Suni Lee Earns a Spot at the Tokyo Olympics

18-year-old gymnast will be the first Hmong American athlete to compete at the Olympics.



On Sunday, 18-year-old gymnast Suni Lee placed second at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, automatically earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and qualifying for the Tokyo games. Lee, the three-time 2019 World Championships medalist who finished second to Simone Biles, is believed to be the first Hmong American athlete to complete at the Olympics.

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The Return of Han
After his killer was welcomed to the team with open arms in The Fate of the Furious, the ninth installment of the Fast franchise is once again bending the laws of nature to bring back fan favorite Han, played by Sung Kang.

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How 'F9' reunited the ‘'okyo Drift' crew — and what that could mean for the 'Fast' future
Tokyo Drift faithful, our time is now.

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A letter to my parents about depression and mental illness
"I'm sorry you’re reading this in the newspaper. I know you might fear the consequences of sharing my struggles so publicly. But now, at 33, I no longer believe my depression is something to be ashamed of."

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How hate incidents led to a reckoning of casual racism against Asian Americans
While Asian Americans have dealt with overt discrimination for centuries, experts say the recent attention on anti-Asian racism amid the pandemic has led many to reflect on the everyday, quiet, yet insidious forms of racism that Asian Americans often endure.

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I'm Grateful for the Hugs I Can Now Share–and Haunted by the Ones I Can't
"I don't remember our final hug itself because I thought I'd be back soon. I didn't know it was the last time I would ever see her."

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More Than 'Just Takeout'
A new generation of Chinese American chefs is celebrating the inventiveness, resourcefulness and deliciousness of American Chinese food with menus dedicated to the classics.

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The Best Way to Clean Your Ears: With a Spoon
Doctors strongly discourage people from scraping inside their ears. But knowing better and doing it anyway is part of what makes us human.

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Meet Amanda Gorman’s California successor as youth poet laureate: Alexandra Huynh
18-year-old Alexandra Huynh, an incoming first-year Stanford University student from Sacramento, is Amanda Gorman's successor as the national youth poet laureate.

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Margaret Cho forgives Jay Leno for his anti-Asian jokes
Comedian Margaret Cho, who currently stars in Netflix's Good on Paper, said Leno's apology was "meaningful."

They Call Us Bruce 128: They Call Us Justin Lin

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome director Justin Lin, chief architect of the Fast & Furious film franchise. He talks about getting back behind the wheel for F9, #JusticeForHan, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of bringing back a beloved character from the dead.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Walt Disney Animation Studios to partner for a "Week with Raya and the Last Dragon"

Sponsored Post

This week, Disney Animation Studios will celebrate the release of its movie Raya and the Last Dragon by working with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to spread joy through a series of virtual events for St. Jude patient families and its generous supporters.

Raya and the Last Dragon is an epic journey to the fantasy world of Kumandra where Raya learns that it takes more than a dragon to save the world. It takes trust and teamwork -- timeless themes reflected in the pioneering research and lifesaving treatment delivered at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for kids with childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Below is a snapshot of the fun offerings.

The Monster Roars: On From Little Tokyo, With Love and Asian Girl Rage

Guest Post by Sarah Kuhn

I have always had an explosive temper. As a kid, it felt too big for my body—a monster that lived inside of me, pounding against the walls of my chest, screaming to be released into the wild. My anger burned fast and fierce and bright, and I quickly learned that the only way for a girl to handle that monster was to put it in a cage. Shove it down into the depths of your body until you can't hear it scream anymore.

 

Little girls aren't supposed to let that anger spill out of them, to draw others into their messy maelstrom of chaos. And, as societal stereotypes constantly remind us, little Asian girls aren't supposed to even feel that anger in the first place. We're supposed to be sweet and small and dutiful. We're supposed to offer ourselves up for the consumption of others.

 

We're not supposed to let the monster roar.

 

Netflix to Adapt K-pop Rom-Com 'Somewhere Only We Know'

Maurene Goo's young adult novel is described as 'Roman Holiday' meets 'Before Sunrise.'

Netflix has picked up the film rights to Maurene Goo's young adult novel Somewhere Only We Know, a romantic comedy set in the world of K-pop. Adapted by writer Lana Cho, the story is described as Roman Holiday meets Before Sunrise, following a massive K-pop star and a tabloid photographer as they wander through the neon streets of Hong Kong, finding both adventure and love.

More here: K-Pop Rom-Com 'Somewhere Only We Know' Set at Netflix

Passenger Tells Uber Driver to "Go Back to Asia"

Stella can't stop her racist rant, much to the embarrassment of her friends.



In Charlotte, North Carolina, an unruly Uber passenger was caught on video verbally abusing an Asian American driver, cursing him out and telling him to "go back to Asia," much to the embarrassment of her friends. The altercation apparently started when the women gave the driver the wrong address. The driver kicked the passengers out of his car at a gas station after the woman, named Stella, cursed him out and called him a "chink." Even outside the car, Stella cannot stop, despite her friends pleading with her to shut the fuck up and get out of there. She threatens, for some reason, to call 9-1-1. The driver, understandably, has had it.

Billie Eilish Apologizes for Mouthing Racial Slur in Video

"I am appalled and embarrassed and want to barf that I ever mouthed along to that word."

Billie Eilish has apologized after a video surfaced of her apparently mouthing along to a song as an anti-Asian racial slur is used. The singer posted a statement on her Instagram account addressing the edited compilation of videos, which was widely circulated on TikTok earlier this month. Eilish says the videos in question were recorded when she was 13 or 14 years old. In one clip, Eilish mouthed the word "chink" -- which she claims she didn't know was a slur at the time -- and in another video she apparently imitated an accent.

Seems like sooner or later, somebody always digs up some racist bullshit you did in your young past -- whether you knew it was racist or not. It's like a twisted celebrity rite of passage.

More here: Billie Eilish Says She Is Sorry After TikTok Video Shows Her Mouthing A Racist Slur

Fund This: Koreatown Dreaming - A Photo Book

Chronicling the photos and stories of immigrant small business owners of Los Angeles' Koreatown.

Koreatown Dreaming, by photographer/filmmaker Emanuel Hahn, chronicles the photos and stories of Korean immigrant small business owners who helped build Los Angeles' Koreatown into the iconic neighborhood that it is today. According to the book's Kickstarter, the project was borne out of a sense of urgency around documenting the stories of Koreatown, in a time of rapid change and uncertainty. The book features 40 establishments across retail, services, community spaces and restaurants, with photography, poetry, and essays by Katherine Yungmee Kim, Lisa Kwon, Cathy Park and Dumbfoundead.

More here: Koreatown Dreaming - A Photo Book

Read These Blogs

Viral images show people of color as anti-Asian perpetrators. That misses the big picture.
A new analysis reveals misconceptions about perpetrators, victims, and the general environment around anti-Asian hate incidents. These can have "long-term consequences for racial solidarity."

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The Asian American wealth gap, explained in a comic
The largest wealth gap in the country comes down to the history of Asian migration.

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I Started Going to Therapy When I Hit 40. Why Did It Take So Long?
Andrew Ti was taught therapy wasn’t for people like him. But reaching midlife during a pandemic—and rising racist violence—changed things.

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The Water in May
In a letter to his young son, the actor Ken Leung tells the story of his brother, who tragically drowned in Thailand, and the incredible journey it took to bring him home.

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Simu Liu on His Journey from Scared Asian Guy to Marvel Superhero
A conversation between comedian Ronny Chieng and Simu Liu on Liu’s acting career so far.

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SuChin Pak Is Processing Everything
The groundbreaking news anchor is still making sense of her MTV experience.

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F&W Game Changers: Sahra Nguyen
Nguyen Coffee Supply is bringing single-origin Vietnamese coffee to as many cups as possible.

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‘She Died Working for Us': Sons of Atlanta Victim Struggle to Move Forward
Randy and Eric Park's mother, Hyun Jung Grant, was among eight people killed in the Atlanta spa shootings. They have been largely left to navigate the world by themselves.

