Read These Blogs

Threats against Kelly Marie Tran highlight a fear of women who break sexist stereotypes: So you may have heard that racist, sexist online trolls have targeted Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran. It's not just her race and gender: her character wasn't hyper-sexualized, which infuriated some right-wing types.

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The Year in "Diversity Fatigue": Diversity is increasingly the scapegoat when something old and reliable begins to falter. This year, the supposed overemphasis on diversity was invoked to explain everything from ESPN's ratings to comic book sales.

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8 Asian American Movement Stories from 2017: "The following are a few stories that reflect Asian America not as a demographic category, or even a political vision, but as a political practice that resists imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and all its attendant gendered/raced/classed modes of violence."

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A Tech Pioneer's Final, Unexpected Act: Upon receiving a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, Eric Sun set out to achieve some lifelong musical goals.

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The Other People in Springfield: Imran Siddiquee considers the ways in which his identities -- as a Bangladeshi-American and as a man -- were shaped by growing up in the shadow of The Simpsons.

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Viet Thanh Nguyen Provided a Light of Truth in Dark 2017: A few weeks ago, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Viet Thanh Nguyen learned that his autobiographical short story, "War Years," has been censored from the Vietnamese translation of his collection, The Refugees.

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Before Jojo McIntosh became the Huskies' hard-hitting safety, his family escaped war-torn Cambodia: Washington Huskies' junior safety Jojo McIntosh's grandparents got out of war-torn Cambodia in 1982. He plays never forgetting their sacrifices.

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The Adventures Of Bruce Lee And Freddie Mercury Figures: In the weird imaginary universe of these action figures, Bruce Lee and Freddie Mercury are the best of friends.

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ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Spotlight: Jimmy Woo, Marvel's First Asian-American Hero: With Randall Park appearing as secret agent Jimmy Woo in Marvel's upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp, here's an informative explainer diving in to the strange and surprising history of the character.

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Life lessons you can learn from Bruce Lee: You definitely know Bruce Lee as a famous martial artist and movie star. But did you know Lee was also a philosopher, entrepreneur and a self-made man? Digging deep into his life, we can find lessons that will help any of us live a more meaningful, thoughtful, dedicated life.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 31: They Call Us The Last Jedi

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 go to the movies. We discuss the pop culture legacy of Star Wars, offer some non-spoilery thoughts on The Last Jedi and our favorite new character played by Kelly Marie Tran, and then throw down a super spoilery edition of The Good, The Bad and The WTF.

Angry Reader of the Week: Michael Song

"The experts say I'm about to enter my mid-life crisis..."



Hey, folks. Gather 'round, because it is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Michael Song.

L. Song Richardson Named UCI Law School Dean, Becomes Only Woman of Color Dean of a Top-30 Law School

By Jenn Fang. Cross-Posted from Reappropriate



Earlier today, the UC Irvine School of Law -- ranked within the top 30 of the nation's law schools by US News & World Reports, and ranked 10th among public universities -- announced that Professor L. Song Richardson has been named the school's newest dean, succeeding UCI Law's founding dean, renowned constitutional law scholar Erwin Chemerinsky.

Amy Chu is writing a new female-led Green Hornet comic book

Green Hornet #1 hits stands in March 2018 from Dynamite Entertainment.



Writer Amy Chu is tackling a new Green Hornet comic book series for Dynamite Entertainment, continuing the legacy of the classic pulp vigilante and promising an exciting, modern new take on Green Hornet universe. With art by German Erramouspe, the upcoming series is set for release in March 2018.

Chu picks up where Dynamite's 2010 Kevin Smith series left off, with a new mystery.

Britt Reid Jr., the scion of the Daily Sentinel publishing empire, vanishes during a wild party on his friend's yacht. Meanwhile, crime spikes on the streets of Century City with the mysterious criminal/secret vigilante the Green Hornet absent. It's only a matter of time before someone puts two and two together, and it's up to Kato, former partner of Britt's father, and his daughter Mulan to protect the city and the Green Hornet legacy, while finding out what happened to Britt.

Jose Antonio Vargas lands a book deal

Pulitzer Prize winner's memoir will be titled 'Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.'



From the Los Angeles Times: Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and activist who in 2011 revealed that he unknowingly entered the U.S. with false documents as a child, will publish his debut memoir with HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books.

Vargas' book will be titled Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.

More here: Exclusive: Jose Antonio Vargas, journalist and 'undocumented citizen,' lands book deal

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

The 100 Most Influential Asian Americans of 2017

100 AZNS celebrates the talents, creativity, and leadership among Asian Americans in 2017.



As another year draws to a close, it's a good moment to look back, take stock and consider the individuals and ideas that helped shaped the year that was. Who are the leaders and influencers that are creating change in our community and the world at large? Could we actually come up with a list of influential Asian Americans, à la the annual "Time 100"? Somebody took it upon themselves to find out, and the answer is yes.

100 AZNS is a list celebrating "the immense talents, creativity, and leadership among Asian Americans in 2017." It features artists, writers, performers, filmmakers, politicians, activists and more.

The list was compiled by designer and filmmaker Leah Nichols, who says she was challenged out of initial skepticism that enough Asian Americans could even fill such a list. The real challenge was whittling the list down to 100. The end result, Nichols says, "represents only a selection of many who are putting in the work, livin their best lives, and inspiring positive change." It's pretty inspiring when you see them all together like this.

So here it is, 100 AZNS. Click on the image below to download the entire list (PDF):

This Dy Nguyen and his baby girl.

Guest Post by Thi Bui



This is Dy Nguyen and his baby girl. Like me, Dy was three years old when his mother packed him into a boat to escape Viet Nam, risking everything to seek out safety and freedom.

A victim of political persecution, Dy's mother had been trying to escape since the fall of South Viet Nam. After three failed attempts, Dy's mother made it to Malaysia with her husband and their two boys. But unlike my family, who were resettled after a few months, they were left in the refugee camp for seven years. The camp eventually shut down and they were sent back to Viet Nam along with the other abandoned refugees. By then, Dy was ten years old.

Viet Nam and the U.S. negotiated a program called Resettlement Opportunity for Vietnamese Returnees, and through a complicated screening process, Dy's family was finally allowed to come to the U.S. when he was twelve. The next years of his life were marked by his parents' separation, moving between states, and getting into trouble. In his early twenties, he was convicted for theft by receiving stolen property, lost his green card, and served a five-year sentence. In prison, Dy began to reform. He studied and earned his GED. He found strength and healing in his spiritual faith. Since his release, Dy has been an active member of his church, where he serves as a youth leader and uses his past mistakes to steer those he mentors towards a better path.

Meanwhile, ICE keeps trying to deport him.

How A Christmas Story Live! Made Its Chinese Restaurant Scene Less Racist

Live musical enlists the help of Ken Jeong and The Filharmonic.



From Vulture... When families and "You'll shoot your eye out!" obsessives gather 'round the old flat-screen to watch Fox's ambitious musical event, A Christmas Story Live!, they may notice a few adjustments to the beloved 1983 film that inspired the special.

...Fans of the movie will notice that the production deviates from an almost entirely white cast to include a more diverse group of performers, including Maya Rudolph as Ralphie's mother, David Alan Grier as the surly department-store Santa Claus, Fred Armisen as a store elf, Ken Jeong as a Christmas-tree salesman and Chinese-restaurant owner, and scores of other actors of color who appear as townspeople, Ralphie's classmates, and in a myriad song-and-dance numbers.

But the most noticeable update comes toward the end of the production, during the Chinese-restaurant scene when a group of Asian waiters sing "Deck the Halls" for Ralphie and his family on Christmas day. The original film depicted the waiters as performing the song with stereotypical mispronunciation, singing the song's refrain as "Fa ra ra ra ra" instead of "Fa la la la la." But in this version, the quintet -- in real life, the a cappella group Filharmonic -- performs the classic carol flawlessly.

More here: How A Christmas Story Live! Made Its Chinese-Restaurant Scene Less Racist

Kelly Marie Tran surprises fans discussing 'Star Wars' at the next table

'The Last Jedi' star was eavesdropping on their review.



