Angry Asian Man

4.15.2013

"A Letter to JK Rowling from Cho Chang" by Rachel Rostad

This poet is angry as hell, and I like it. Check out Macalester College's Rachel Rostad performing her award-winning spoken word piece "A Letter to JK Rowling from Cho Chang" earlier this month at the College Union Poetry Slam Invitational in New York City. She has some critical words for the multigajillionaire author about the Asian characters in her bestselling wizard series:

Some sad music news... Bass guitarist Chi Cheng, co-founder of the Grammy-winning Sacramento-based alternative/metal band The Deftones, died over the weekend, five years after a car crash left him in a coma. He was 42: Deftones bassist Chi Cheng dies after fighting 'the good fight'.

Cheng's mother announced his passing in a statement on the website oneloveforchi.com. On early Saturday morning, he was taken to the emergency room where his heart stopped at 3:00am. Cheng had been in a semi-conscious state after suffering major injuries in a car accident in 2008:

So... if you missed the MTV Movie Awards, then you missed Hana Mae Lee with a giant cigarette butt on her head. You think I am joking. But last night, the Pitch Perfect star got dressed, drove to the MTV Movie Awards, and just as she was about to step on to the red carpet, an evil giant put out his cigarette on poor Hana's head:

Memo to sportscasters discussing 14-year-old Chinese golf phenom Tianlang Guan -- or anyone of Chinese descent, for that matter: please refrain from using the term "chinaman." I know you think this is okay, like it's the same as calling someone from France and Frenchman. I can see how you would think that. But "chinaman" is considered a derogatory term. I know you had no idea. But now you know.

That's what happened during the sports segment the other night on KLFY, the CBS affiliate in Lafayette, Louisiana, when sports anchor George Faust referred to the golfer as "14-year-old Chinaman Tianlang Guan": Louisiana TV Station Refers To Guan Tianlang As A "Chinaman."

Read These Blogs

10 Ridiculously Offensive Things People Tell Asian Women On OkCupid: BuzzFeed does a "greatest hits" roundup of posts from the Creepy White Guys Tumblr, which collects exceptionally horrifying messages from "creepy white guys with Asian fetishes" on dating sites.

To (All) the White Girls Who Didn't Get Into The College Of Their Dreams: Did you catch Suzy Lee Weiss's extended whine about "tiger moms" and "headdress" wearers and why she didn't get into the colleges she wanted to? Don't. Read Kendra James' reply instead.

An Open Letter to Suzy Lee Weiss: A letter from one college-bound high school senior to another -- except YingYing Shang knows where to check her privilege.

We Are Not Newcomers or Bystanders: Asian Americans and the Struggle for Immigration Reform: Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of SAALT, on Asian Americans and rallying for immigration reform.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.

All Asian cyclists look the same

Totally Gratuitous Lee Byung Hun Workout Video

Saturday Night Live Fail: Bobby Moynihan as Kim Jong-un

Jeremy Lin on 60 Minutes

Manslaughter plea agreement in beach beating death

Airport worker accused of stealing from luggage

Happy ten-year anniversary, Better Luck Tomorrow

J. David Kuo, former leader of Bush's faith initiative, dies at 44

Saw director James Wan to take on Fast & Furious 7

Angry Reader of the Week: Giles Li

If you're heading to the Association for Asian American Studies Conference in Seattle this week, please come to our panel on Thursday afternoon. We'll be talking about Linsanity. If you're a student in the vicinity of North Carolina, I have the honor of delivering a keynote address next weekend at TAASCON 2013. Hope to see you there. Stay Angry.

4.12.2013

Kero One at Drom NYC, April 15

If you're in New York City, make some plans this Monday night for some good music. Essentic presents one of my favorite emcee/producers, California's own Kero One, alongside YouTube sensation Jenni Suk, and rappers Rekstizzy, Mugshot of Deep Foundation, MC Budha and more. It's happening Monday, April 15 at Drom. Here are some more details about the show:

Awwww yeah. Once again, it's time for 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 Giles Li.

Little by little, DC Comics keeps taking steps towards LGBT diversity. Last year, Earth Two's Green Lantern Alan Scott was re-introduced as a gay character as part of the company's "New 52" relaunch. This week, the latest issue of Batgirl introduces the first openly transgender character in a mainstream superhero comic -- and oh, she's Asian: DC Introduces First Transgender Character in Mainstream Comics.

At 14 years old, Chinese golfer Tianlang Guan is the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters. But he didn't show up at Augusta National merely to play. The eighth grader carded an impressive 1-over 73 in his opening round on Thursday: China's Tianlang Guan, 14, at 1 over.

But kid still has a few things to learn, according to one official. On Friday, after repeated reminders, Guan received a one-stroke penalty for slow play on the 17th hole -- a ruling that almost jeopardized his chances of making the cut: Tianlang Guan penalized for slow play at Masters.

