And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
An Actual White House Event
If there's anybody you want kicking off a Heritage Month party, it's definitely these two guys.
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Mr. President, You Don't Speak for Asian Americans
"I'm angry at you for taking a month that has been set aside to celebrate the achievements of our Asian American and Pacific Islander forebears, people who gave their toil, their tears, their hopes, dreams and lives to this country, and turning it into a time of outrage, anxiety and despair."
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'I want you to know he died in the hospital alone, isolated and scared'
"Hi. Both my aunt and uncle work for you in Crete, Ne. They both tested positive for COVID and passed it on to my grandmother and grandfather who never left the house. My grandfather lost his battle last night after fighting for his life for a week. I want you to know he died in the hospital alone, isolated and scared..."
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Alison Roman's Comments About Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo Lit a Fire
Last week, drama erupted on social media when Alison Roman -- the cookbook author and New York Times food columnist of Instagram fame — criticized Chrissy Teigen, a bestselling cookbook author, and Marie Kondo, who popularized her organizing strategy in books and a television show, for monetizing their lifestyle brands. For some women in the food world, the controversy shed light on problems that had been simmering long before.
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Wong Kar-Wai’s New Film ‘Blossoms’ Set To Shoot in July
Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai's new film Blossoms is set to start shooting in mainland China in July. Wong's first film since 2013's The Grandmaster, and only his eleventh in more than three decades, Blossoms has been described as a a spiritual sequel to his landmark 2000 romance drama In the Mood for Love. Based on Jin Yucheng’s 2013 novel, the film will follow the lives of three Shanghai residents from the end of China's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s through their life in America in the 1990s.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Trump Claims Asian Americans Are Angry at 'What China Has Done' to U.S.
Having somehow spoken to every Asian person in the United States of America, Donald Trump claims that Asian Americans are angry at China for its handling of the pandemic. "Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Chinese Americans are the most angry of all. I don't blame them!" No, we blame you. I can barely form words to express how angry this tweet makes me. I can say that, yes, Asian Americans are angry. We are angry at the steady stream of bullshit and incompetence coming from Trump and the White House and we've had enough.
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Singer Bryan Adams Blames 'Bat Eating' People for Coronavirus
In other social media nonsense, singer Bryan Adams is under fire for posting a bizarre rant in which he blamed "bat eating" people for the coronavirus. "Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of a tenancy of gigs at the @royalalberthall, but thanks to some fucking bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy bastards, the whole world is now on hold, not to mention the thousands that have suffered or died from this virus," Adams wrote on Instagram and Twitter Tuesday, alongside a video of him performing his song "Cuts Like a Knife." He has since deleted the posts. But we will remember this, Bryan, like the summer of '69.
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Small Plane Pulling Banner with "Chinese Virus" Flies Over San Antonio
Some people take their racism to new heights. On Monday, a small plane pulling a banner that read "Say Chinese Virus.com" was seen flying over the skies of San Antonio. Good ol' San Antonio, where a group gathered to protest a resolution unanimously approved by the San Antonio City Council last week condemning racism and hate speech and the use of words like "Chinese virus" to describe COVID-19. Because some people thinking aggressively calling it the "Chinese virus" is really going to stick it to China.
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Kung Fu Reboot Moves Forward with Series Order at The CW
The CW has given a series order to the modern day, gender-swapped reboot of Kung Fu, starring Olivia Liang. "A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman (Liang) to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice...all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her."
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2nd Annual AAPI Day Against Bullying + Hate, May 18
Act To Change is rallying the nation around the 2nd annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Day Against Bullying + Hate. It's more important now than ever that we stand up to xenophobia and racism. Act 2 Change's virtual program, UNITED WE STAND, will commemorate this day with special guests and performances. It's happening Monday, May 18 at 1-2:30PM PT / 4-5:30PM ET. For more information, go here
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Trump Tells Asian American Reporter to "Ask China" About Deaths
Donald Trump abruptly ended his Monday press conference after a contentious exchange in which he asked an Asian American journalist to "ask China" about her question and then refused to take a query from another White House reporter. CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang asked Trump why he sees coronavirus testing as a global competition when more than 80,000 Americans have died. "Maybe that's a question you should ask China," Trump told Jiang. "Don't ask me. Ask China that question, OK?" And that was the beginning of the end of the press conference.
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Violence Against Asian Americans Is on the Rise -- But It's Part of a Long History
If you somehow think the rise of anti-Asian sentiment amidst COVID-19 is something new, take short and long look back at the history of Asians in America -- something you can see in the epic new five-hour documentary series Asian Americans, which premieres on PBS this week. All five parts are available for viewing in their entirety on pbs.org.
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Kevin Kwan's New Book is His Most Decadent Yet
How do you follow up one of the most successful trilogies of the 21st century? For Kevin Kwan, whose Crazy Rich Asians books have sold millions of copies and spawned a $200-million-plus movie, the answer rested in his greatest inspiration: A Room With a View. His new novel, Sex and Vanity, plays like a straight tribute to the E.M. Forster novel -- but in this version, the story moves between Capri and New York, tackling the nuances of Asian American identity in the process.
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API Heritage Jam
DJs Phatrick and O-Dub are teaming up for a livestream mix highlighting Asian and Asian American artists. Wednesday, May 13 at 4pm Pacific. Follow along on Instagram Live at either @djphatrick or @soulsides.
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CAAMFest Online: Heritage at Home
The Center for Asian American Media presents their reimagined festival experience, CAAMFest Online: Heritage at Home from May 13-22. The online festival will provide a platform to gather virtually in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The program features over 20 digital events, ranging from online film screenings to interactive panels, watch parties, and house parties with live performances, all free of charge. Learn more and reserve your tickets here. Join the conversation using #CAAMFestOnline and #HeritageAtHome.
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.
On this episode, we welcome Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Renee Tajima-Pena, producer of the epic new PBS documentary series Asian Americans. She talks about finding the stories that don't make it into textbooks, how history repeats itself, and the challenges of condensing 150 years of history into a five-hour public television series.
The Path to Survival Is Even More Complicated for Immigrant-Owned Mom-and-Pop Restaurants
Mom-and-pop diners and family-run takeout spots are especially vulnerable to the challenges ahead set by COVID-19. Caught between the bodily risk of coronavirus exposure on one end and the threat of losing the culmination of a lifetime of labor and sacrifice, they face an impossible choice: to close or to stay open?
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Yuh-Line Niou Is Fighting For Chinatown's Survival
Yuh-Line Niou, the first Asian American Assemblywoman in Manhattan, and the first Asian American legislator that Chinatown has ever had in the state legislature, is facing an existential crisis and fighting for justice for all.
Love In The Shape Of Cut Fruit
"Life is filled with bitter and hard things. When you extract pits, piths, and peels, fruit becomes a reliable source of pure sweetness, only softness."
Making the Past Present Driveways director Andrew Ahn processes the death of his grandmother and actor Brian Dennehy by revisiting their performances in his films.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Asian Americans Are the Fastest-Growing Group in the U.S. Electorate
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing segment of eligible voters out of the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States. More than 11 million will be able to vote this year, making up nearly 5% of the nation’s eligible voters (for this analysis, U.S. citizens ages 18 and older). They are also the only major racial or ethnic group in which naturalized citizens -- rather than the U.S. born -- make up a majority of eligible voters, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.
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Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite, 92, Last of the 'Monuments Women,' Dies
Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite, part of a team of 345 people from 14 countries -- collectively known as the Monuments Men and Monuments Women -- who preserved cultural treasures and artworks during and after World War II, died on Monday in Michigan, from complications of the coronavirus. She was 92.
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The Paper Tigers Official Teaser
Martial arts movie fans, check out the first official teaser trailer for The Paper Tigers, an indie kung fu flick written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao. The action dramedy follows a deadbeat dad, an insurance scammer, and an MMA coach who must avenge their Kung Fu master's death. But first they need to call in sick at their 9-to-5s. The film is currently in post-production. For more info and updates, check out the official website.
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Cambodian Rock Band Cast Recording
New York's Signature Theatre just released the cast recording of its production of Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band, featuring songs by Dengue Fever. The play with music tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia for the first time in thirty years, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia's most infamous war criminals. Backed by a live band playing contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, this story toggles back and forth in time as father and daughter face the music of the past. If you've seen the show and love the music, or if you haven't seen the show and just like dope music, check it out. Get it on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, and wherever music is sold.
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Jimmy O Yang: Good Deal
Comedian Jimmy O Yang's standup special Good Deal is now available on Amazon Prime. Performed live at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Good Deal covers Jimmy's hilarious interactions with fans, his thoughts on Matt Damon, and whether ghosts will haunt one-bedroom apartments.
"Be patient with me I'm still sharpening my voice."
Hey, everybody! Let's get it together because it's time 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 Joshua Kwak.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Three Arrested in St. Paul LRT Station Attack
Police have arrested three teenagers following an attack on an Asian woman on a train platform in St. Paul. Video of the assault, which was shared widely across social media, shows one of the teens kicking the victim in the head. The attack was never reported, but transit authorities were able to identify the assailants using surveillance footage. They're still reportedly trying to identify the victim.
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Asian American Woman Harassed by Self-Identified Trump Supporter
A San Francisco resident who faced anti-Asian harassment while walking her dogs is speaking out, urging those who witness such xenophobia to step in to help. Amanda Law said she was near the Great Highway last month when a woman approached her to ask why she wasn't staying home. In video of the incident, recorded by Law, the woman can be seen walking toward the camera, asking why Law "doesn't go back to where she came from," as passersby stepped in and told the woman not to harass her. The video shows the woman continuing to walk toward the camera. "Americans said we don't want you here," the woman said later in the video. "That's why we elected President Trump." Yup, that's why.
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Family of 5 Doctors Loses Both Father and Daughter to Coronavirus
A father and a daughter, both of whom were doctors, died from COVID-19 and were honored by New Jersey governor Phil Murphy at Thursday's daily briefing for their contributions. Dr. Satyender Dev Khanna and his daughter Dr. Priya Khanna were remembered by Murphy at the daily briefing as selfless healthcare heroes, who dedicated their lives to helping others. They leave behind the elder Khanna's wife and two daughters. All three are also physicians.
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Helpers in the Time of Coronavirus<
The latest episode of the podcast Asian Americana explores the stories of Asian Americans working to defend our communities from attacks, the volunteers organizing direct aid to vulnerable populations, the people translating information into terms and languages so more can understand, and the local businesses helping each other and their communities survive during Covid-19.
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Driveways
The indie drama Driveways, directed by Andrew Ahn, is now available to download and stream. Hong Chau stars as Kathy, an acerbic, world-weary woman who travels with her young son to her deceased sister’s house to take care of her affairs. While there, her son strikes up a friendship with Del (the late Brian Dennehy, in one of his final lead roles), a gruff retiree who lives next door, who is estranged from his queer daughter. The film talks about loss in an open and frank way and shows that kindness and community are integral to moving on.
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.
On this episode, we welcome Andrew Ahn, director of the feature drama Driveways, starring Hong Chau. He talks about making a movie to come out to his parents, getting accepted to the "Harvard" of film festivals, and working with the late Brian Dennehy on one of his last roles.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian (North) America.
Asian Woman Punched in Face at Vancouver Bus Stop
In Vancouver, police are asking for the public's help identifying a man who punched a young Asian woman in the face in an unprovoked attack last month. Surveillance footage shows the victim was standing at a bus stop when the suspect approached her and punched her in the face. And that's it. They apparently didn't know each other, and nobody said a word. He sucker punched her and then ran away. What the fuck.
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Annual TV Report Card Shows Asian American Representation At Standstill
The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition released their annual TV report card, grading the top four television networks for the 2018-2019 season assessing their progress toward diversity and inclusion of Asian Pacific Americans onscreen and behind the camera and although there was some progress, it wasn't enough to make the needle move dramatically. In fact, it barely moved at all.
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Sewing in the Time of Coronavirus
The Asian American Documentary Network just launched a new series of short clips as part of its Storytelling Initiative, with the documentary short Sewing In The Time of Coronavirus, directed by Valerie Soe, highlighted as its first featured microdoc. This piece explains how Soe has been spending her time since the shelter-in-place order in California took place almost two months ago. "Sewing masks pushes back against the Trump administration's cynical manipulation of the COVID-19 crisis," Soe says, ."I reject the idea that humans are expendable cogs in capitalism's machine. We all deserve a chance to live and to be healthy. This is to ensure that more of us have that chance."
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CM's 30th Anniversary Issue: COVID-19 and the AAPI Community (FREE) Character Media (formerly KoreAm Journal, Audrey Magazine and Kore Asian Media) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special edition print issue covering what's been happening in our country, specifically within our Asian American community, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a limited time, they're mailing out complimentary copies of the print edition, free of charge. All you have to do is fill out the form here. (You can also read the digital version here.)
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Lucky Grandma Trailer
Check out the trailer for crime comedy Lucky Grandma, starring the legendary Tsai Chin. In the heart of Chinatown, New York, 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. Lucky Grandma, directed by Sasie Sealy, will be released in virtual theaters on May 22.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Watch Wisconsin Judge Compare Stay-Home Orders to WWII Internment
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments via teleconference on a challenge from the state's Republican lawmakers to the "safer at home" order issued by Gov. Tony Evers to protect citizens during the COVID-19 outbreak and slow the spread of the disease. During the hearing, Justice Rebecca Bradley invoked the landmark Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States, which allowed the government to hold Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II. Bradley suggested that requiring Wisconsin residents to stay home, and to keep non-essential businesses closed, was similar to that decision. I'm sorry, your honor, but please shut up about shit you know nothing about.
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Coronavirus Researcher Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide
A University of Pittsburgh professor on the verge of making "very significant findings" researching Covid-19, according to the university, was shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend. Research assistant professor Bing Liu was found in his townhouse Saturday with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities, according to police. Investigators believe an unidentified second man, who was found dead in his car, shot and killed Liu in his home before returning to his car and taking his own life. According to colleagues at the university's Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Liu was "on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications."
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Turner Classic Movies Spotlight: Asian Americans in Classic Hollywood
Heads up, classic movie fans. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, starting tonight, Turner Classic Movies is running a month-long spotlight on Asian Americans in classic Hollywood movies. Movies on the schedule feature films from the likes of screen legends Anna May Wong, Sessue Hayakawa, Philip Ahn, Richard Loo, James Shigeta and more. See the full lineup here.
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Watching With...: The Half Of It with Writer Director Alice Wu
So you've seen The Half of It. Now watch it with the director's commentary! Writer/director joins Netflix's Marya E. Gates to do a full-length (spoiler-filled) director's commentary on her new film, a coming-of-age tale about a Chinese-American queer teen. Queue up the movie, sync it up with the podcast, and press play.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
Subway Passenger Blames Asian Man for Coronavirus, Tries to Drag Him Off Train
In New York, police are searching for a man who attacked an Asian passenger on the subway in Midtown, blaming for coronavirus and trying to drag him off the train. The 30-year-old victim was riding on an uptown 4 train approaching the Lexington Ave./59th St. station on Sunday morning when a man approached him shouting, "You're infected China boy, you need to get off the train." The assailant then grabbed the man by his wrist and shoulder and tried to pull him out of his seat. The victim was able to resist until his attacker finally gave up and ran off. Police released video of the suspect and asked for the public's help identifying him.
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Anti-Asian Graffiti Found Spray-Painted Outside New Jersey Home
In New Jersey, police are investigating hate graffiti that was found spray-painted outside a Hoboken home. Surveillance camera footage showed the suspect spraying the racist message, "1 AMOR 3 CHINKS USA #1 CHINKS DIE," on the ground near the building's garage door on Friday night. The suspect is described as a light skin male, bald, with a medium build, wearing dark colored clothing and dark shoes.
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"The fight is always somewhere in us."
The chashu shumai combo at Jist Cafe has been a much-needed bright spot in the COVID-19 pandemic. It's also the best illustration of a community ethic that has rallied a small army of volunteers and social service organizations to Little Tokyo's aid.
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Amplify: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
In celebration of Heritage Month, Spotify has launched "Our Roots. Our Sound," a new campaign that spotlights and celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, creators, and fans by reflecting on the deeply rooted culture and groundbreaking music within the community. The campaign kicks off with the launch Amplify: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month hub, which includes playlists featuring Asian American artists, flagship playlists from Asia, and podcasts from Asians and Asian Americans. It will be updated with new, exclusive content throughout May. Check it out here.
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Creative Sustainability Sessions: Family Meal
In case you missed it, here's the replay from the inaugural edition of Family Meal, a virtual dinner party conversation I had with fellow podcasters Jeff Yang, Rebecca Sun, Dino-Ray Ramos and Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed.
The Fragility of the Global Nurse Supply Chain
The pandemic has exposed how richer countries, including the United States, rely on health-care workers from poorer ones, such as the Philippines.
Hate rising? In age of coronavirus, Asian Americans in Orange County are targets
The rising tide of anti-Asian racism has grown loud enough, and common enough in Orange County, that three different local government bodies -- the county board of supervisors and the city councils in Irvine and Garden Grove -- felt the need to pass three independent resolutions denouncing hate crimes against Asian Americans.
Who Gets an Obituary?
The food media paid scant attention to the Indian-born chef and restaurant owner Garima Kothari when she was alive. That lack of coverage has extended to her tragic death.
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Rep. Grace Meng on finding support in Congress while fighting Asian American bias
"I think for one of the first times in my congressional career I feel like my colleagues see our Asian American issues as something they're concerned about, too, which is a good feeling." New York congresswoman Grace Meng has found herself pushing for her fellow congress members to take Asian American issues seriously.
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A rapper mourns his father and the injustice of a supply chain
"Why do I have to grieve with the notion of a supply chain?" Hamanshu Suri mourns his father, Gireesh Kumar Suri, who passed away in a nursing home after exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Suri says he thought his father had been tested for the virus only to discover that, due to a shortage of nasal swabs, it never happened.
How Never Have I Ever Found Its Teen Heroine
Hollywood newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan plays the hilarious and endearing lead in the new Netflix series, Never Have I Ever, co-created by Mindy Kaling.
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6 ways 'Never Have I Ever' busts Asian stereotypes Never Have I Ever, the number one trending show on Netflix, is rightfully being celebrated as a watershed moment for the representation of South Asians in Hollywood. But the 10-part series' real magic is how much it twists stereotypes within even that experience.
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Michelle Krusiec On Giving Anna May Wong The Spotlight She Deserved
Michelle Krusiec plays real-life screen legend Anna May Wong in Ryan Murphy's Netflix miniseries Hollywood, an imagining of the inclusive film and television industry that could have been during the glitz and glamour of post-World War II Hollywood. Honestly, Anna May Wong's story deserves a movie or series of her own.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
A100 List
Kicking off AAPI Heritage Month, Gold House has announced its third annual A100 list, spotlighting "the 100 most esteemed and impactful Asians in entertainment and media, fashion and lifestyle, technology, business, and social activism. The List, determined by 20 Asian nonprofit groups, a panel of multicultural icons, and hundreds of Gold House members, unites the Asian diaspora with other communities in celebrating excellence and championing a path towards a more inclusive future for everyone." View the list here.
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AAPI FRONTLINE
From doctors to delivery workers, AAPIs make up the backbone of many critical industries amid the coronavirus pandemic. This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, NBC Asian America is honoring the workers leading medical research, helping low-income and limited English proficiency groups, combating racism and more.
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Unemployment Claims from Asian Americans Have Spiked 6900% in NYC
In New York, about 147,000 self-identified Asian workers have filed initial unemployment claims in the last four weeks alone, up from just 2,100 during the same period last year. That's a 6,900% increase -- by far the largest percentage increase experienced by any one racial or ethnic group.
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Digital Town Hall - Asian Americans in the Time of Covid-19
In connection with the upcoming PBS series Asian Americans, the Center for Asian American Media, WETA, and Asian American community leaders hosted a digital town hall exploring how lessons from Asian American history can help us understand the experience of Asian Americans in the time of COVID-19.
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The Half of It The Half of It, the long-awaited new feature film from writer/director Alice Wu, is now available on Netflix. Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help winning over a popular girl. But their new and unlikely friendship gets complicated when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl.
"Anytime you can increase the human capacity for empathy, you've won."
Photo: K.C. Bailey
Greetings, 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 Alice Wu.