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My name is hard for Americans to pronounce. Don't tell me to change it.
"I used to wish I had a different, less ‘difficult' name. Now I treasure it."

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I had to travel 6,000 miles to learn this lesson about being Asian American
When Jean Trinh traveled to China to visit her distant relatives in China, she learned to let go of the internalized "American-born Chinese" shame she carried for so long.

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Watching Martial Arts Movies Amid Anti-Asian Violence Is Much-Needed Catharsis
Movies and TV shows like The Paper Tigers and Warrior show the beauty of Asian American survival.

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"You Have to See It to Be It": Michelle Zauner and Karen O in Conversation
Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O and Japanese Breakfast singer Michelle Zauner talk grief, growing up biracial, loving the '80s pop star Tiffany, and much more.

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St. Lenox's Songs From Indie Asian-America
Andrew Choi shares a playlist of his favorite Asian American peers' music ahead of the release of his fourth LP.

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Hollywood's New Crown Prince of Musicals
Jon M. Chu, the director of In the Heights and Wicked, is finding a new edge in an old genre.

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Wish Dragon star John Cho says his work is informed by a 'desire to please myself as a kid'
He's been to White Castle, the Final Frontier, and Over the Moon, but now John Cho is just trying to enter the spirit world in Netflix's Wish Dragon.

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Phillipa Soo talks recording her first audiobook, romance novel The Stand-In
You've heard her voice bringing inimitable life to Eliza Hamilton on the Hamilton soundtrack, But now Soo is putting her vocal talents to a new challenge, narrating a romance novel by Lily Chu.

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A Hip-Hop Dance Crew’s Frabjous Reign in Las Vegas
The Jabbawockeez, with their something-for-everyone approach, proved that an ensemble of anonymous, masked dancers could pull in crowds.

They Call Us Bruce 127: They Call Us Jon M. Chu

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome back Jon M. Chu, who directed the new film adaptation of the hit musical In The Heights. He talks about bringing Lin-Manuel Miranda's vision to the screen, making sure you get the sauce right, and why this is the movie the world needs right now.

Read These Blogs

The Beautiful, Flawed Fiction of 'Asian American'
"As long as the United States remains committed to aggressive capitalism domestically and aggressive militarism internationally, Asians and Asian Americans will continue to be scapegoats who embody threat and aspiration, an inhuman 'yellow peril' and a superhuman model minority."

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The Cost of Being an 'Interchangeable Asian'
At some top companies, Asian Americans are overrepresented in midlevel roles and underrepresented in leadership. The root of this workplace inequality could stem from the all-too-common experience of being confused for someone else.

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I am Asian American. No hyphen required
"Every time we call ourselves Asian American, we are making a powerful political statement that we are American, and we belong here."

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Verbal jiujitsu, disarming and other tips for dealing with microaggressions
Some common racial microaggressions that Asian Americans experience include people assuming they are foreigners and non-Asians explaining Asian culture to them.

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What Is Asian American Music, Really?
Seeking more than representation, a critic tries to make sense of a fragmented, disparate musical tradition.

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Why 'Kim's Convenience' Is 'Quietly Revolutionary'
In not explaining every detail of Korean food culture, the award-winning Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience speaks volumes.

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With 'In the Heights,' Jon M. Chu disrupts the movie musical. Here’s how he did it
Director Jon M. Chu makes his movie musical debut with In the Heights, nearly twenty years after he was predicted to transform the genre.

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Invincible's racebending makes the whole series deeper and smarter
In the animated superhero series Invincible, Mark Grayson's biracial heritage is a major theme of the story -- and now it isn't just subtext.

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Sung Kang on embracing 'rare' journey of Han, 'Hollywood story' return in F9
Sung Kang talks about reviving Han, his Fast & Furious character, back from the dead.

Read These Blogs

I'm Tired of Trying to Educate White People About Anti-Asian Racism
"I am ready to stop chasing after those who need to see your deepest wounds on display before they will even contemplate believing your words. I've lost the energy or desire to educate or provide reasoned, patient answers to anyone who still needs to be convinced that Asian people face discrimination and violence in this country."

