Samir will debut in the upcoming special "Arthur's First Day."
Arthur, the beloved long-running animated kids' show, is getting a Sikh character.
When Arthur and his friends start the new school year, they'll meet some new classmates -- including a Sikh boy named Samir. The character will make his debut in an upcoming hour-long special.
In "Arthur's First Day," best friends Arthur and Buster get assigned to different classes on their first day of fourth grade and find themselves having to make new friends. Arthur gets to know Alex, a boy he went to third grade with. Buster, meanwhile, becomes buds with Samir as the two work together to solve a mystery.
The special is scheduled to premiere on PBS on September 6.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Life as a Sikh in Trump's America
"Many Sikh civil rights groups believe that the Trump presidency is to blame for a 17% spike in anti-Sikh violence since the 2016 election, as well as a deluge of other discriminatory incidents in the workplace, in housing, in schools, at airport security checkpoints. The president’s inflammatory language about immigrants and foreigners, they say, has made official profiling more prevalent and emboldened racists to speak and act more openly."
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New York Politician Apologizes for Calling BLM 'Business Lives Matter'
New York City Council member Peter Koo apologized on Thursday for saying BLM stood for "business lives matter" during a speech. Speaking at a forum with the city's Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Koo was speaking in opposition to a proposal for a bus lane for stretch of street in Flushing, saying that the plan posed a problem for local small-business owners. "BLM, it means what? Business lives matter," Koo said to the crowd. Stop. That is the sound of my eyes rolling. You can make your point without saying shit like this. The councilman has since apologized for his remarks.
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Scientist Killed During Her Regular Morning Run
A 43-year-old scientist and mother of two was found dead near a creek in Plano, Texas, on Saturday morning after going out for her regular morning run. Sarmistha Sen had gotten up early for a run and at some point in time came across her attacker. Less than two hours later, a witness discovered Sen's body near the creek. Her death is being classified as a homicide and a person of interest is currently being held for a burglary that happened nearby, according to police. Local residents paid tribute to Sen by dropping off pairs of running shoes near the site where she was killed.
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Classroom Convos 1: Difficult Conversations About Race
The recent racial uprising has made us all aware of the extent of racism around us. More of us, especially the younger generation, are now willing to talk about race and find collective ways to combat systemic racism. But these conversations are not easy, and we may not even be comfortable talking about race, because we were never taught how to. However, these conversations are crucial to bring about a systemic change. Act to Change invites you to their first Classroom Convos, a youth workshop that will guide you on talking about race, especially with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Participants will be able to reflect on their challenges and discomforts with talking about race and racism, and will leave with concrete strategies to increase their influence and sustainability. It's happening Friday, August 7 at 1pm ET. Speakers will include Maulik Pancholy, actor, author & co-founder of Act To Change; and Richard Leong, leadership development coach & board member of Act To Change. Register for the webinar here.
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Lucky Grandma Lucky Grandma is now available on digital platforms. Written and directed by Sasie Sealy, this darkly hilarious indie feature stars the legendary Tsai Chin at the center of a Chinatown gangster caper. An ornery, chain-smoking, newly widowed 80-year-old Grandma is eager to live life as an independent woman, despite the worry of her family. When a local fortune teller predicts a most auspicious day in her future, Grandma decides to head to the casino and goes all in, only to land herself on the wrong side of luck... suddenly attracting the attention of some local gangsters. Desperate to protect herself, Grandma employs the services of a bodyguard from a rival gang and soon finds herself right in the middle of a Chinatown gang war.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
DA Charges Suspect With Bias-Motivated Crime After Attack On Sikh Man
Nearly three months after Lakhwant Singh was brutally assaulted in Lakewood, Colorado, the district attorney has finally decided to add a hate crime charge against his assailant. Eric Breemen verbally accosted Mr. Singh and his wife in their store, repeatedly telling them both to "go back to your country," before running over Mr. Singh with his car and leaving him for dead. He later described Mr. Singh as an "older Arab" to the officers who arrested him. Up until this week, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office publicly stated they didn't believe the assault on Mr. Singh was biased, because "go back to your country" is "not racial." I don't know, I thought it was pretty damn racial. But I guess they changed their minds. Moving forward, Breemen will be charged with multiple counts -- now including a bias-motivated crime.
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Fort Hood Soldier's Remains Are Found At A Nearby Lake
Police are investigating the death of a Fort Hood soldier whose body was found at a nearby lake -- the third service member from the Texas base to be found dead in the past month. Pvt. Mejhor Morta was found unresponsive on July 17 in the area of Stillhouse Hollow Lake. His death is currently being investigated by the Bell County Sheriff's Department. Preliminary autopsy results show the cause of death is "consistent with drowning." Police officials have not said whether they consider Morta's death to be suspicious, or if it might be connected in any way to the two other deaths, but three deaths at the same base is not normal.
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Austin DJ says he was threatened, called anti-Asian slur near UT campus
In Austin, G. Michael Pendon — the artist better known as DJ Jester, the Filipino Fist -- was out for a nighttime bike ride on Saturday near the University of Texas campus when he was repeatedly harassed by a group in a pickup truck, who threatened him and called him racist and homophobic slurs. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. The Austin Police Department says there's an open investigation into Pendon's report. Meanwhile, Pendon is seeking security camera footage from the condo development and nearby businesses to help identify the men who harassed him.
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100 Miles Apart
In this documentary short by Garveaux Sibulboro, a love story: Two newly engaged Filipino American healthcare workers are forced to shelter in place 100 miles away from each other during the Coronavirus pandemic as one nurse volunteers to work a COVID unit, leaving their immediate future in ambiguity.
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Race & Storytelling: Asian American Voices
SAG-AFTRA hosted a livestream panel discussion, "Race & Storytelling: Asian American Voices," featuring veteran actor Clyde Kusatsu, The Good Doctor's Christina Chang, ABC News' Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Parvesh Cheena, Fresh Off The Boat's Hudson Yang, casting director Leslie Woo, and moderator Jeff Yang. They discussed the ways in which better representation and three-dimensional portrayals of Asian American characters can counter stereotypes and result in larger societal impact.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Retired Navy captain apologizes after racial slurs streamed on Facebook
A former member of the U.S. Naval Academy alumni trustees issued an apology Sunday for using racial slurs on social media. Retired Capt. Scott Bethmann was asked to resign as a trustee on Saturday after a live conversation with his wife that was posted on Facebook disparaged admission by the academy of African Americans, Asian Americans and women. The comments were made by Bethmann and his wife, Nancy, while they were watching TV news and discussing the Black Lives Matter movement. They were overheard using the N-word and making other racial comments while accidentally streaming live on Facebook. Gotcha, suckers. Private racism that becomes public is my favorite genre.
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Katie Leung Speaks Out For Trans Women Amid J.K. Rowling Backlash
If you were only Twitter over the weekend, you may have seen that "Cho Chang" was trending. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling stepped in it again, making remarks about transgender women that were widely criticized as transphobic. Twitter was there for the backlash, airing out old grievances about her work -- including the fact that she lazily named Harry Potter's only East Asian character "Cho Chang." I guess we've been holding on to that one for a while. It got so crazy that even Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the movies, weighed in on the matter, sort of. "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes..." she tweeted, before dropping a flurry of links in support of transgender rights. So yeah, I think we know where she stands on what matters.
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BTS Fan Army Matches $1 Million Donation to Black Lives Matter
As I've said before, don't mess with K-pop fans -- particularly the massive fan army behind BTS. When news came out Saturday that BTS and their record label Big Hit Entertainment had donated $1 million to support the Black Lives Matter campaign amid worldwide protests against racism and police brutality, their fans decided to match it. And match it they did -- in just over a day.
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How to Feed Crowds in a Protest or Pandemic? The Sikhs Know
"Since the coronavirus pandemic has halted religious gatherings in most of the country, including langar, gurdwaras like the Sikh Center of New York, in Queens Village, are mobilizing their large-scale cooking resources to meet the skyrocketing need for food aid outside their places of worship."
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Well Played by Beau Sia
"These poems began as an answer. In the face of the undeniable, they became a reckoning. Of the lies that are lived to feel belonging. Of the lies that are told to hide shame. Of the lies that are believed to maintain within illusions. Well Played is a warning to the present, a welcoming of the truth, and a poet working to earn his way."
All Four Cops Involved in George Floyd's Killing Now Face Charges
Minnesota officials charged three more former police officers on Wednesday in the death of George Floyd, and added an upgraded charge against the former officer who pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. Derek Chauvin, who was previously charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, now faces a more serious count of second-degree murder. Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, who helped restrain Floyd, and Tou Thao, who stood near the others, were not initially charged, but now face counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
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We Cannot Stay Silent About George Floyd
"I'm not saying we were the ones who killed George Floyd. But we have to be the ones who pull that cop off his neck!" In this Patriot Act digital exclusive, Hasan Minhaj responds to the wave of protests over police brutality.
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Sikh Liquor Store Owner Attacked in Hate Crime
Last month in Colorado, a Sikh liquor store owner was brutally attacked by a man who told him to "go back to your country." Lakhwant Singh and his wife were working in their store when the attacker, Eric Breemen, entered and began harassing the couple, damaging numerous items and shouting profanity. When Breemen finally left the store, Singh went outside take a photo of Breemen's license plate in order to report the harassment. Breemen then used his vehicle to ram Singh, who suffered serious injuries. Breemen, who was out on bond for another case, was apprehended and charged with six felonies, including attempted murder, first-degree assault for extreme indifference, first-degree assault for causing serious bodily injury, leaving a scene involving serious bodily injury, vehicular assault and violating bail bond conditions. But what about hate crime charges"?
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K-Pop Fans Take Over #WhiteLivesMatter to Drown Out Racist Posts
On Wednesday, sad little racists apparently tried to get #whitelivesmatter trending, only to be resoundingly thwarted by K-pop fans. Yes, K-pop fans. In an anti-racist move that demonstrates their formidable, highly organized social-media power, K-Pop fans hijacked the hashtag, drowning out white-supremacist messages with nonsensical or anti-racist posts. Moral of the story: don't fuck with K-pop fans.
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Bruce Lee: Art of the Warrior
Ahead of Be Water, the new 30 for 30 documentary on the life of Bruce Lee, ESPN asked eight Asian and Asian American illustrators to reimagine the icon who redefined what an Asian man could be in America.
Ajumma Bring Rhythm Nation to the Grocery Store
Grab your visor and get that perm tight. In celebration of Korean American Day -- an actual thing, my friends, commemorating the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. in 1903 -- the ladies of Ajumma EXP blessed unsuspecting shoppers at Zion Market in San Diego with a dope dance routine set to Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation." Go for the groceries, stay for the flash mob. Watch it here.
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Sikh center in Orangevale defaced with white power and swastika markings
A recently opened Sikh spiritual center in the Sacramento area was defaced with racist graffiti. The sign in front of the Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Center in Orangevale had a swastika and the words "white power" sprayed onto it sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.
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Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani do romantic comedy with a twist in The Lovebirds exclusive first look
Ladies and gentleman, meet your newest rom-com crushes. EW's got the first look at The Lovebirds, the upcoming romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. The film follows Jibran and Leilani, a couple on the brink of a breakup who find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery in New Orleans.
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Awkwafina Returns to Queens, and Nora Lum The New York Times interviews Nora Lum, aka Awkwafina, about her rapid ascent. She recently became the first Asian American to win best actress at the Golden Globes for her lead role in The Farewell, and her semi-autobiographical TV show Awkwafina is Nora From Queens premieres January 22 on Comedy Central.
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Why the Parasite cast deserves Oscars — and didn’t get nominated
While Bong Joon Ho's masterpiece Parasite racked up six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, the film's cast was conspicuously (and predictably) shut out. News flash: the Oscars don't have a particularly good track record of awarding actors in foreign-language films.
Oh yeah, heads up: Parasite is now available for purchase on digital platforms. Amazon | iTunes | Vudu | Google Play
"This assault is being investigated as a bias incident."
Photo: Sikh Coalition
Last week in Washington state, an Uber passenger was arrested for strangling his Sikh American driver during a ride. The attack is reportedly being investigated as a possible hate crime.
22-year-old Grifin Levi Sayers allegedly attacked his Uber driver -- who is Indian and wears a turban and unshorn hair in observant of his Sikh faith -- in the early morning hours of December 5 in Bellingham.
At the end of the ride, Sayers became verbally and physically abusive against the driver, making racist accusations about his appearance and Indian heritage before grabbing the driver's throat.
An intruder broke a window at Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres and punched a temple leader.
Last week in California's Central Valley, an intruder broke into a Sikh temple, destroyed windows, assaulted a temple leader, shouted obscenities and told him to go back to his own country before fleeing.
Amarjit Singh, who lives and works at the Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres, was at his home on temple grounds late Thursday night when a masked intruder broke two windows in his bedroom. When Singh lifted the window blinds to look out, the intruder punched him in the neck and shouted "go back, go back to your country" before fleeing.
Deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said, inexplicably, it's too early to call it a hate crime.
Andrew Ramsey assaulted Harwinder Dodd and attempted to steal his turban.
In Oregon, a man is facing a hate crime charge after attacking a Sikh convenience store owner and attempting to steal his turban, in a violent altercation that started with a disagreement over a pack of cigarettes.
On Monday, 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey tried to purchase cigarettes at the 12th Street Market in Salem, but didn’t have identification with him. When the owner, Harwinder Dodd, refused to sell him the cigarettes, Ramsey became angry and attacked him, throwing his shoe at him, pushing him down and attempting to steal his turban.
According to a probable cause statement, Ramsey told police he thought removing the Dodd's turban would disrespect him because he was "Hindu and prays to Vishnu the catfish god." Ramsey was charged with misdemeanor second-degree intimidation -- a hate crime in Oregon -- and fourth-degree assault charges.
"He attacked my faith, my dignity, and my entire community."
On Friday in Seattle, a man was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to the 2017 assault with a deadly weapon of a 53-year-old Sikh American taxi driver.
Swarn Singh, who maintains and unshorn beard and wears a turban in observance with this Sikh faith, was driving his taxi last December when Rory Benson, a passenger, brutally attacked him with a hammer.
On December 16, 2017, Singh had parked outside an apartment building to drop off Rory Benson and his mother. It was then that Benson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, attacked Singh, grabbing the piece of cloth Singh kept in his taxi to wipe the windshield and attempted to suffocate him with it.
Singh immediately ran out of the taxi, but Benson, grabbing a hammer from his bag, chased him on foot. He caught up to Singh and hit him in the head repeatedly, specifically targeting his turban and knocking it to the ground. Singh suffered a scalp laceration and a skull fracture. Benson was arrested.
Suspects repeatedly punched, kicked and spit on a 71-year-old man in broad daylight.
In northern California, two teens have been arrested in the brutal assault on a 71-year-old Sikh man in broad daylight. Investigators say the attack was an attempted robbery, but the victim's family is calling it a hate crime.
Sahib Singh Natt was taking his daily walk around a park in Manteca when he was confronted by 18-year-old Tyrone McAllister and a 16-year-old boy, who demanded money from him. When Natt, who has trouble communicating, tried to walk away, they blocked him and the confrontation became violent.
A neighbor's home surveillance video shows one of the men kicking Natt to the ground. When he attempts to get back up, he gets kicked repeatedly. They assailants start to walk away while Natt is still on the ground, but one of them returns to kick him a few more times and spit on him.
"If that offends you, then don't wear the turban."
A pair of New Jersey radio hosts have been suspended for referring to the state's Sikh attorney general as "turban man" during their program this week. Because you can always count on talk radio to keep it classy.
On Wednesday's edition of New Jersey 101.5's popular mid-day program The Dennis & Judi Show, hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco were discussing Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal's recent order to suspend marijuana prosecutions. Malloy said he couldn't remember the attorney general's name, so he'd just refer to him as "the guy with the turban."
"Turban maaaaaan!" Franco replied, in a sing-song voice.
"If that offends you, then don't wear the turban," Malloy said. "And maybe I'll remember your name."
Grewal, who was born and raised in New Jersey, is the first Sikh American Attorney General in United States history. He responded to Malloy and Franco's comments on Twitter, calling it "small-minded intolerance."
Hoboken mayor Ravi Bhalla says death threats have been made against him and his family.
From NJ.com: Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is publicly acknowledging death threats that have made against him and his family.
In a statement issued Friday afternoon following a security breach at City Hall Thursday, Bhalla said he and his family have been threatened and that the city is working with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force to improve security at City Hall.
"This incident, along with death threats to me and my family, is an unfortunate reminder that we need to take security seriously," Bhalla said.
Hoboken city councilman emerges victorious after racist fliers called him a "terrorist."
The Jersey Journal
Awwww yeah. Take that, racists! The Hoboken councilman who was targeted with a racist flier calling him a "terrorist" has won the city's mayoral race, becoming the first Sikh mayor in the state of New Jersey.
Just days before the election, fliers attacking Ravi Bhalla were anonymously placed on car windshields in the mid-town area, warning "Don't let TERRORISM take over our Town!" above a picture of Bhalla, who is Indian American and wears a turban and unshorn beard in accordance with his Sikh faith.
The fliers appear to have been a modified version of a mailer previously sent by the campaign of mayoral opponent Michael DeFusco, claiming that Bhalla had an alleged conflict of interest. DeFusco denounced the fliers, saying his campaign had nothing to do with them. Whoever's responsible -- surprise, racists are anonymous cowards -- they were probably pretty disappointed with the election results.
On Tuesday, Bhalla emerged the historic winner atop a field of six candidates, garnering 34 percent of the vote. Congratulations to Ravi Bhalla, the first Sikh to be elected mayor of a New Jersey municipality. About time.
These snaps should give you a sense of what it's like for anyone who appears to be Muslim to travel by plane.
The thing about commercial air travel is that you never know what kind of weird or awful or questionable people you're going to be forced to fly with. For instance, this recent flight where a Sikh man boarded the plane. No, I'm not calling the Sikh passenger weird or awful or questionable. I'm talking about the asshole who freaked out over the sight of a guy with a turban and beard and broadcast his racist assumptions on social media.
Because a guy who looks like that could definitely be a terrorist, right? This jerk recently documented his ridiculous prejudice and paranoia on Snapchat, posting photos of the Sikh passenger seated nearby, taken surreptitiously over the course of the flight, chronicling his activities with fearful commentary like, "Please god just let the man sleep" and "Ok he just walk to the back of the Plane then to the front then to his seat."
Screen grabs of the Snapchat posts were shared on social media by educator and activist Simran Jeet Singh, who is also Sikh and is all too familiar with the "uncomfortable stares" of fellow passengers in an era of heightened Islamophobia. And yet Singh tries to show compassion even when faced with such ignorance.
"This series of snaps should give you a sense of what it's like for anyone who appears to be Muslim to travel by plane," Singh wrote in a series of tweets. "As a Sikh who flies frequently, I'm no stranger to the uncomfortable stares and misguided fears people have of me."
Harkirat Singh was assaulted by drunken passengers who called him racial slurs and ripped off his turban.
Harkirat Singh (Photo Credit: New York Daily News)
In New York, a Sikh taxi driver was assaulted by a group of drunken passengers who called him racial slurs and ripped his turban off his head. Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. (No shit.)
25-year-old Harkirat Singh, who wears a turban and unshorn beard in observance of his Sikh faith, was driving a woman and three men in their early 20s from Madison Square Garden to the Bronx early Sunday morning when the passengers began to physically assault him and rip off his turban.
Masked gunman shoots Sikh man outside his home in Washington.
Police in the Seattle area are investigating a hate crime after a masked gunman told a Sikh man to "go back to your country," before shooting him. This is not to be confused with another hate crime in Kansas, where an Indian man was shot to death in a bar after being told to "get out of my country."
The victim, a 39-year-old Indian man who wears a turban in observance of Sikh faith, was shot outside his home in Kent's East Hill neighborhood on Friday night. He suffered a non-life threatening injury.
According to police, the victim was working on his car in his driveway when he was approached by an unknown man, who asked something along the lines of "why are you cleaning your car?" The conversation became heated and the man threatened the victim, making statements to the effect of "Go back to your own country," before he pushed him to the ground, pulled out a gun and shot him in the arm.
The Sikh Society of Calgary was found defaced with spray-painted hate symbols.
This one comes to us from Canada... but I'm okay with blaming Trump for this too. In Calgary, police are investigating a possible hate crime after someone vandalized a Sikh gurdwara with hate graffiti.
On Thursday morning, the grounds of the Sikh Society of Calgary were found defaced with graffiti depicting a swastika and profanity. The six affected areas included several exterior building walls, doors and a sign.
David Hook accused Balmeet Singh of "trying to blow up this country" before throwing a drink at him.
This week in Bakersfield, California, a man accused of yelling racial slurs, threatening violence and throwing a drink at a Sikh man back in September has pleaded no contest to hate crime charges.
40-year-old David Hook was accused of attacking Balmeet Singh outside a restaurant on September 30. Hook approached Singh and began cursing and yelling racial slurs at him. He told Singh, "You're trying to blow up this country. I should... kill you right now," before throwing a cup of soda on him.
Singh shared about the incident in a video posted to YouTube in October:
"You're trying to blow up this country. I should... kill you right now."
In Bakersfield, California, hate crime charges have been filed against a man who allegedly accosted a Sikh man outside a restaurant last month, threatening to kill him and accusing him of "trying to blow up this country."
According to the Kern County District Attorney office, 40-year-old David Hook approached Balmeet Singh outside a restaurant on September 30 and began cursing and yelling racial slurs at him. He told Singh, "You're trying to blow up this country. I should... kill you right now," before throwing a cup of soda on him.
Singh shared about the incident in a video posted to YouTube earlier this month:
