Angry Asian Man

10.11.2011

harry shum jr. shirtless! ... and a live duet with clara c.

Harry Shum Jr. shirtless! Okay, I thought that might get your attention. The ab-tastic photo above comes from a recent interview the Glee star did for the latest issue of Da Man magazine (yeah, never heard of it, but like it matters). For more photos, head over to Just Jared here.

But wait! There's more ...

If you were at Clara C's show at The Roxy in West Hollywood on Saturday night, you were treated to a surprise guest appearance by none other than Harry Shum Jr., who happens to be a big Clara C. fan.

He not only joined Clara on stage, he sang duet with her on "Wake Up in Neverland." And of course, the legions of cell phone cameras in the crowd were there to record it. A quick search turns up one of them. Take a look:

Tonight on ESPN, award-winning filmmaker Morgan Spurlock explores the inside world of professional sports agents in The Dotted Line. The documentary attempts to pull back the curtain on the ultra-secretive sports agent industry to expose what these guys really do in the trenches.

One of the guys they profile is a Eugene T. Lee of ETL Associates, Inc., an up-and-coming NFL agent who is quicly making a name for himself in this highly competitive industry. Spurlock calls him a future "powerhouse" agent: Why Upcoming NFL Agent Eugene Lee Was Hand-Picked For ESPN & Spurlock's Doc "The Dotted Line."

With Halloween just around the corner, maybe you're thinking about costume ideas. If you want some cool makeup tips, look no further than five-year-old mini-makeup guru Madison Hohrine, who has become something of an internet sensation with her ridiculously cute tutorials. Here she demonstrates how to do a feline Halloween look (with some help from mommy):

california governor signs bill requiring accurate data collection on aapi ethnicities

Success. On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1088 into law, requiring key state agencies to collect and post information about job programs participation, employment and housing discrimination, and other disparities faced by Asian and Pacific Islander ethnicities.

The new law requires the Department of Industrial Relations and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing to disaggregate and include the full spectrum of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander ethnicities in their data collections. Here's more information from APALC's press release:

plate by plate new york, october 14

If you're in New York, and are looking to get your food and wine on... You are invited to eat, drink and mingle at Project by Project's 13th annual tasting benefit, Plate by Plate, happening this Friday, October 14 at Skylight West.

Net proceeds from this year's benefit will go Project by Project's 2011 partner, Chinatown Youth Initiatives, a nonprofit youth leadership organization dedicated to empowering New York City youth. Here are some more details about the event:

In celebration of the two-year anniversary of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, students, youth, and community advocates across the country are invited to attend the first everVir tual Youth Town Hall, an online live-stream event happening October 14 at 4:00pm PT.

The Virtual Youth Town Hall will explore important issues relevant to AAPI youth, and will feature singer/songwriter Clara Chung and popular YouTube personality Ryan Higa as panelists addressing topics such as anti-bullying, access to education, and AAPI representation in the arts and media. Here are some more details:

Heads up. Hollywood stuntman Steven Ho will be back on Conan for another round of kicking Conan O'Brien's ass. Between his appearances on the short-lived The Tonight Show stint and the current gig on cable, Steven has to be one of Conan's most frequent and most popular guests. Catch him wreaking more TV violence and mayhem this Wednesday night on TBS. To see video of Steven's previous visits, go here.

grandmother convicted in murder of 2-year-old thrown off bridge

Some incredibly sad and horrifying news out of Virginia... Last week in Fairfax County, a grandmother was convicted of first-degree murder for tossing her 2-year-old granddaughter from a pedestrian bridge at a shopping mall: Dela Rosa convicted of murder in throwing granddaughter from pedestrian bridge.

Prosecutors had argued that 50-year-old Carmela dela Rosa was driven to kill the child, Angelyn Ogdoc, out of anger towards the girl's father, who had gotten dela Rosa's daughter pregnant out of wedlock. Dela Rosa had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but it looks like the jury didn't buy it:

This is a message for cool people who support Asian American literary arts. The Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York is raising funds for the third annual Page Turner: Asian American Literary Festival, happening October 29. This year, they're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Asian American Writers' Workshop, which is pretty darn cool.

Can you kick in a few bucks to support Page Turner? Here's a sexy video featuring Harold Augenbraum, Nancy Bulalacao, Ken Chen, Jen Kwok, Ed Lin, and Bino A. Realuyo talking about the important work the Asian American Writers' Workshop is doing, and why you should support its general awesomeness:

What up, fight fans. Over the weekend at UFC 136 in Houston, Nam Phan faced off in a rematch against Leonard Garcia. And this time, Pham took home the win, 29-28: Phan wins thrilling UFC 136 decision over Garcia.

You might remember Phan and Garcia's first bout back in December, when Garcia won by a controversial, extremely unpopular decision nobody was happy about. On Saturday night, Nam Phan got his revenge. More here: UFC 136 Results: Nam Phan Gets Revenge Against Leonard Garcia.

Let's celebrate!

senate resolution apologizes for chinese exclusion act

Good news. Last week, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution acknowledging and apologizing for the nation's past discriminatory laws that targeted Chinese immigrants, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882: Senate apologizes for discrimination against Chinese immigrants.

The Chinese Exclusion Act effectively suspended Chinese immigration into the United States and denied citizenship to Chinese immigrants already in the country. The law was finally repealed in 1943 after China became a U.S. ally in World War II. Congress has never officially apologized these injustices.

A similar resolution, sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu, is pending in the House. The 1882 Project is spearheading a movement to get H. Res. 282 passed. Want to help? Here's some information on how to can contact your Representative and urge him or her to co-sponsor and vote in support of a House resolution on the Chinese Exclusion laws:

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Friends Don't Let Friends Become "Friend-Zoned Phil": Does anyone know the identity of "Friend-Zoned Phil," aka the poor guy whose photo is unwittingly being used in this sad (but often too true) internet meme?

Do you know this Asian extra from Teen Wolf 1985? Speaking of unidentified Asian guys, can anyone identify this lone Asian guy who randomly pops up in a scene from the 1985 Michael J. Fox comedy Teen Wolf?

Poetry Kung Fu or: Breaking Boards With Your Head is Dumb, Write Poems Instead: In addition to being a international cinematic legend, cultural ambassador and general all-around badass of life, Bruce Lee was a poet.

'Fast Five' sequel: Justin Lin looks for franchise finish line: With Fast Five just out on Blu-ray/DVD, Justin Lin offers some thoughts on what's next for him and the future of the Fast & Furious franchise.

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

all the chinese kids are wearing one

julie chu in espn's "body issue"

university of colorado student arrested in bias-motivated assault

yes, that's russell wong in an ikea commercial

jeff yang's "tao jones" and "the asian f"

knots trailer

steve byrne needs a mom and sister for his tbs pilot

knife-wielding attacker killed in police shooting

a very harold and kumar 3d christmas character banners

ipad face dance

Stay Angry!

10.07.2011

andrew figueroa chiang's two days in the bay tour

This is for all my friends in the Bay Area. Heads up... Our friend, singer/songwriter Andrew Figueroa Chiang will be in the Bay for a couple of shows. He is a good man with good songs, and you should come check him out. He'll be playing with a full band at Kimo's in San Francisco on October 11 and Cal State East Bay on October 12. Here are some more details:

For those of you at or around the University of Florida, make sure you mark our calendars for Asian Kaleidoscope Month, October 12 to November 11. It's a month-long celebration dedicated to education and awareness of the histories, cultures, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans.

This year's theme, AKM 2011: Defining Your Story, aims to highlight the unique stories of individuals in the Asian and Asian American community, and will include special guest speakers, screenings, workshops, performances and other social events.

Asian Kaleidoscope Month kicks off with an Opening Ceremony featuring actor Rex Lee from Entourage. It's happening Wednesday, October 12 at the Phillips Center. Here are some more details:

Filmmakers Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino recently started a new media studio, National Film Society, producing original content and showcasing talented creators and new works. Their most recent video, Awesome Filipino Americans In Movies, was created in honor of Filipino American History month. Check it out:

asian american women's political initiative state house legislative fellowship program - spring 2012

This announcement is for Asian American women who go to college in the Boston area... The Asian American Women's Political Initiative invites community-minded students to apply for the Massachusetts Legislative Fellowship Program, a unique internship opportunity designed to mentor and cultivate the next generation of political leaders and advocates in the Asian American community. Here's an overview of the program and how to apply:

Hey, movie fans. Before you go rushing out to the multiplex to see the latest movie about robots beating the hell out of each other, consider check out another movie opening this weekend in limited release: Saigon Electric, director Stephane Gauger's indie film about cool kids kickin' it Vietnam, is out in select theaters around the country. Here's the list of theaters:

This week, President Obama designated Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary Christopher Lu to join Education Secretary Arne Duncan as co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Lu replaces former Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who had co-chaired the White House Initiative before becoming the U.S. Ambassador to China.

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint Olympic skating champion Apolo Ohno, Professor May Chen and Dr. Tung Thanh Nguyen to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Here's some more information on the appointees:

What the...!? Your eyes do not deceive you. That's none other than Russell Wong as one-half of the Lees, the Asian American couple shopping for a new kitchen in this IKEA commercial. The watermelon guy from The Joy Luck Club. The leading man from the 1990s TV series Vanishing Son (remember that?). He's now kicking it in an IKEA ad. Take a look:

What up, South Asians. Please consider helping out a brother in need. Amit Gupta was recent diagnosed with acute leukemia, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy for treatment. But what he really needs is a bone marrow transplant. That is, of course, easier said than done.

Amit's best chances of survival will be a match from someone of South Asian descent, but there's a serious underrepresentation in the bone marrow pool. The national bone marrow registry has 9.5 million records on file, yet the chances of someone of South Asian descent finding a match are apparently only 1 in 20,000.

But Amit's friends and loved ones are trying to help him destroy those odds. And that's how you can help: Let's Help Amit Defeat Leukemia!.

beats from the east: the concert, october 15

This one's for all you crazy cool kids in Montreal... CJLO Radio's DJ Mister Vee brings his radio show to life with Beats from the East: The Concert 2, a showcase of urban music and dance bringing together a kickass lineup on the stage. It's happening Saturday, October 15 at The Hive at Concordia University. Here are some more details about the show:

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, the nation's largest nonprofit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islander students, is currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 scholarship cycle.

During the 2011-2012 scholarship cycle, APIASF awarded more than $1.2 million to over 500 students in 43 states and students in the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and American Samoa. Underserved students, they want to give this money to you!

To be eligible for a scholarship, you must:

San Franciscooooooo! Check out the music video for "SF City Retrospect" by Rocky Rivera, presented by Just Bombin Films and Beatrock Music. She teams up with another San Francisco-based emcee, Davinci, to pay homage to their respective neighborhoods in the City by the Bay:

While your social media streams mourned the death of tech innovation icon Steven Jobs, yesterday also saw the death of civil rights icon. Derrick Bell, a pioneer of critical race theory and the first tenured black professor at Harvard Law School, died Wednesday in Manhattan. He was 80: Derrick Bell, Law Professor and Rights Advocate, Dies at 80.

Bell was admired as an academic and activist who never let a prestigious job get in the way of sticking to his convictions. He had an impressive list of high-profile positions and institutions on his resume, but is perhaps best remembered for famously turning his back on them in protest of racist hiring practices. One incident in 1986 particularly stands out to this blog:

Heeeyyyyy! Gather round. I would like you 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 comedian Ali Wong, who will be performing at Carolines in New York on October 7-8.

Anyone else crazy excited about the upcoming zombie-filled second season of AMC's The Walking Dead? I am. Word on the street is, there will be more undead action and drama than you can swing a shovel at. In this behind-the-scenes video, Steven Yeun (who plays Glenn) promises that this season will "blow your face off" (I think that's supposed to be a good thing):

beware of pokemon, the "oriental demon"

So this is your daily dose of weirdo. There's so much crazy packed into this short YouTube clip, it goes from silly to racist to ridiculous to sad and then all the way back again in just over three minutes.

This clip, captured from a religious station Watchman Broadcasting's web stream a few months ago, features some guy warning and rambling on about how video games are the crafty work of the devil.

I mention it here because he refers to Pokemon several times as "Oriental demons." Which we all know are the evilest and most dangerous of all demons. Muhahahahahahaha. I'm not even mad. I'm just kind of sad. (Thanks, Damond.)

steve byrne needs a mom and sister for his tbs pilot

I've been a fan of comedian Steve Byrne for years, so I was quite pleased to hear that he's written and starring in a sitcom pilot for TBS, Sullivan and Son: TBS Orders Pilot Starring Comedian Steve Byrne And Produced By Vince Vaughn.

Produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley, and co-written by comedy veteran Rob Long, the show is set in a working-class neighborhood bar in Pittsburgh, and sounds like it takes a few cues from Steve's own Irish/Korean American upbringing:

oca's b3: build, breathrough & believe, october 7

OCA invites you to the third annual B3: Build, Breakthrough & Believe, a leadership development summit designed to strengthen and create a pipeline of inspired emerging APA leaders. It's happening Friday, October 7, 2011 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. Here are some more details about the event:

job opportunity: policy director, asian pacific american legal center

Another job opportunity at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles... this time, they're looking for a Policy Director -- the first position of its kind in the organization's 28-year history -- who will be a senior leadership team member providing vision and guidance for APALC's work on key policy issues. They're seeking someone with significant policy/advocacy experience plus past supervision/management experience. Here's some more information about the job:

I am seriously digging every new joint that comes along from emcee Justin Park, aka Azuré. Reppin' the Bay. Here's another new music video: Ice Cubes. This track's a bit of step back from his usual laid-back vibe, but it's still pretty fantastic. Check it out:

Couldn't help but notice that Harvard hockey star and three-time Olympian Julie Chu is among the athletes profiled in the 2011 edition of ESPN's annual "Body Issue," in which everybody's favorite sports stars are photographed in tasteful states of nudity. Yes, all naked. Including the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history:

Here's the recently released official trailer for the indie "UN-romantic comedy" Knots, directed by our old pal Michael Kang, and written by Kimberley Rose-Wolter, who stars as a wedding planner who can't keep her own love life in order. The movie also features Illeana Douglas, Sung Kang, Mia Riverton and Janel Parrish. Take a look:

Been meaning to write about this book since June, but I only recently got around to reading it...

The Detention Club by our friend David Yoo, is his first foray into middle-grade fiction, set during what is universally the most painful and awkward point in anyone's life: middle school.

I'm a huge fan of David's previous young adult work, Girls for Breakfast and Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before. And while I'm obviously not the target demographic for this one, it kept me laughing like a silly kid during a recent plane ride. Yeah, I'm kind of immature like that.

Here's the publisher's description:

This handy Contagion-tastic poster is brought to you by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, who urges everyone to get their flu shots. As you can see, it clearly illustrates the chain of events that led to a cute little white baby -- and then everyone else -- getting sick. And it all started with Ming, that dirty sneezing Asian. Thanks for the advice!

"we are not only creating art. we are creating identity, self-esteem, and possibility."

This is a pretty good recent blog post on BackStage.com by actress Ann Hu on the significant and rapidly declining number of roles for Asian actors on Broadway, on Off-Broadway, and in theater in general: Asian Invisible?

Only 1.6% of roles on Broadway were filled by Asian American actors and only 18 principal contracts were given to Asian performers have been given to Asian performers... in the last five years. What's up with that?

Ms. Hu offers her theory on why things are so rough for the Asian American theater actor, but also why it's so important that our stories get told:

kelly zen-yie tsai's say you heard my echo, october 9

Hey New York! It's time to see my friend Kelly Zen-Yi Tsai's new play Say You Heard My Echo, presented by Asian American Arts Alliance. The play is a spoken word theater project that juxtaposes fictional narratives of three Asian American women in New York City a decade after 9/11. It's this Sunday, October 9 at Flushing Town Hall. Here are some more details:

The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum is celebrating 15 years of progressive activism, sisterhood, and justice for Asian Pacific American women and girls. To honor the occasion, I'm partering with NAPAWF and Hyphen to honor the contributions of APA women.

From the labor heavyweights to the student activists to the working moms who are organizing in their neighborhoods, we're celebrating the fierce work of our favorite women leaders in the months of October and November. Do you know someone who deserves some recognition? Nominate her!

This is a super fun music video for "Dum Dum Dah Dah" by Oklahoma-based indie rock band The Nghiems (sounds like "Thuh Nimz"). Over four months in the making, it's a stop-motion video effort with lots of quirky blips and bleeps and band members as arcade game characters. Check it out:

Yeah! Let's hear it for kids and science. A couple of months ago, I wrote about Naomi Shah, Shree Bose and Lauren Hodge, a trio of girls who swept the top prizes at the Google Science Fair, a global competition for teenagers. This week, President Obama met with the winners at the White House: President Obama Welcomes Science Fair Winners to Oval Office.

Whoa. This is an awesome original music video promo for musician Eric Holljes' single "Good in my Hood," directed by Lawrence Chen. It also doubles as one hell of an iPad commerical, making use of cool lighting, some fog, choreography... and Apple's Facetime. Take a look:

For those eagerly anticipating tonight's "Asian F" episode of Glee, Jeff Yang's got the scoop! As you might know, Jeff's "Asian Pop" column for SF Gate was recently canceled. But it's all good, because Jeff picked up a gig writing a new Asian pop/culture column, "Tao Jones," for the Wall Street Journal.

For his inaugural column, Jeff's got an early look at tonight's Mike Chang-centric edition of Glee, which puts Harry Shum Jr. in the spotlight, along with Tamlyn Tomita and Keong Sim as his parents. (I'm still not over the fact that Tamlyn -- my lifelong crush -- is playing the mother of a high school senior.)

As advertised, the episode apparently wades knee-deep in stereotypical Tiger Mother territory... but also offers a lot more. [SPOILER ALERT! Don't read Jeff's column (or the rest of this post) prior to watching the episode if you want to be completely surprised by the plot.] Check it: 'Glee' Roars Into the World of Tiger Moms, Dads and Cubs.

Yahoo! Movies just unveiled a bunch of new character banners for A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, starring John Cho and Kal Penn as the titular stoner comedy heroes. Along for the adventure are Danny Trejo, Jesus, Santa Claus, a robot, a baby and of course, NPH. No holiday extravaganza is really complete without them. View all the banners below:

In Boulder, Colorado, a University of Colorado student is accused of making derogatory remarks about Asian food, then punching and choking an Asian American student who objected to his remarks: Bias-motivated case: CU-Boulder student arrested on suspicion of punching dormmate.

19-year-old freshman Thomas Frank Ross is accused of attacking fellow student Christpher Tetreault late Friday in another student's room. It all apparently started when Ross blamed Tereault for a bad smell in the room because he "eats all those Asian noodles":

moca presents the ying and yang of contemporary asian american culture, october 6

It's Yang times three! This week in New York, MOCA presents The Yin and Yang of Contemporary Asian American Culture, a "candid, no-holds barred discussion" with graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, New York Magazine contributing editor Wesley Yang and author/columnist Jeff Yang -- who all happen to share the same last name. It's happening Thursday, October 6 at the Museum of Chinese in America. Here are some more details:

This is a great opportunity for up-and-coming mediamakers... The Center for Asian American Media has just launched the second year of the CAAM Fellowship Program for Asian American film, new media, and television professionals across all sectors of the industry, and of all experience levels.

The CAAM Fellowship Program seeks to develop the talents and skills of a range of media professions including filmmakers, actors, programmers, and executives. The Fellowship provides a three-month structured mentorship, a two-day retreat, and participation in the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Still catching up on all my video-watching... Here's the recently-released music video for "It's All Good (TO's Diner)," the latest single from the Jersey City-based electrohop trio Triangle Offense. Just try to get that Suzanne Vega sample out of your head. Check it out:

Damn. Another crazy and tragic story... In San Francisco, police shot and killed a knife-wielding man after he stabbed his mother to death and wounded his father: S.F. cops kill man suspected of stabbing parents.

44-year-old Peter Woo apparently stabbed his mother in the upper body. She later died at the hospital. According to police, officers arrived at the scene and tried to help her, but when Woo charged at them while holding two knives, they were forced to shoot him:

Yahoo! Movies has got the full theatrical trailer premiere for The Lady, starring Michelle Yeoh in the true story of Burmese democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. The teaser trailer didn't give us much, but this one offers a better sense of how the movie will tell her extraordinary story. Take a look:

For folks who went crazy over Target's recent collaboration with Missoni, you might be pleased to know that the discount retailer will next be working with clothing designer Jason Wu: Jason Wu to Design Line for Target

Wu made a career-launching splash custom designing the Inaugural Ball gown and other outfits for First Lady Michelle Obama. His mass-market limited edition line for Target, which will include handbags, scarves and women's wear, will be available on February 5, 2012:

I am still not quite over the crippling disappointment of what went down with Korilla getting booted from The Great Food Truck Race. But at least we get the good news that Chef Tai's Gourmet Food Truck from College Station Texas has won America's Favorite Food Truck contest.

The contest started back in July with fans nominating and voting for their favorite local truck. Over four million people voted, with nearly 600 trucks in the running, and when all was said and done, Chef Tai's was the last food ride remaining: America's Favorite Food Truck - We Have a Winner.

Oh, that is helpful. The BBC's website with educational resources features a helpful section to teach kids Primary Languages, including French, Spanish and Mandarin. I point your attention to caricatures they have representing the three languages. While they're all donning stereotypical cultural headwear, the Chinese kid is wearing a bowl of rice. On his head.

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'Un-American' Graffiti Revealed Local Prejudice: In March 1945, racist vandals in Altadena, California defaced the property of scientist Linus Pauling after he hired George H. Minaki, a Japanese American gardener.

Flick Chicks: A New Yorker piece by Mindy Kaling, producer/writer/actress on The Office, who writes about the many specimens of women who inhabit the world of Hollywood romantic comedies -- and do not exist in real life.

Kal Penn: It's Time to Ignore the Paralyzing Cynicism and Get Engaged: "I've been motivated by the reality that progress is possible with a leader who understands what's at stake. But progress is never easy, which is all the more reason to keep a focus on positivity and abandon cynicism."

Filming the Extraordinary Life of Eddy Zheng, a Bay Area Community Leader Facing Imminent Deportation: A Q&A with Ben Wang, director/ producer of the upcoming documentary Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story.

Liberate Yourself From Classical Karate: Black Belt reprints an essay by Bruce Lee, in which he invites the blossoming martial artist to empty his or her cup and find freedom from bondage to styles, patterns and doctrines.