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.
Wash your hands. Stay home. Don't be racist. On this episode, with this global pandemic underway, we welcome Dr. Esther Choo to offer her perspective on the COVID-19 health crisis. We also break down The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of social distancing.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Senator says "China is to blame for coronavirus" because "people eat bats"
"China is to blame," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday of the virus, "because the culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that." He proceeded to identify the consumption of such animals as the source of the virus, echoing a since debunked myth that the outbreak began with a woman eating bat soup. Glad to know these are the people leading the country.
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"You're Chinese, why did you bring corona to America?"
Emily Chen was riding the subway home in New York when a male passenger started making offensive remarks and another stepped in to defend her. In a video shared on Facebook, a passenger can be heard saying, "You're Chinese, why did you bring corona to America?" A second passenger appears to interrupt the man's tirade, telling him to stop bothering her. The passenger continued to yell expletives at Chen for recording the exchange, while the other rider blocked him from getting closer. Thankfully, nobody got hurt.
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A Message to the Media on Implicit Bias
"In these times of uncertainty, fear can bring out the worst in all of us. Sometimes we might not even be aware of how our implicit biases effect vulnerable communities. But now more than ever, disparate marginalized communities must find support in each other. If you see someone being the target of abuse/harassment step in, speak out. Please. Your silence is your consent to the erasure of my personhood."
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#WashTheHate
To help combat the rising tide of coronavirus-related hatred, Asian American artists, leaders and influencers have teamed up with IW Group, an Asian American communications agency, to launch #WashTheHate, a social media campaign designed to raise awareness about anti-Asian bigotry amid the viral outbreak. The campaign kicked off with a series of videos posted to various social media platforms, featuring participants washing their hands while sharing a personal story about how the coronavirus has impacted their lives.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Community Care During COVID-19: A Message To and From AAPIs
"During this crisis, our communities are being targeted and scapegoated, with GOP politicians referencing COVID-19 as the 'Chinese Virus' and numerous incidents of hate crimes against Asians. We've seen this before. Throughout history, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been oppressed, harmed, and even killed due to our race. But time and time again, we have prevailed from these hardships by taking care of each other."
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Random Woman in Mask
Asian Woman Assaulted in Manhattan, Blamed for COVID-19 Outbreak
In Manhattan, an Asian woman was assaulted in what appears to be another coronavirus-related hate crime. The 34-year-old victim was headed to the subway when she was attacked Monday evening near East 25th Street and Madison Avenue. "You are the reason we have the coronavirus," the assailant allegedly said, then spit in the victim's face and grabbed the woman's hair when she tried to walk away, according to police. The attacker, 33-year-old Lynn Ferguson, was arrested by transit police and charged with hate crime, aggravated harassment, criminal possession of marijuana and criminal possession of hypodermic instruments.
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Confronting Anti-Asian Discrimination During the Coronavirus Crisis
"At this point I lose track of his onslaught, as I go into attack mode: 'Fuck you -- I’m not sick.' The air explodes with F-bombs. This guy -- already I think of him as My Racist -- still isn’t looking at me. He trudges on, swearing, and through my rage I study his face for a second. He's full of hate right now, but maybe also confusion. Is the Chinese guy supposed to talk back?"
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She Was the First Death in Los Angeles County Connected to Coronavirus
Loretta died at 2:57 a.m. March 10 -- the first to be reported connected to the coronavirus in Los Angeles County. But to her family's shock, the county Department of Public Health did not recommend her 72-year-old husband Roddy be tested, even after Loretta's tests came back positive. When he arrived at the hospital, he was isolated and questioned but then discharged. Instead, he has been ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days at his sister's house, while his family was told to wait and see if he becomes ill.
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Asian Enough
From the Los Angeles Times, "Asian Enough" is a podcast about being Asian American -- the joys, the complications and everything else in between. In each episode, hosts Jen Yamato and Frank Shyong invite celebrity guests to share their personal stories and unpack identity on their own terms. They explore the vast diaspora across cultures, backgrounds and generations, share "Bad Asian Confessions," and try to expand the ways in which being Asian American is defined. The first episode, featuring John Cho, and the second episode, featuring Lulu Wang, just dropped.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Trump Tweets About Coronavirus Using Term 'Chinese Virus'
And there it is. Trump refers to coronavirus as "the Chinese Virus." This disease, and the response to it, has been racialized from its very beginnings. One tweet from this fucking president douses the situation with gasoline. We're already seeing increased incidents of anti-Asian violence and harassment, but prepare for an even sharper spike. If I'm wrong, great. If I'm right, remember that tweet. Remember it on Election Day.
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Suspect Admits He Tried to Kill Asian Family at Sam's Club
A man stabbed and cut four people -- including two children -- in a possible hate crime at a Sam's Club in Midland, Texas on Saturday. He apparently told police he was attempting to kill an Asian family shopping in the store, according to an arrest affidavit. 19-year-old Jose Gomez is charged with three counts of attempted capital murder and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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Suspects Arrested in Two Coronavirus-Related Hate Attacks
In New York City, police have made two hate crime arrests in the cases of victims who were targeted by assailants who made anti-Asian statements in coronavirus-related attacks. 44-year-old Raoul Ramos was charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime after he pushed a 47-year-old man, screaming "Where the fuck is your mask?" in Queens on Thursday. The NYPD has also arrested a 13-year-old boy who allegedly assaulted a 59-year-old man Tuesday night, kicking him and making anti-Asian statements.
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"Do You Want to Kill Me?" Man Harasses Asian Couple Wearing Masks
Two commuters wearing masks on the New York City subway were subjected to what appears to be yet another incident of coronavirus-related racism at the Times Square Station on March 13. The perpetrator can bee seen in cell phone video harassing and yelling insults at the two people on the subway platform, at one point saying, "you want to fucking kill me?"
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Video: Garden Grove Students Scream 'Coronavirus,' Mock Asian Teens
In Garden Grove, California, school officials are investigating incidents involving two Bolsa Grande High School students who videotaped themselves as they mocked Asian American students -- shouting "coronavirus" during a school cultural assembly and harassing Vietnamese American classmates.
How a Chinese immigrant neighborhood is struggling amid coronavirus-related xenophobia
"It's a reminder of how quick people try to herald us as model minorities but also how quickly they will remind us where we are. You come to a place like New York City, and you assume you’re free from all the bullying because it's multicultural, but then you realize that the solidarity isn't there and how quickly people isolate themselves when a crisis like this comes up."
How I Dealt With the Loss of My Dad, and Then My Movie
Lynn Chen's first feature screenplay, I Will Make You Mine, was written and produced as a way to channel her grief and give a sense of hope. Unfortunately, with the cancellation of SXSW, no one will be able to see it.
"Family Karma" Might Be a Breakthrough for Desis on TV
The new Bravo unscripted series Family Karma follows several Desi families in Miami; theirs is the kind of wealthy, incestuous subculture that doesn't need cameras to incite drama.
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Edge of the World
A short story by Souvankham Thammavongsa, whose first story collection, How to Pronounce Knife, will be published in April 2020.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
So yeah, this happened.
This Mulan poster, spotted in Pasadena, California, was defaced with graffiti. If you can't make it out, that's a mask spray-painted on her face and the words "TOXIC. MADE IN WUHAN." Yes, I know there are people boycotting this movie because of Liu Yifei's remarks in support of Hong Kong police. This is not about that.
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Asian Man Harassed and Spat On in Coronavirus-Related Hate Crime
In New York, an Asian man traveling through Penn Station was spat on, harassed and yelled at by a stranger who accused him of being infected with the coronavirus. Abraham Choi says he was in a bathroom when a man spit on his head from behind, then told him, "You Chinese fuck. All of you should die and all of you have the Chinese virus." On top of all that, when he went to police officer inside the station to report it, the cop told him spitting on someone isn't a crime. Which is a flat-out not true.
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Chinese Student at UNM Subject of Racist Prank
An Asian student at the University of New Mexico was recently targeted with a racist coronavirus prank when someone covered the door of his campus apartment with plastic and posted a sign that said, "Caution, Keep Out, Quarantine." Shuyuan Ye, an international student from China, initially thought the quarantine was real, then realized it was a prank. So he filed a police report and moved the fuck out of there, because who wants to deal with this shit. University officials were reportedly unable to identify the person who carried out the prank, "so they provided education to those living in the dorm." Oh yay.
In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort. The first of my #SongsOfComfort: Dvořák – "Going Home”
Comfort Me, Yo-Yo Ma
Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma offers some comfort for our troubled times, via Dvorak's "Goin' Home": "In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort."
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Asian Man Assaulted, Told "Fuck You, Chinese Coronavirus"
In New York, police have released surveillance footage of a teen who is wanted for attacking an Asian man in the Upper East Side in a coronavirus-inspired hate crime. The 59-year-old victim was walking in East Harlem on Tuesday evening when a teenager approached the him from behind and kicked him the back, knocking him to the ground. The teen reportedly told the man to go back to his country and yelled "Fuck you, Chinese coronavirus."
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'Mulan' Release Delayed in Wake of Coronavirus
In a move I'm surprised wasn't announced sooner, Disney has postponed the theatrical release of Mulan amid growing concerns over coronavirus. The live-action remake -- starring Liu Yifei and directed by Niki Caro -- was slated to debut in North American theaters on March 27. Now it's delayed indefinitely.
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'Fast & Furious 9' Release Pushed Back a Year Due to Coronavirus
It looks like we'll have to wait a lot longer for Justice for Han. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Universal has pushed back the theatrical release of Fast 9 to next year. The latest installment of the auto action franchise, directed by Justin Lin, will now open globally in April 2021 and in the U.S. on April 2.
A Shang-Chi Comic for Summer, Ahead of the Hero's Marvel Film
Next February, the superhero Shang-Chi will become part of the extended Marvel Studios film universe when Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings arrives in theaters. Before that, though, the character, a martial arts expert, will have a five-issue comic book series beginning in June from Marvel Entertainment, written by award-winning graphic novelist and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
"Corona Time"
Spotted on social media. These students at Sin-Paulus Campus College Waregem decided to celebrate the school's annual tradition of oh who the hell cares, like any context can justify this shit. More than the blatant racist mockery of their outfits, what really gets me is the incredible amount of planning and coordination that clearly went into this multi-participant bullshit. This is what Elaine Low calls "high-effort racism." Do note the girl, center-left, pulling her eyes back, squeezing some of that extra racism juice out of the moment.
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Asian Woman Attacked in Possible Coronavirus Hate Crime
An Asian woman was punched in the face in New York City on Tuesday in what is being investigated as a possible bias incident, apparently motivated by bigotry surrounding the coronavirus. A 23-year-old woman told police she was punched in the face by a woman who also made anti-Asian slurs before fleeing the scene. According to the New York Post, the assailant yelled "Where is your corona mask, you Asian bitch," before punching the other woman.
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Coronavirus Concerns Shut Down Three SGV Restaurants
Asian restaurants, especially Chinese restaurants, across the San Gabriel Valley in the Los Angeles area are reporting significant declines in business as novel coronavirus concerns continue to keep diners away. Many popular restaurants in the area have closed temporarily or even permanently in Southern California's most populated Asian American community. The latest affected are Hong Kong-style restaurant Henry's Cuisine and Cantonese restaurant Top Island Seafood in Alhambra. Both establishments are closed for the next two months due to coronavirus concerns.
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Woman Seen On Video Burning Flag Outside Hindu Temple In Queens
Police are searching for a woman seen on video setting a flag on fire outside a Hindu temple in Queens. The incident, which is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, happened last Thursday at the Shri Tulshi Mandir temple around 7:30 pm.
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Quibi Orders Fire Island Comedy 'Trip' From Joel Kim Booster
Short form video platform Quibi has given the greenlight to the Fire Island comedy series Trip, created by Joel Kim Booster. Set on the iconic Fire Island, Trip is "an unapologetic, modern day rom-com inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice." The story centers around two best friends who set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a cadre of eclectic friends.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Comedian Johnny Yune Dies at 84
Pioneering Korean American comedian Johnny Yune, who performed standup on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1970s and 80s nearly three dozen times, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 84. His Hollywood credits included the feature film They Call Me Bruce (which he co-wrote and starred in), the sequel They Still Call Me Bruce, and the title role in the NBC pilot Sergeant T.K. Yu.
What It Means To Wear A Face Mask In America
"Face masks, to Asians, used to feel like a necessary nuisance, but also a small act of civic duty, public responsibility, and kindness to our neighbor. They are a signal that society is stronger when we consider the vulnerabilities of the strangers who surround us. But now, and here, they feel like a scarlet letter, a sudden swerve in meaning that's been forced upon us. Without a cure or a vaccine, this kind of prejudice is its own type of disease. The stigma itself, rampant and quickly spreading, is dangerous all on its own."
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Asian Enough
From the Los Angeles Times, "Asian Enough" is a podcast about being Asian American -- the joys, the complications and everything else in between. In each episode, hosts Jen Yamato and Frank Shyong of The Times invite celebrity guests to share their personal stories and unpack identity on their own terms. The first and second episodes will premiere on March 17, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.
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Dragon Hoops Trailer
Here's the trailer for Gene Luen Yang's new graphic novel Dragon Hoops, a nonfiction work that follows the varsity basketball team at Bishop O'Dowd -- the high school where Gene teaches -- and their phenomenal winning season in pursuit of the state championship. The book hits shelves on March 17.
No Appetite for Ignorance
"Enough is enough! I pledge to stand up against the public stigmatization of Chinese and other populations that are suffering from harmful stereotypes in light of COVID-19 misinformation and rumors. I'm ready to support local Asian-owned businesses by patronizing them and sharing the facts about COVID-19."
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Coronavirus fears show how 'Model Minority' Becomes the 'Yellow Peril'
"During disease outbreaks, attacks on marginalized groups are not an exception, but the norm. This racism and xenophobia is additionally stoked by discourse that casts the bodies and behaviors of Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans as suspicious and even at fault for spreading disease. While viruses and other pathogens do not discriminate between hosts based on race, ethnicity, nationality or immigration status -- stigma and misinformation certainly do."
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Asian Student Alleges Discrimination at School Over Coronavirus Concerns
A 13-year-old Vietnamese American student says he was was singled out by his teacher -- and ultimately forced to transfer classes -- after coughing in his honors science class, amid concerns about the coronavirus. The student, eighth-grader Dylan Muriano, said his teacher sent him to the nurse's office in early February after he coughed as a result of swallowing water. Muriano said that the unnamed teacher refused to answer when he asked whether it was because he is Asian.
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No, This Was Not a "Coronavirus-Related Hate Crime." But Damn.
A man is clinging to life after he was stabbed more than a dozen times in a bloody Brooklyn attack on Saturday night. Police sources initially said the attack was investigated as a possible "coronavirus-related hate crime" because both men were wearing surgical masks, but officials later said there was "absolutely no nexus between the attack and the coronavirus."
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'Mulan': First Reactions from the Premiere
Disney's live action remake of Mulan, starring Liu Yifei, had its world premiere on Monday night at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood -- the first time the film has been screened for the public. The first reactions are rolling in.
How Hollywood Sees Me ... And How I Want to Be Seen
"Since the dawn of Hollywood, nonwhite actors have been asked to play stereotypes -- from maids to immigrants to thugs -- while struggling to get cast in layered, authentic roles. In order to highlight this phenomenon, we decided to photograph actors in two ways: embodying the typecast roles that they have been asked to play and imagining the roles that they aspire to play."
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"If I Can Eat in Chinatown, So Can You"
Wilson Tang, the owner of the iconic Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Manhattan's Chinatown, isn't letting fear stop him from supporting his neighborhood in the wake of coronavirus fears.
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Chinatown Needs Your Love More Than Ever Right Now
At this moment, amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak, Chinatown is on life support and needs more than our showing up for an occasional meal or visit to shop. Here are plenty of ways to do just that.
How a Cartoonist Found Inspiration for 'The Magic Fish'
Trung Le Nguyen talks about the creation of his upcoming debut graphic novel, The Magic Fish, centering on a young Vietnamese immigrant who struggles to tell his parents that he's gay.
"You Better Move!"
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating a possible hate crime after a subway passenger was seen berating an Asian man before spraying him with air freshener. The video shows the altercation on the N train in Brooklyn, with the angry passenger yelling at the man to move away from him -- apparently because the guy, who seemed to be minding his own business, is Asian. Because, you know, coronavirus and shit. When he doesn't move, the irate passenger pulls out a bottle of Febreze and sprays him for about 15 seconds.
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Protecting Asian American and Pacific Islander Working People
"In light of the outbreak of COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus) cases emerging in the United States, Asian American workers are speaking up on how xenophobia and racism interact with America's inadequate healthcare system and outdated labor laws to endanger workers and hinder disease prevention. Over 2 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders work in healthcare, transportation and service industries -- these workers are facing xenophobic and racial discrimination in the workplace in addition to increased exposure to communicable diseases." Some importance guidance from the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance.
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Asian-Americans Terrified of Coronavirus Backlash Stock Up on Guns
As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to multiply, there's a growing fear among Asian Americans that the outbreak will spark a violent xenophobic backlash. We're already starting to see racist reactions. Along the West Coast, where the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in the U.S. have occurred, those fears seem to be spurring a surge in gun sales. Oh yes, this will surely turn out great.
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Foolish Non-Koreans Are Paying $25 for the 'Parasite' Instant Noodle Dish
"Nearly a month after Parasite's historic Oscar win, the hit South Korean film still lives on in the menus of New York City restaurants. Korean spots across town introduced versions of the movie's noodle dish "ram-don" to their menus as specials in the days surrounding the movie awards, but weeks later, many of them have decided to keep selling the dish due to customer demand. These ram-dons come with housemade broths or wagyu beef, handmade noodles or prime rib, and though it's based on a humble instant noodle dish, on a New York City menu it can sell for anywhere from $13 to $25."
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"The record is a breakup album -- but with your country."
Riz Ahmed had released a new album dedicated to his emotional "breakup" with Britain. The Long Goodbye includes nine tracks about Ahmed being dumped by a post-Brexit Britain and is accompanied by a short film by the same title. "The record is a breakup album -- but with your country," the actor and rapper said in a statement. "So many of us feel like we're being dumped by the place we call home, a home that we built. This album takes you on the journey of this breakup; through the stages of denial, anger, acceptance, and finally self-love to counter the hate."