At long last, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has hit theaters, and those of us who were hyped for our girl Kelly Marie Tran as Rose finally got to see her get her Resistance on and join the fight in a galaxy far, far away.

So what's the verdict on The Last Jedi? What are people saying? Sure, you can go read some critics' reviews, log on to some message boards or jump in on a discussion thread on your Facebook wall. Or you can listen in on people talking about it at the next table. That's what Kelly Marie Tran did.

A few days ago, while in Europe to promote The Last Jedi, Kelly was eating at a pub with a friend when a group of friends came in, at down at the next table and started discussing The Last Jedi in great detail. Naturally, Kelly started eavesdropping, and her friend recorded her reaction as they discussed Rose.

Kelly's reaction is adorably priceless, as one of the diners says, "I looooooooove Rose."

Chloe Kim qualifies for U.S. Olympic snowboard pipe team

17-year-old is the first snowboarder to confirm their nomination to the U.S. Olympic team.



From NBC Sports: In 2014, Chloe Kim ranked high enough to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in snowboard halfpipe, but she was too young to compete at the Winter Games.

Four years later, she'll finally have the opportunity to represent the red, white and blue at the Olympics.

Kim won her second straight Olympic qualifier, which will secure her nomination to the U.S. halfpipe team. The 17-year-old, who is the only woman currently capable of landing back-to-back 1080s, is considered the gold medal favorite for PyeongChang 2018.

More here: Chloe Kim qualifies for U.S. Olympic snowboard pipe team

Read These Blogs

The Best New Character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi Dies in the First Scene: [SPOILER] Resistance gunner Paige Tico is barely on screen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She has very few lines and a sliver of backstory, and she dies mere minutes after being introduced. And yet, Paige ends up being one of the biggest highlights of the latest installment in the intergalactic franchise.

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Who In America Is Allowed To Be Ordinary?: BuzzFeed asked a group of writers to consider the forces that have shaped our lives in 2017. Here, novelist Lisa Ko looks at immigration and the question of who belongs in America.

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The Reddit Moderator Getting a PhD in Online Moderation: Kat Lo is studying the largely thankless job of unpaid content moderation so we can make open and safe online communities.

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'Racist Sandwich': This podcast wants you to think critically about race and food: Soleil Ho's and Zahir Janmohamed's podcast Racist Sandwich covers race, gender and class in the food industry.

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Comedian Jenny Yang's most important relationship is the one with herself: As part of a series on women and mentorship, comedian Jenny Yang speaks about how she developed the most important relationship she has: the one with herself.

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'The Last Jedi's New Hope: Meet 'Star Wars' Breakout Kelly Marie Tran: The latest addition to the 'Star Wars' universe reflects on her major Jedi role, advice from Carrie Fisher and more.

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How Rian Johnson made heroism inclusive in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi': In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, one of the more inclusive Star Wars films in the franchise's 40-year history, writer-director Rian Johnson delivers long overdue moments of heroic inspiration to many underserved fans.

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Calgary-raised Paul Sun-Hyung Lee on finding his Appa in Kim's Convenience: Veteran Canadian character actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee convincingly plays Appa Kim on CBC's Kim's Convenience.

Angry Reader of the Week: Jess Ju

"This interview probably should have been typed in ALL CAPS."



Hello, good people of the internet. It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Jess Ju.

Stay Angry, But Not Hangry

Sponsored Post by KPOP Foods



KPOP Foods was started by a couple of friends who came together through a mutual love for Korean food (and soju), and wanted to share their obsession with the flavors and experience of eating Korean food with America. Powered by an enormously successful Kickstarter campaign, their first product is KPOP Sauce, a "chili sauce with attitude" that can be used for cooking and as a condiment, "good on everything from burgers to broccoli."

Want to get a taste of KPOP Sauce in action? The folks at KPOP Foods have cooked up a special recipe just for you, the good readers of this blog: Angry Asian Man's Pork Belly & Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich. A spicy, Korean twist on a cheesy traditional American classic.

Asians on TV: Do Networks Make the Grade?

Asian Pacific American Media Coalition releases latest diversity "Report Card"; Fox gets an Incomplete.



Over the last few years, we've seen some decent strides in the number of roles for Asian Americans on television. But how do the numbers actually stack up? The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) just released its most recent "Report Card" grading the four major television networks on their progress toward diversity and inclusion of Asian Americans for the 2016-17 season.

At the top of the class: ABC. On the strength of its 21 regular and 23 recurring Asian American actors in prime time television -- including an unprecedented three series featuring Asian American actors in lead roles last season -- the network scored an A-, the highest grade the Coalition has ever given in that category. ABC also led the networks in the categories of Writers/Producers, Directors and Commitment to the Diversity Initiatives, ultimately receiving an overall grade of B. (Let's skip the jokes about "The Asian F." For now.)

In contrast, CBS had 16 Asian American regulars and 22 recurring for a grade of B- in the Actors category, and only 15 Asian American Writers or Producers for a grade of C in that category. NBC had only 11 Asian American regulars and 24 recurring for a grade of C+ in the Actors category, and a total of 18 Asian American Writers or Producer for a grade of C+ in that category. Because both CBS and NBC have a significant number of programs featuring AAPI actors, writers and/or producers in Development (receiving a grade of B+ and B-, respectively, in that category), there's hope their numbers will improve in coming seasons.

Here's the report card:

Ian Chen joins the cast of DC's Shazam!

Fresh Off the Boat star will play Billy Batson's friend Eugene.



Shazam! Heck yeah, we've got an Asian kid in this superhero flick. Ian Chen, who plays Evan on Fresh Off the Boat, has joined the cast of the movie Shazam!, based on the DC Comics superhero.

Ian Chen & Jovan Armand Join 'Shazam!'

Starring Zachary Levi as the title character and Asher Angel as Billy Batson, the film center on Billy, a kid who can transform into an adult superhero by uttering the magic word "Shazam!"

Ian will play Eugene Choi, a friend of Billy's from a group home. The cast also includes Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, and Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, who are all part of Billy's friend crew.

This is Mony Neth

Guest Post by Thi Bui



This is Mony Neth. He's the same age as me -- forty two. I came from Viet Nam; he came from Cambodia. His family fled the Khmer Rouge when he was just a few months old. He spent years in a refugee camp in Thailand. By the time Mony arrived in the U.S. as a refugee, he was ten years old.

When he was a teenager, he was convicted of possessing a weapon and receiving stolen property and lost his green card. That was twenty two years ago. Since then, Mony got married, raised a daughter who is now sixteen, and cares for his aging parents. He installs solar panels for a living and serves the homeless with his church community. Even the court that convicted him has recognized his efforts to turn his life around, granting him a certificate of rehabilitation.

But that wasn't enough for ICE.

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.

Kelly Marie Tran Had the Best Damn Time at 'The Last Jedi' Premiere

"Kelly Marie Tran is how all of us would be if we were cast in a Star Wars film."



Over the weekend, at long last, Star Wars: The Last Jedi held its world premiere in Los Angeles. Fans lined the red carpet to get a glimpse of the saga's stars, and reactions to the long-awaited sequel are apparently good (I've been avoiding all of it -- really trying to stay spoiler-free). But hands down, the highlight of the premiere was the mega-franchise's newest star, Kelly Marie Tran, having the best damn time.

Tran plays Rose Tico, a behind-the-scenes Resistance nobody who gets thrust into the action when she goes on a mission with Finn. Up until recently, Tran -- much like Rose -- was also kind of a nobody, a struggling actress with a comedy background trying to break into Hollywood and working odd jobs to make ends meet. Until the biggest movie franchise of all time plucked her from obscurity to play a role that will most certainly make her a household name. And from the looks of it, she is not taking any of this shit for granted.

In addition to looking drop dread gorgeous in red, Tran was seen spending a good portion of the festivities adorably freaking out, getting visibly emotional, hugging everyone in sight and overall looking like she was genuinely totally stoked just to be there. As Dani Fernandez observed, via Twitter, "Kelly Marie Tran is how all of us would be if we were cast in a Star Wars film."