They Call Us Wong Kim Ark's Descendants

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome Annie Lee, Managing Director of Policy for Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Sandra Wong, great-granddaughter of Wong Kim Ark, whose landmark 1898 Supreme Court victory established birthright citizenship in the United States. They discuss the history of United States v. Wong Kim Ark and its profound impact on American citizenship and civil rights; the contemporary political challenges to birthright citizenship and the erosion of constitutional rights; and the importance of educating the next generation about Wong Kim Ark's legacy.

Ending Birthright Citizenship Would Disproportionately Affect Asian Americans

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Lawful Asian immigrants would be disproportionately affected if birthright citizenship ends.

If President Trump succeeds in eliminating universal birthright citizenship, there could be 6.4 million U.S.-born children without legal status by 2050, according to a new study. In addition to affecting undocumented immigrants in the country, the authors say, that change would have a disproportionate effect on Asians who are in the country lawfully.

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ACLU’s Cecillia Wang Argues Trump Birthright Order Is Unconstitutional

Here's the audio of Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, aguing in the Supreme Court that Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.

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This Man’s Great-Grandfather Made Millions of People Americans

Norman Wong, the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, is a 76-year-old retired carpenter living outside San Francisco. His family has not only fought for the constitutional right to citizenship, they're painfully aware of what it looks like when that citizenship, once won, can be used against you.

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Padma Lakshmi: The Decision That Would Create a Permanent American Underclass

"If the Supreme Court doesn't block this executive order, it would create a mess of legal and logistical consequences. Confusion would replace certainty, opening the door to discrimination and a patchwork of rules governing noncitizens' access to our society. Hundreds of thousands of children born in the United States would be thrown into legal limbo every year. And the harm would compound. Ending birthright citizenship would create a permanent underclass of people born in the country but cut off from the rights that citizenship provides."

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Member of burglary ring targeting Asian business owners in Oregon pleads guilty

In Oregon, one of seven members of an alleged burglary ring that has targeted Asian American business owners across the state has pleaded guilty. 45-year-old Jhon Alexander Quintero was part of a group that burglarized Oregon and Washington residences starting in early October 2025. The group identified and watched potential victims, performed reconaissance on their homes, then ransacked the residences. Each of the victims were Asian Americans who owned businesses, and were working at the time of the burglaries.

Cecilia Wang is Leading the Fight For Birthright Citizenship

Daughter of immigrants brings history to bear in fight for birthright citizenship

American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Cecillia Wang, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, has filed lawsuits challenging racial profiling, illegal arrests and mandatory detention for undocumented immigrants. But when she appears before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, she will be arguing against the Trump administration over a question that is fundamental not only to the nation but also to her own family.

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In Supreme Court fight over birthright citizenship, a great-grandson hears echoes of 1898

As the Supreme Court hears arguments over the legality of Trump's executive order stripping birthright citizenship -- a guarantee established by the landmark 1898 ruling that affirmed the American citizenship of Wong Kim Ark, who was born in the United States -- his great-grandson Norman Wong worries that the principle enshrined by his ancestor's case may be in peril.

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Trump officials invoke racist scholars and white supremacists in push to end birthright citizenship

Trump’s attempt to unilaterally rewrite the Constitution to determine who gets to be an American is relying on century-old legal arguments from white supremacists, a former Confederate officer and a case that denied citizenship to Native Americans. In their briefs to the court, Trump administration lawyers cite several scholars who campaigned against birthright citizenship in the 1800s, a movement fueled by anti-Black and anti-Chinese racism in the aftermath of Reconstruction and a rise in anti-immigrant views. Ah, going back to the classics, I see. I would expect nothing less than the worst.

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Alex Duong, comedian and Blue Bloods actor, dies at 42

Alex Duong, the comedian and actor who starred on several episodes of Blue Bloods, has died. He was 42. Duong had been battling alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of tissue cancer, since 2025. In addition to being a fixture in the Los Angeles standup scene, Duong also appearances in shows such as Everybody Hates Chris, Dexter, Death Valley, The Young and the Restless, and Pretty Little Liars.

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KPop Demon Hunters Ceramic Mug Derpy and Sussie

This awesomeness of this Kpop Demon Hunters Derpy and Sussie mug is self-explanatory.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 13: The Call Us The Slants

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.

This week, we welcome Simon Tam, front man for the embattled Asian American rock band The Slants. He talks about the eight-year fight to trademark their band name, the landmark Supreme Court ruling in their favor, and the important right for Asian Americans and other marginalized communities to call ourselves whatever we want.

The Slants win Supreme Court battle over band name

Asian American rock band wins the right to trademark their "disparaging" band name.



'The Slants have won the right to trademark their band name. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that even trademarks considered to be derogatory deserve First Amendment protection, in a ruling that could have significant impact on how speech protection is applied in other trademark cases.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Rule Against Disparaging Trademarks

The Slants' frontman, Simon Tam, filed a lawsuit after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the band from registering its name, and rejected repeat appeals, citing a section of the 1946 Lanham Act, a federal law that prohibits registration of trademarks that "disparage" or "bring into contempt or disrepute" persons, institutions, beliefs or national symbols. Tam contended that the 70-year-old law violates free speech rights.

In an 8-0 ruling, the court agreed with The Slants, determining the law's disparagement clause violates the free speech clause of the First Amendment.

"The commercial market is well stocked with merchandise that disparages prominent figures and groups, and the line between commercial and non-commercial speech is not always clear, as this case illustrates," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his opinion for the court. "If affixing the commercial label permits the suppression of any speech that may lead to political or social 'volatility,' free speech would be endangered."

Sri Srinivasan confirmed to DC Circuit Court

Today, the Senate unanimously voted to confirm Srikanth "Sri" Srinivasan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit: Sri Srinivasan confirmed to judicial seat in unanimous Senate vote.

Srinivasan, who was confirmed in a 97 to 0 vote, is currently the administration's principal deputy solicitor general. He will be the first circuit court judge of South Asian descent in history.

His confirmation is particularly significant, as he becomes a front-runner to be nominated for a Supreme Court vacancy should one arise in the next three years, with some serious bipartisan credentials.

Asian American organizations urge Supreme Court to strike down Arizona's discriminatory voter registration law

This week, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund filed an amici curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, challenging the legality of Proposition 200, Arizona's new restrictive voter registration law. According to AALDEF, Proposition 200 will unfairly burden naturalized citizens, who make up almost 40% of the state's Asian American population.

The brief was filed with twelve other Asian American organizations that conduct voter registration drives in states with laws similar to Arizona's, or whose state legislatures are considering such laws -- laws that will make voter registration more burdensome for Asian American voters and will impair the ability of grassroots groups to register Asian American voters.

Here's more info from AALDEF's press release: