arts Movement present the 15th San Diego Asian Film Festival, November 6-15. They're getting everybody together for ten days of 140 films from 21 different countries. From big international features to independent Asian American debuts, as well as the world premiere of the hot ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, they've got a little bit something for everyone.

If you've never been to the San Diego Asian Film Festival, I can attest that they know how to throw one heck of a party. The festivities kick off with the Opening Night screening of the Martin Scorsese-produced crime drama Revenge of the Green Dragons on Thursday, November 6 at the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15.

Here's this year's SDAFF trailer:

Awesome Asian Bad Guys screening in San Diego!

Friday, September 12 at Pacific Arts Movement



The Awesome Asian Bad Guys tour continues! National Film Society's action/comedy webseries makes its way to San Diego for a Film Forum special screening presented by Pacific Arts Movement. It's happening Friday, September 12 at Pacific Arts Movement's offices in Liberty Station.

In Awesome Asian Bad Guys, Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of Asian American heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord. The series is an homage to your favorite nameless Asian movie character actors of the 1980s and 90s.

Here are some more details about the screening:

Pacific Arts Movement presents King Hu in Taiwan, June 5-7

First-Ever San Diego Retrospective of the Greatest of All Martial Arts Directors



For all you film fans in the San Diego area, make plans for some old school classic kung fu... Our friends at Pacific Arts Movement present the first-ever San Diego retrospective screening series honoring the legendary King Hu, one of the greatest martial arts directors of all time. They'll be showing Dragon Inn, A Touch of Zen and The Valiant Ones, June 5-7 at the Museum of Photographic Arts.

Here are some more details about the series:

Pacific Arts Movement's 4th Annual Spring Showcase

April 17-24 at UltraStar Mission Valley



San Diegooo! We've got some films for you to watch. Our friends at Pacific Arts Movement present the 4th Annual Spring Showcase, a presentation of eleven dynamic films from nine countries from Asia and beyond. They've got a pretty darn sweet lineup of films this year, so make plans, bring a friend and catch some cinema. It runs April 17-24 at UltraStar Mission Valley. Watch the Spring Showcase trailer:

18 Mighty Mountain Warriors in San Diego

April 18-20 at Mission Valley UltraStar Cinemas



Hey, San Diego! Catch a live multi-media performance by the award-winning sketch comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, presented by Pacific Arts Movement in partnership with Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company. It's happening April 18-20 at Mission Valley UltraStar Cinemas. Kim Jong Un? Lorde's Asian boyfriend? Katy Perry performing as a Geisha? Nothing is too sacred for 18MMW. Here's more info:

Job: Marketing & Outreach Director, Pacific Arts Movement

San Diego nonprofit media arts organization seeks awesome individual with marketing skillz

Looking for a cool marketing job? The good people over at Pacific Arts Movement, a nonprofit media arts organization based in San Diego, are seeking a creative, outgoing, and highly motivated Marketing & Outreach Director to advance the organization to the next level.

Got what it takes to help Pacific Arts Movement bring Pan Asian media arts to the people? They're doing some pretty awesome work. This is a full-time position that requires a great attitude, marketing acumen, fierce work ethic, and flexible work schedule including some weekends and evenings.

Here are some of the Marketing & Outreach Director's responsibilities:

Terry Matsuoka's 'Handmade' CD Release Party

Saturday, January 18 at Lestat's Coffee House



For you folks in the San Diego area, singer/songwriter Terry Matsuoka invites you the CD release party for his latest album Handmade. He'll playing at his favorite coffeehouse venue Lestat's West, along with Catherine Nguyen and Lindsey Yung. It's going down Saturday, January 18. Here are some more details about the show: