84-Year-Old Man Fatally Assaulted in San Francisco

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Suspect arrested in deadly attack on 84-year-old man in San Francisco
San Francisco police have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder for a vicious, unprovoked attack last week on an 84-year-old man. The attack occurred Thursday in the city's Anza Vista neighborhood. Security footage shows the suspect barreling into Vicha Ratanapakdee before taking off running. Antoine Watson was booked on suspicion of murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Officers also arrested 20-year-old Maylasia Goo on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. Ratanapakdee's family believes the attack was racially motivated.

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Jon M. Chu to Direct Movie Adaptation of 'Wicked'
Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, will reportedly direct the feature film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked. A prequel to The Wizard of Oz the musical tells the story of everything that happened before Dorothy dropped down in Oz, focusing on best friends-turned-mortal enemies Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch). No word on who will star in the film, or when it will be released.

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Chien-Shiung Wu Commemorative Forever® Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Professor Emerita Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the most influential nuclear physicists of the 20th century, with a commemorative Forever stamp. There will be a virtual ceremony for the first day of the stamp's issue on February 11, via Facebook and Twitter. To find out more, visit usps.com

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WiNDUP
The beautiful animated short WiNDUP, directed by Yibing Jiang, breathes life into the special bond between a father and his ailing daughter to highlight the fragile nature of life, love, and the healing power of music.

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The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Julie Kwon, is an inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military. Description: "Hazel Ying Lee was born fearless -- she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she belonged. When people scoffed at her dreams of becoming a pilot, Hazel wouldn't take no for an answer. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. It was a dangerous job, but Hazel flew with joy and boldness. This moving, true story about a groundbreaking figure will inspire young readers to challenge barriers and reach for the sky."

Asian American Woman's Home Vandalized in Hate Crime

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



"I wear my mask if I want F**KING ASIAN you create the virus"
In San Francisco, police are investigating a hate crime in the city's Sunset District, where a man vandalized an Asian American woman's home and left a letter saying, "I wear my mask if I want FUCKING ASIAN you create the virus." The hate incidents were apparent set off by an altercation in which the woman, who was outside her home with her infant twins, asked a passing man to wear a mask. The man later returned multiple times to throw a water bottle, then an egg and then to leave not only the letter but a mask with writing on it, which said "keep America without Asian." Police are investigating the incident as "racially motivated." Ya think?

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Vancouver. What in the fuck. pic.twitter.com/PKykQ55SAF

— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) October 23, 2020

Woman Pushed Off Vancouver Bus After Spitting on Man
Metro Vancouver Transit Police are investigating after a video was posted on TikTok showing a woman who appears to have been pushed off a bus after she spit on another passenger. In the video, the bus is stopped when a woman, who is standing in the aisle and not wearing a face mask, appears to spit on a man. The man, who is wearing a face mask, appears shocked and disgusted, gets up from his seat and appears to push the woman twice. After the second push, the woman can be seen falling onto a sidewalk. I can't say I condone physical violence, but hell, I'm not gonna fault this guy for losing his cool in the moment.

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Steven Yeun Could Become the First Asian American Best Actor Nominee
With Hollywood's upcoming awards season starting to take shape, A24 has confirmed that Steven Yeun will campaign as a lead actor for his performance in Minari. Co-star Yeri Han will also campaign for best actress, while his cast mates Alan S. Kim, Will Patton and Yuh-Jung Youn will look for consideration in the supporting categories. If nominated for best actor, Yeun would be the first Asian American to ever be recognized in the category. Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, Minari tells the story of a Korean American family who searches for a better life when they move to a small farm in 1980s Arkansas. The film is scheduled for release sometime by the end of this year.

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Jeremy Lin Drops First Ever Signature Shoe with Xtep
Chinese sports retailer Xtep has released the Jeremy Lin's first signature shoe: the Xtep JLIN ONE.

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Kelly Marie Tran Shirt
I don't care what anybody says. I'm totally rocking this Kelly Marie Tran shirt.

Boston City Councillor Michelle Wu is Running For Mayor

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu Announces Run For Mayor
It's official: Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu will run for mayor in 2021. Wu announced her candidacy Tuesday morning with a video in three languages that zeroed in on issues including public health, housing and transportation. "Now is the time for change," Wu said at the end of the video.

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Suspected Arsonist Caught on Video in San Francisco Printing Shop In San Francisco, a suspected arsonist was caught on video robbing and setting fire to an Asian immigrant-owned printing shop. The suspect reportedly broke in to Dragon Printing in the Sunset District, burglarized the store, and then deliberately started a fire -- burning the majority of the inventory, machines, and everything else in sight. The store, which was started by the Wong family nearly 35 years ago, is now in danger of closing. Friends have started a GoFundMe campaign in support of Dragon Printing.

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House Passes Bill to Name Houston Post Office After Slain Sikh Deputy
On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 5317, which would rename a post office in Houston, Texas the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office, in honor of Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh sheriff's deputy who was killed during a traffic stop last year. Dhaliwal was the first Sikh deputy to work for the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and the first deputy to be allowed to wear his turban while on-duty.

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Family Style: Season Two
Season two of Stage13's Family Style is now out and available for viewing. The award-winning food and pop culture streaming series features a group of friends and celebrity guests exploring popular Asian food restaurants and cultural locales. Each episode of season two centers on the stories surrounding the sharing of food both across a table and virtually over a video chat. Partically filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, this season showcases a diverse array of Asian chefs, celebrities, and foodies across multiple generations, sharing favorite recipes, traditions, and locations, representing an array of Asian ethnicities.

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Lovecraft Country: The Craft - Storyboard Artist Eric Yamamoto
Have you been watching the HBO horror drama Lovecraft Country? In this behind-the-scenes clip, Lovecraft Country storyboard artist Eric Yamamoto talks about how he helps bring directors' visions for the show to life.

So You Made the Sidewalk Racist

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



"Fuck Off Gooks"
This heartwarming message was spotted on the sidewalk at Eddy and Laguna in San Francisco.

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Japanese Americans speak out against Andrew Yang's Op-Ed
Japanese American leaders are criticizing former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang's call to Asian Americans to display patriotism during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it brings back painful memories of the rhetoric directed at Americans of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated during World War II.

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"China Poisoned Our People"
A new campaign ad from Republican congressional candidate Kathaleen Wall, who is running for Texas' 22nd Congressional District, seizes the moment and goes heavy on the anti-China rhetoric. "China poisoned our people," a narrator says in the ad, which then lauds President Donald Trump for calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus." You can probably expect to see a lot more of this shit pretty soon.

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hey @andrewyang, consider this me showing my "AMERICAN-NESS" pic.twitter.com/ENfs9wnF3G

— Jenny Yang (@jennyyangtv) April 3, 2020

Honk If You Won't Hate Crime Me
America! Comedian Jenny Yang shows America her American-ness.

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At long last! We get the new full-length album from singer/songwriter Jane Lui, who is now making music as Surrija. New name, new music, new sound. The album's crowdfunding backers have had the privilege of listening to it for months, and now the rest of world's ears get to partake in this fantastic new record. Hear it on SoundCloud, Spotify and the all the usual places you get music.

Brutal attack on Chinatown seniors caught on video

Suspects assaulted three elderly men in an attempted robbery.



In San Francisco, police are searching for suspects who were caught on video assaulting a group of elderly men in a violent attempted robbery on Saturday night.

Brutal attack on 3 men caught on camera in SF's Chinatown

Video of the attack shows a group of seniors walking near Portsmouth Square in Chinatown when they're approached by two suspects who begin throwing punches at them. One victim is hit directly in the face and falls down, appearing to be out cold.

The video was circulated widely on social media.

Food delivery driver accused of racist rant

Caviar driver Nathan Cole was caught on camera yelling profanities and racial slurs at an Asian woman.



In San Francisco, a man delivering online food orders was caught on camera going off on a racist rant, targeting an Asian woman, during one of his deliveries. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

31-year-old Nathan Cole, a delivery driver for the online service Caviar, is accused of yelling profanities and racial slurs at Sophia Shih in front of her home in San Francisco's Sunset neighborhood.

The incident was apparently sparked by Cole's car, which was parked illegally in Shih's driveway. When Shih asked Cole not to park there, he reportedly started screaming at her. A security camera recorded Cole calling Shih "foreign-ass," "dog-eating," "cat-eating..." (KTVU's broadcast bleeped out parts of his rant.)

More here: Food delivery man accused of rant against San Francisco woman

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 41: They Call Us Jane Kim

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. Each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, we welcome our friend, San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim to talk about her bid for mayor. They discuss the city's hotly contested sprint to election day, the issues that divide and unite us, and the Good, Bad and WTF of running for Mayor of San Francisco.

Jane Kim called racial slur at mayoral candidate event

Video shows protestor calling the San Francisco supervisor a "skinny-ass rice-eating motherfucker."



In San Francisco, a mayoral candidate meet-and-greet ended abruptly when protestors interrupted the event and shouted racial slurs at Supervisor Jane Kim, calling her a "skinny-ass rice-eating motherfucker."

VIDEO: Racial slur yelled at SF Mayoral candidate Jane Kim

The incident, caught on Facebook Live video, occurred during a joint campaign event hosted by Kim and Mark Leno in the Fillmore district on Saturday. Kim had just finished speaking about affordable housing in the city when protestors -- apparently supporters of candidate London Breed -- crashed the proceedings.

The video shows an audience member interrupting the Q&A, demanding why Supervisor Breed wasn't invited to the event. Things quickly go off the rails as others join in the shouting, until that first gentleman (who appears to be chomping on some grapes?!) yells "You got this skinny-ass rice-eating motherfucker coming in here" -- referring, of course, to the Asian American candidate -- "what's she going to do in Fillmore?"

Yeah, I think this event is over. The shouting begins around the five-minute mark:

CAAMFest Presents White Rabbit

Starring and co-written by Vivian Bang. Friday, May 11 at AMC Kabuki 8.



San Francisco film fans, this one's for you... Fresh from its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the wonderfully weird and delightful indie comedy White Rabbit is screening at CAAMFest. Co-written and starring Vivian Bang, and directed by Daryl Wein, the film follows Sophia, a Korean American performance artist trying find her voice amidst heartbreak and professional road bumps in modern Los Angeles.

It's screening Friday, May 11 at the AMC Kabuki 8 in Japantown. Here are some more details:

CAAMFest Presents Disoriented Comedy

Saturday, May 12 at New People Cinema



San Franciscooooooo. Are you ready for some laughs? The funny folks of Disoriented Comedy -- "the first-ever (mostly) female Asian American standup comedy tour" -- has joined forces with CAAMFest. Join our pals Jenny Yang, D'Lo, and Atsuko Okatsuka for an evening of kickass comedy. It's happening Saturday, May 12 at New People Cinema in Japantown.

Here are some more details about the show:

Jane Kim is running for Mayor of San Francisco

Supervisor throws her hat into the mayoral race after the passing of Ed Lee.



From SFGate: San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim signaled her intent to enter the 2018 mayoral race Wednesday, requesting nomination papers from the city’s Department of Elections.

Kim, a stalwart progressive as a supervisor, has long been rumored to be considering a bid for the mayor's office. She was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2010.

She and any other candidates eyeing a run for mayor have until Jan. 9 to file the necessary paperwork. Though any number of people may take out the papers to run, none of them are official candidates until those nomination papers are returned.

More here: Supervisor Jane Kim takes first step to run for SF mayor

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.

Most Badass Art Show Ever Pays Tribute to Bruce Lee

"Bruce Lee: Spirit of the Dragon," November 3-25 at Sketchpad Gallery


Bruce fans in San Francisco, here's something you'll want to check out. Sketchpad Gallery and the Bruce Lee Foundation present Bruce Lee: Spirit of the Dragon, a group art exhibition and charity show dedicated to Bruce Lee and his teachings. It runs November 3-25, with an opening reception on Friday, November 3.

"Spirit of the Dragon" features both local and international artists, who have done work for such companies as Lucasfilm, Pixar, Lucasfilm Animation, Industrial Light and Magic, Marvel Comics, DC, IDW, Sony and more.

Featured artists include: Kim Jung Gi, Kim Hyun Jin, Nathan Anderson, Bagger43, John-Paul Balmet, Arvin Bautista, Jamie Borja, Dawn Carlos, Cryssy Cheung, Isaac Davis, Thomas Denmark, Jackson Dryden, Duke Duel, Emonic, Nikki Lukas Longfish, Dela Longfish, Steward Lee, Ben Jelter, Kevin Kwong, Frank T Lin, Brian Kistler, Robotnicc, Dean Stuart, Lloyd Thompson, Dave Yee, Carolina Zeleski, Jeeyoon Park, Le Tang, Chris Koehler, Gary Choo, Alina Chau, and Sinic Choy, to be joined by additional artists.

Here's some sample work from "Spirit of the Dragon":

Asian American family receives hate mail for posting Black Lives Matter sign

San Francisco home targeted with racist, threatening hate letters.



An Asian American family in San Francisco has been the target of racist, threatening hate mail since putting up a sign in support of "Black Lives Matter" in their window. But they're not backing down.

San Francisco Couple Threatened Over 'Black Lives Matter' Sign Display

Debbie Lee says she has had the sign up in the front window of her Forest Knolls/Twin Peaks home since 2015. But over the summer, she started receiving threatening letters about the sign.

The first letter showed up in her mailbox in July. Postmarked with no return address, it declared "BLUE LIVES MATTER! Get rid of your sign or WE will!" By the way, that's a threat.

The second letter said, "It's time to replace your BLM sign. How about CHINK LIVES MATTER."

You Snooze, You Lose (and Someone Buys Your Street)

Bay Area couple buys private San Francisco street at a city auction -- unbeknownst to residents.


Photo Credit: San Francisco Chronicle
Thanks to a little-noticed auction sale -- and a comedically overlooked unpaid tax bill -- a Bay Area couple are now the proud owners of one of the most exclusive streets in San Francisco. And now the street's super-rich residents might actually have to pay to park on their own private street.

Tina Lam and Michael Cheng won Presidio Terrace for just over $90,000 at a city-run auction. The block-long oval private street, home to 35 multi-million-dollar mansions, was up for sale after the Presidio Homeowners Association failed to pay a $14-a-year property tax for thirty years. The homeowners apparently had no idea, and failed to pay because the tax bills had been going to an accountant's outdated address.

86-year-old Chinatown shopkeeper fights off armed intruder

Elderly store owner used a bamboo stick to beat back a knife-wielding assailant.



File under badass... In San Francisco, an 86-year-old Chinatown store owner successfully fought off an armed intruder, using a bamboo stick to beat back a man who tried to attack him with a knife.

SF Chinatown shopkeeper, 86, fends off intruder with bamboo stick

According to the San Francisco Police Department, 49-year-old Thomas Baker was creating a disturbance inside a Chinatown store on Sunday afternoon. When the shopkeeper tried to get him to leave, Baker responded by punching the elderly man repeatedly in the back of the head.

Then he noticed Baker had a knife in his hand.

Four dead in UPS employee's shooting rampage

Gunman Jimmy Lam opened fire on his co-workers, then turned the gun on himself.



A United Parcel Service employee opened fire during a meeting with co-workers at one of the company's San Francisco packing facilities, killing three employees before fatally shooting himself.

UPS gunman targeted his victims, witnesses say

According to witnesses, 38-year-old gunman Jimmy Lam appeared to specifically target three fellow employees. Durning a Wednesday morning meeting, Lam walked up to driver Benson Louie, 50, and shot him. As his co-workers fled the room, he shot Wayne Chan, 56, in the back, and then walked up to him and "finished him." Mike Lefiti, 46, was running from the building when Lam went out onto the street and shot him.

At least two other people were injured in the shooting, which prompted a massive police response to the UPS warehouse in Potrero Hill. When officers confronted Lam inside the building, he shot himself in the head.

"The suspect put the gun to his head and discharged the weapon," Assistant Police Chief Toney Chaplin told reporters, adding that police did not fire any shots. Two guns were recovered at the scene.

This is Jane Kim, but this is not Jane Kim.

San Francisco Business Times posts article with photo of the wrong Jane Kim.



Will the real Jane Kim please stand up? Well, first, somebody at the San Francisco Business Times needs some help telling their Jane Kims apart. They recently published an article about San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim, but the individual in the accompanying photo was not Jane Kim.

Well, it was a person also named Jane Kim. This Jane Kim is Vice President of Revenue at CircleCI, and pretty much looks nothing like the Jane Kim who serves San Francisco's District 6 on the Board of Supervisors. A totally different Asian American woman named Jane Kim, which any competent photo editor should figure out.

Supervisor Jane Kim called out the gaffe on Twitter:

SF Symphony Lunar New Year Concert & Imperial Dinner

SPONSORED POST



Happy Lunar New Year! The San Francisco Symphony invites you to the Lunar New Year Concert and Imperial Dinner, a fun-filled family event celebrating the Year of the Rooster.

Featuring a diverse program of Eastern and Western repertoire, the concert will begin in a blackout with a 60-foot neon dragon dance performed by the Loong Mah Sing See Wui dance ensemble. Guest artists include Mei-Ann Chen (conductor); Tang Jun Qiao (dizi); Amos Yabng (cello). One hour prior to the concert, guests are invited to the Festival Reception with Asian instrument demonstrations, "lucky" red envelopes, tea bars, sweet and savory bites, entertainment, games are more.

It's happening Saturday, February 4 at Davies Symphony Hall. Here are some more details:

When Angry Asian America showed up to march

Reader-submitted photos from the Women's March on Washington and beyond.



You may have heard that some people got together and marched on Saturday. In Washington DC and cities across the nation, an estimated 3.7 million took the streets -- the biggest one-day protest in U.S. history -- in widespread, vocal defiance of Donald Trump's presidency. This is the first day of the next four years.

I knew a lot of friends and readers of this blog would be participating, and I thought it might be fun to create a photo gallery of faces and sights from the Women's March. So I put a call out on social media asking for folks to send photos of themselves and their signs in action...

... And I got flooded with photos. People showed up. I received hundreds of amazing photos from people who participated in marches in cities all around the country. I received so many, I couldn't keep track, and there was no way I could process all of the photos into a gallery in any reasonable amount of time.

But here is a small sampling of the reader-submitted photos from the march. Thank you to everyone who sent one in. I apologize; not every photo I received made it into the gallery. People are still sending them as I write this, and I just had to cut it off. But I appreciate your support and enthusiasm. Stay Angry!