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As Anti-Asian Attacks Continue, What Kind of Bystander Are You?
What R.O. Kwon didn't fully expect, she writes, was the abiding and overwhelmingly white silence many Asian people have encountered from even would-be allies.

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'This could have been me'
The six victims of Asian descentin the Atlanta-area mass shooting represented a diverse community. Their deaths have united many Asian American women.

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Why Don't We Know Mitsuye Endo?
Mitsuye Endo participated in a landmark Supreme Court case challenging the right of the government to hold citizens in concentration camps like Topaz.

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Those 5 Words
It's time to stop saying 'Me love you long time.'

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What Happened To The First Asian American Rapper Signed To A Major Label?
MC Jin was the unofficial face of the AZN Pride movement in the aughts. He's still grappling with his identity and the terms of his success.

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Michelle Zauner Is Not Quite Ready to Retire
The writer and Japanese Breakfast front woman is excited about the future of her art.

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How Subtle Asian Traits made a generation of Asians feel understood on the internet
Founded in 2018 by nine Chinese Australian high schoolers, Subtle Asian Traits has grown into a global phenomenon with nearly 2 million members.

Read These Blogs

'Whoa, this is crazy': L.A. teen punks the Linda Lindas on going viral (just before finals)
Hot off their face-melting set earlier this month at the Cypress Park branch of the L.A. Public Library, including the viral anthem "Racist, Sexist Boy," tween/teen girl punk quartet The Linda Lindas are suddenly the most talked-about band in the country.

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The Silence of My White Friends After Atlanta
"I strangely found more comfort on Twitter with fellow Asian Americans—most of them creatives and artists—than I did from my own best friend."

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When the Reporter Asks You Why There Are So Many Filipino Nurses in the U.S.
"The presence of Filipino nurses in the United States is a longstanding one. Yet the reporter's questions suggest that the general public is wondering for the first time why there are so many Filipino nurses in the U.S."

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In many Asian American families, racism is rarely discussed
According to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey, only 13 percent of Asian adults said race came up "often" in conversations with friends and family, compared with 27 percent of Black adults.

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Some Korean pastors say they need to be more vocal about racial justice
Pastor Byeong Cheol Han, who presides over the Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, felt it was vital to condemn white supremacy and systemic racism after the March 16 massacre in Atlanta. Many other ministers discouraged him from doing so.

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Jeremy Lin reflects on lessons he's learned as an Asian American chasing NBA dreams
Jeremy Lin is no longer pursuing a return to the NBA and shares some profound lessons for Asian Americans.

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100 Years of Yuri Kochiyama: Akemi Kochiyama on Her Grandmother's Life, Leadership, and Legacy
On Yuri Kochiyama's 100th birthday, her granddaughter Akemi Kochiyama reflects on her radical anti-imperialist, anti-racist, and internationalist politic and praxis.

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Bowen Yang Is Changing the Late-Night Comedy Landscape
At the end of his second season on Saturday Night Live, Bowen Yang has carved out a space for queer characters whose sexuality isn’t always a punchline.

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A Queer Asian American Photographer In The South Is Making Some Of The Best Art Of His Generation
Originally from Memphis, Tommy Kha creates photos that reflect his relationship with the South and Southern culture, as well as his own Chinese heritage.

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In Praise of Congee
I grew up eating rice porridge, and every culture has its version. From mush we originate — to mush we'll return.

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Constance Wu Portrays The Pain Of Miscarriage In 'Solos' Episode
Each episode of the new Amazon series Solos features a character struggling in isolation. Constance Wu talks to NPR about her 22-minute monologue as "Jenny."

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What My Korean Father Taught Me About Defending Myself in America
Lessons in tae kwon do, style, and activism.

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The Term 'Asian American' Has an Impossible Duty
In a moment of pain, the descriptor "Asian American" has become a galvanizing force. But what happens when you lump together a group of people whose lives differ so vastly?

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'You cannot do anything': Indian American doctors struggle with COVID-19 crisis back home
Dr. Sunita Puri, who is trying to rally funds to send supplies to India for the COVID-19 crisis, is one of many Indian American doctors struggling with the COVID crisis in India.

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I Am Sikh and Tired
Wracked with pain about being othered, Vishavjit Singh dressed up like Captain America.

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We Need to Talk About What It Means to Be 'White-Adjacent' in Tech
"But it is that mix of privilege and exclusion that also gives us a unique position from which to advocate for anti-racism and the dismantling of structural and systemic racism."

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Grieving Vincent Chin, 39 Years Later
"There are no words that can describe the abuse and erasure we have faced."

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I'm Asian. My parents are white. How do I process anti-Asian violence?
After a year of rampant racism and violence against Asian Americans, some Asian adoptees in white families are left wondering how they fit into the conversation.

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'But I'm Just Like You'
The moment when illustrator Ruth Chan learned what it meant to be the 'other' in America.

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Uncovering the History of America's First Koreatown
A Korean-American professor discusses the most gratifying research of his career, into Riverside's Pachappa Camp -- the first Korean community in the United States, predating the founding of Los Angeles' Koreatown .

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The Lure of H Mart, Where the Shelves Can Seem as Wide as Asia
H Mart is "a beautiful, holy place." The huge grocery chain and other megastores like it have revolutionized the way many Asian Americans shop and eat.

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Meet the mystery woman who mastered IBM’s 5,400-character Chinese typewriter
Lois Lew operated IBM's improbable, ill-fated Chinese typewriter with aplomb in presentations from Manhattan to Shanghai. 70-plus years later, she's telling her story.

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Why I Bought Bruce Lee's Watch
The story behind the martial arts icon's Seiko is almost as legendary as the man himself.

They Call Us Bruce 126: They Call Us The Asian Superhero Celebration

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome DC Comics Editor Jessica Chen, the mastermind behind DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration, a new comics anthology spotlighting Asian superheroes and creators. We discuss why superhero representation matters and do some deep-cut nerding out over Batgirl, Samurai, Jim Lee and more.

"We Belong '21" by Magnetic North & Taiyo Na (feat. Ann One)

"...but we're still here; And we're going strong; And we're getting tired of proving we belong."



I'm proud to share "We Belong '21," the new track from Magnetic North & Taiyo Na, featuring Ann One.

Back in 2010, Magnetic North & Taiyo Na's "We Belong" was a rallying cry for humanity and belonging amidst the AAPI community's experiences with erasure, exclusion and absurdity. Sampling Asian American folk pioneer Chris Iijima's "Asian Song" on the chorus, the song was part of a larger thematic album Home:Word, where homeland and refuge were explored from an Asian American migrant perspective.

Unless you've been actively putting your head in the sand -- and let's face it, this is entirely possible -- you know that there's been a near-daily deluge of reports of attacks on Asian Americans. Upon hearing the details of yet another violent assault, in which the attacker told the victim, "You don't belong here," I was reminded of Iijima's lyrics: "...but we're still here; And we're going strong; And we're getting tired of proving we belong."

I begged Theresa, Derek and Taiyo to get back on the mic to record an updated version of "We Belong." It just felt like we needed it. Turns out, they were already thinking about revisiting the song in light of recent events, particularly the mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis. And they have delivered.

"We Belong '21" adds layers of urgency and relevance to the original track, delving deeper into experiences of a community being appropriated and othered while pointing towards the possibilities of solidarity and action to bring us forward. The soulful Ann One lends her voice to sing Iijima's timeless words.

Listen here:

They Call Us Bruce 125: They Call Us Vincent Chin

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome our good friend Paula Yoo, author of the young adult book From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement. We discuss the legacy of the case, the incredible amount of research that went into this book, and the importance of chronicling this story for younger generations.

They Call Us Bruce 124: They Call Us Kelly Marie Tran

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome actress Kelly Marie Tran, who stars as the titular voice in the Disney animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon. She talks about getting her life-changing role in Star Wars, the surreal significance of playing a Disney princess, and the appropriate response to seeing yourself on a billboard.