Burglars posing as landscapers or gardeners appear to be targeting Asian American homeowners.
A warning for folks in Torrance, California: Asian American homeowners are reportedly being targeted by burglars posing as gardeners or landscapers. Several burglaries have occurred in recent weeks in town homes in gated communities in the central and eastern areas of Torrance.
According to police, the victims are homeowners of Asian descent who own businesses outside the city. Those victims may have been followed home from work and kept large quantities of cash at home.
The suspects are described as three to four people posing as gardeners or landscape workers. They were believed to be driving late model American minivans and SUVs.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
89-Year-Old Woman Slapped In Face, Set On Fire In Brooklyn
What is wrong with people? In New York, police are looking for two men accused of slapping an 89-year-old Asian woman and setting her shirt on fire. The incident happened on July 14 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Police said the suspects approached the victim and slapped her in the face. When she moved away, they allegedly lit her shirt on fire with a match or lighter, then ran away. Fortunately, the woman didn't suffer any serious injuries. Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the NYPD;s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips.
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Did This Good Morning America Host Interviewing Kristina Wong... Think She Was Talking to Ali Wong?
Comedian and performance artist Kristina Wong was a guest on Good Morning America to talk about her incredible efforts with the "Auntie Sewing Squad," which has created and distributed thousands of masks for vulnerable communities. Awesome, right? Except... the opening moments of the interview seem to indicate that host Amy Robach thought she was talking to comedian Ali Wong. Am I tripping?
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Man arrested for incidents targeting Asians in Torrance, West Carson
Torrance again. Last week, a man was arrested on assault and vandalism charges after being accused of two attacks on an Asian man and a Japanese restaurant this month. 36-year-old Aaron Sutton Angeles allegedly approached an Asian man on the street and asked him multiple times if he was Asian before attacking him with a knife. Upon his arrest, deputies learned Angeles was also suspected of vandalizing a nearby Japanese restaurant a day before the assault, when he was seen throwing a rock through the restaurant's window. He was reportedly also overheard saying, "The Japanese caused 9-11." Yeah.
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After Lesko mispronounces Pramila Jayapal's name the first time, she butchers the pronunciation the second time and Jayapal was not having it.@RepJayapal: "Jayapal, if you're going to say my name, please say it right. It's Jayapal." pic.twitter.com/hiw0yEDbz6
Rep. Jayapal Asks Colleague to Properly Pronounce Her Name
It's pronounced JYE-ah-paul. Rep. Pramila Jayapal interrupted Rep. Debbie Lesko to correct how Lesko pronounced her name during a Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday about protests and the use of federal intervention in major cities. "Jayapal," she said. "If you're going to say my name, please say it right. It's Jayapal." You're damn right it is. Make them say your name. Make them say it right.
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The Master of Martial Arts Battles an Army in Arthur Adams' 'Shang-Chi' #1 Cover
Here's a preview of the cover of Marvel Comics' upcoming new Shang-Chi series, written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Dike Ruan. The awesome cover art for the first issue, above, is by industry legend Arthur Adams. Shang-Chi #1 hits shelves in September.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
"Trump is going to fuck you. You fuckers need to leave. Fucking Asian piece of shit."
Jordan Chan was at a restaurant in Carmel Valley, California celebrating her aunt's birthday when they encountered this piece of shit, who started making racist remarks at them. The man, who social media is identifying as Michael Lofthouse, was caught on camera telling them, "Trump is going to fuck you. You fuckers need to leave. Fucking Asian piece of shit." Chan posted the video on Instagram and the internet took it from there. May you suffer the consequences of your actions. Happy 4th of July. Fuck Trump and fuck this guy.
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"You guys can't be in this country."
Meanwhile, in Marin County, an Asian American family was out enjoying a hike in the woods when they encountered a woman who stopped them and told them they "can't be in this country" after scolding them for having a dog on the trail. (There were apparently several other hikers with dogs on the trail. I highly doubt she confronted all those folks.) She told them they were breaking the law and -- classic move, true to form! -- pulled out her phone to call the police, aka The Manager. Then she scurried away when she realized she was being filmed. Meet the internet, lady.
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Woman who went on anti-Asian tirades arrested on separate battery charge
Remember that racist lady in Torrance? You know who I'm talking about. The woman whose racist anti-Asian tirades went viral last month has a warrant out for her arrest -- but not for those incidents. She's wanted in connection with a separate confrontation from last year. 54-year-old Lena Hernandez was charged Thursday in an alleged case of battery stemming from an incident at a local mall on October 14, 2019, in which she verbally assaulted a custodian and struck another person who tried to intervene. According to the city attorney, there is "insufficient evidence" to support filing criminal charges regarding the incidents at the park. Folks calling for her head will have to settle for the battery charge, and hope you don't run into Lena on the street.
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ICE: Foreign Students Must Leave The U.S. If Their Colleges Go Online-Only This Fall
Foreign students attending U.S. colleges that will operate entirely online this fall semester cannot remain in the country to do so, according to new regulations released Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. So these have a choice, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: risk your life going to class in-person or get deported. Another cruel, garbage move by the White House and its ongoing campaign of to rid the nation of immigrants, one xenophobic step at a time.
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The F*CK Racism Collection
A shirt design for our times. A collaboration between People Anyday and ZeebLabs, the limited edition shirt has a fun message when you fold it up. All proceeds from sales of the shirt will go to the Equal Justice Initiative.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Detectives Interview Woman from Racist Rant Video
The "manhunt" is over. Police have located Lena Hernandez, the woman identified in connection with multiple racist incidents that were caught on camera and went viral. Hernandez was reportedly found by Torrance Police Department detectives and members of the Specialized Crisis Intervention Team in a park in San Pedro on Wednesday. Investigators interviewed Hernandez regarding the rants at the park, as well as a third incident last year at a local mall, in which Hernandez was accused of pushing and striking a woman. So they interviewed her... and that's it. Nothing else happened. "Based on the fact all three incidents are misdemeanor crimes and did not occur in the presence of an officer, Hernandez was not arrested at the time of the interview," according to the police's press release. Prosecutors apparently haven't made a decision to bring misdemeanor charges against her, because... well, I don't actually know. How about charging her because people need to know that shit isn't right?
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Megan Amram Apologizes for Resurfaced Offensive Tweets
Megan Amram, a co-producer and writer for NBC's The Good Place and star and creator of the web series An Emmy for Megan, has issued an apology for past tweets of hers that recently resurfaced from the early 2010s making offensive jokes about Asian Americans, Jewish people, as well as people with disabilities. After blocking critics left and right for months regarding these tweets, I guess she finally decided she couldn't pretend this shit never happened. The apology is long and isn't very good. Hell, even if it was awesome, none of it matters if she doesn't back it up with this "action and change" she promises. I won't hold my breath.
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‘Top Chef: All-Stars' champ’s secret ingredient: San Gabriel Valley flavors Top Chef All-Stars: Los Angeles came to a dramatic conclusion on Thursday night as the remaining three chefs -- Bryan Voltaggio, Stephanie Cmar and Melissa King -- were tasked with serving a group of international culinary legends in Tuscany, Italy. On the menu? "The best progressive four-course meal of your life," said host, judge and executive producer Padma Lakshmi. The winner: Melissa King, who paired her Italian techniques and local ingredients with the Chinese flavors of her San Gabriel Valley childhood: char siu glazed octopus with fennel, squash agnolotti with Szechuan chili oil, grilled squab with persimmon, porcini and fermented black bean, and Hong Kong milk tea tiramisu.
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Nahnatchka Khan, Netflix Team for Romantic Comedy 'Dial A for Aunties'
Netflix and Fresh Off the Boat creator Nahnatchka Khan have teamed up to adapt Dial A for Aunties, a highly sought-after upcoming book by Indonesia-based author Jesse Q. Sutanto. Described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Weekend at Bernie's, the story centers on a young wedding photographer who, along with her mother and aunts, tries to hide the body of her blind date while working the wedding day of a wealthy client. The book is tentatively set for release in April 2021.
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Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi
In Hulu's Taste the Nation, Padma Lakshmi takes audiences on a journey across America, exploring the rich and diverse food culture of various immigrant groups, seeking out the people who have so heavily shaped what American food is today. From indigenous communities to recent immigrant arrivals, Padma breaks bread with Americans across the nation to uncover the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history -- ultimately revealing stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Torrance Police Investigate Hate Crime After Store Finds Threatening Note
"Do not forget you are in America. We can do anything we want." In Torrance, California -- yes, friggin' Torrance again -- police are investigating this racist, threatening note that was found pinned to the front door of a Japanese cookware shop. Among many others things, the printed screed reads "go back to Japan" and threatens violence. "We are going to bomb your store if you don't listen and we know where you live." This is a hate crime. There's been some speculation on social media that the note, based on grammar and spelling, was not written by a native English speaker. Maybe. But also I have complete confidence that plenty of Americans, born and raised here, can't write for shit.
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New Jersey Chinese Restaurant Vandalized with Racist COVID-19 Graffiti
A Chinese restaurant in New Jersey was vandalized with hateful messages regarding the coronavirus overnight Wednesday. The owner of New Gourmet Garden in Wyckoff arrived in the morning to discover racist spray-painted graffiti on the restaurant's storefront, including "coronavirus" and "COVID-19" with an arrow pointing at the front door and "Go home to China." The incident -- the second time a business has been vandalized during the pandemic -- is being investigated as a hate crime.
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California Assemblyman Accused of Making Racist Remarks
A coalition of Silicon Valley civil rights leaders are calling for a California legislator to resign over "racist and bigoted" comments they say he made about African American and Latinx children's ability to learn and compete in school. Assemblyman Kansen Chu's alleged comments were printed in the Chinese language newspaper World Journal, in a June 11 article, in which Chu said many Hispanic Americans told him "they did not care about their children's education, they are busy with their livelihoods, and they did not intend to let their children attend college." Chu is also alleged to have said "many Hispanic and African ethnic groups are unable to compete or have the ability to continue their studies due to unresolved structural economic and educational problems." Chu claims the World Journal article "was written with the reporter's own opinion and not direct or literal quotes from me," and the translation was inaccurate.
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Constance Wu Joins Period Rom-Com 'Mr Malcolm’s List'
Constance Wu has joined the cast of the period romantic comedy Mr. Malcolm's List. Based on the novel of the same name, the film stars Sope Dirisu as the titular Mr. Malcolm, London's most eligible bachelor. Wu will play Julia, a society lady who is jilted by Mr. Malcolm when she fails to meet one of the items on his list of requirements for a bride. Feeling shunned and humiliated, she enlists her friend Selina (Freida Pinto) to help her take revenge on Mr. Malcolm by tricking him into thinking he has found his perfect match. Who says Asians can't star in western-set period stories? Bring it, I say.
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See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
"How do we love in a time of rage? How do we fix a broken world while not breaking ourselves? Valarie Kaur -- renowned Sikh activist, filmmaker, and civil rights lawyer -- describes revolutionary love as the call of our time, a radical, joyful practice that extends in three directions: to others, to our opponents, and to ourselves. It enjoins us to see no stranger but instead look at others and say: You are part of me I do not yet know. Starting from that place of wonder, the world begins to change: It is a practice that can transform a relationship, a community, a culture, even a nation."
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
"Go back to whatever fucking Asian country you belong in."
Wednesday morning in Torrance, California. An Asian American woman exercising at the park has a run-in with a surly woman who tells her, among other things, "Go back to whatever fucking Asian country you belong in." The altercation was apparently set off over the use of a public staircase, when the woman in the hat got a little too close -- purposely, it seems -- to the exercising woman's personal space. The woman proceeds to vomit an entitled racist rant that will surely launch her into internet infamy. Do your thing.
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ASIAN EXCELLENCE!!!!!
don't let white racists in flip flops get away with their bullshit! WE BASICALLY INVENTED FLIP FLOPS!
i do not love a physical fist fight but i gotta say that KO was...satisfying. pic.twitter.com/piibxISdAY
Proof That Asians Are Not Inherently Good at Martial Arts
Here's proof that Asians are not inherently good at martial arts. In this video, a racist dude picks a fight with an Asian man on the street. It's worth noting that the Asian guy is not up for the confrontation and valiantly tries to get the fuck away from this guy, the aggressor. But at some point he has no choice and puts up his dukes. What ensues is the least impressive street fight ever captured on video... except for the stunning, deeply satisfying conclusion, where Asian man lands his swing and knocks out the dude. Cold. In the middle of the crosswalk. Even then, the fight decisively over, Asian guy is polite as hell, and attempts to move his vanquished adversary's limp body to safety. It ain't gung fu, but we will still knock a racist the fuck out. And be decent about it.
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Opera In The Rock Presents Madama Butterfly -- in Yellowface!
For real? How is this still okay? The Arkansas-based opera company will be streaming a recorded version of its production of Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly -- featuring white actors in what appears to be full-ass yellowface makeup and regalia. And get this: Opera in the Rock originally presented Madama Butterfly in May 2019 in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month "to showcase the struggle and contribution of Asian Americans in our society." It seems this celebration, however, did not extend to anyone going out of their way to find actual Asian actors for this production. This is some bullshit. No, thank you.
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Black lives matter. Thoughts and wishes from one small business.
I found this statement on Black Lives Matter from New York City's Pearl River Mart to be particularly eloquent and thoughtful. It's nice to hear these introspective sentiments from an Asian American small business.
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Karma
HBO Max's Karma takes sixteen contestants, ranging in age from 12 to 15, completely off the grid, away from parents and the normal comforts of home, to solve puzzles and overcome physical challenges, with the laws of karma setting the rules. Hosted by Michelle Khare, this adventure competition series will test the mental and physical stamina of its young contestants as they unravel how their social actions impact their success in the game. Focus, giving, humility, growth, connection, change, and patience are the path to becoming the "Karma Champion." Karma premieres June 18 on HBO Max.
Holy moly. Hungry in Southern California? I just learned about the first Los Angeles Ramen Yokocho Fest, which touts itself as "the largest ramen show in the United States." You mean to tell me that ramen shows are a thing, and I've been missing out? People, don't you think I would want to know about this?
This one's going down September 14-15 at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. Like the flyer says, free admission, free parking and all ramen for just eight bucks. Whaaaaaat. For more information, go here.