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, May 2-12

This for all my film fans in Los Angeles. Heads up. Tickets are currently on sale for the 29th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, running May 2 through 12 at venues around Los Angeles and Long Beach. With a lineup of over 140 films, LAAPFF is a showcase of some of the latest and greatest documentaries and narratives representing a diversity of Asian and Asian Pacific American voices. Here's the 30-second festival trailer:

We're getting poetic up here. It's time for another installment of the Angry Poetry Corner, a semi-regular spotlight where we present the work of various poets from the AAPI community -- not necessarily angry poems (though there are certainly some of those too) -- curated by Cara, our Angry Asian Intern. Because you could use a little more poetry in your life.

In the corner this week, a poem by Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut:

This week marks the tenth anniversary of the theatrical release of Better Luck Tomorrow, an independent film that arguably changed the direction of contemporary Asian American cinema. With last week's passing of venerated film critic Roger Ebert, I noted his unique, influential moment in the legacy of the film.

Ten years later, I look back and marvel and at what Better Luck Tomorrow meant for me and this blog, and I'm thankful. The film itself is a shock to the system, offering a dark, shocking portrait of Asian American youth. Director Justin Lin's story of making the film is an inspiring, a great example of what can happen when you stop waiting for someone else to tell a story, and get off your ass to make it happen yourself.

The theatrical release of the Better Luck Tomorrow is an awesome example of how the indie film-appreciating community rallied around the film to get butts in those seats. It was early on in the life of this blog, and it showed me a lot about the power of the online voice. And best of all, I made some great relationships with folks who were similarly passionate about Better Luck Tomorrow -- folks that I'm still friends with to this day.

If you haven't seen Better Luck Tomorrow, well, you should. (Dude, the DVD is only $6.49 right now on Amazon.) I shared this last week, but I figured I'd re-post Evan Leong's documentary BLT: Genesis, a behind-the-scenes look at the scrappy journey of making the film. Take a look:

We've been following this case with mild interest... Huong Hoang, aka Junie Hoang, is the Asian American actress suing the Internet Movie Database for posting her age on her public IMDB profile. She claims that the site violated her privacy by posting her age, which has led to a "substantial decrease in acting credits, employment opportunities and earnings."

I don't know if she's got much of a case, but the arguments are interesting. The Hollywood Reporter has been following the trial with recaps and analysis. Here's the take on day one, during which Hoang and IMDB battled over the importance of truth and perception in the digital age: Actress Suing IMDb Takes the Witness Stand.

And here's the recap of day two, where things got a little lively, and Hoang was challenged about how much IMDB's posting of her true age actually affected her acting career: Actress Suing IMDb Faces Tough Questions on Second Day of Trial.

This case bums me out. This week in Illinois, a young man reached a manslaughter plea agreement in the 2011 death of a 17-year-old Chicago boy: Plea reached in LaPorte County fatal fight.

20-year-old James Malacek pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, battery and aggravated battery, and agreed to serve 145 days in prison for the fatal punch that killed Kevin Kennelly. The rest of the four year sentence would be served on electronic monitoring.

According to police, Malacek punched Kennelly, who may have been trying to break up a fight at a 4th of July beach party. The altercation was apparently set off by racial insults -- Malacek and his sister are Korean adoptees:

Enter the Dragon 40th Anniversary Screening & Kick Ass! Kung Fu Posters Exhibition Opening, April 17

Fellow Bruce Lee fans, if you're in Los Angeles, here's a screening you don't want to miss... The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents a 40th anniversary screening of Enter the Dragon, and the opening of the exhibition Kick Ass!: Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection.

Presented from an original 35mm Technicolor dye-transfer print from the Academy film archive, the evening will feature special guests including co-stars John Saxon and Bob Wall, producers Paul Heller and Fred Weintraub, cinematographer Gil Hubbs, screenwriter Michael Allin and Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee.

It's all going down Wednesday, April 17 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Here are some more event details:

By now, fans of the Fast & Furious movies know that Justin Lin will not be directing the seventh installment. So who's taking over? Universal Pictures is reportedly in talks with James Wan, director of Saw, to direct Fast & Furious 7: James Wan Is Universal's Choice To Helm 'The Fast And The Furious 7.'

According to Deadline, the studio will likely ink the deal by the end of the week. Should be interesting to see how Wan, who directed the original Saw and the horror hit Insidious, handles the signature auto action these movies are known for. He certainly knows how to make modest budgets go a long way.

He's an intriguing choice for the Fast franchise. Whatever the case, he appears to have the endorsement of Justin Lin. Here's the press release-y statement from Justin:

Who We Be: Jeff Chang + Kiese Laymon, April 18

New York! On Thursday, April 18, Jeff Chang (of Can't Stop Won't Stop fame) will be speaking with writer Kiese Laymon at NYU. The talk is entitled "Who We Be: on the Resurrection of Multiculturalism, the New Demographics, and the Post-Racial." It's all related to Chang's forthcoming book, Who We Be: The Colorization of America, in which the author analyzes the development of a multicultural society -- and questions why we still cannot hold frank conversations about race.

I don't know a thing about cricket. The sport. But this movie makes me want to learn a few things... Here's the trailer for Beyond All Boundaries, a documentary about Indian fans who eat, sleep and breathe cricket. Directed by Sushrut Jain and produced by Kunal Nayyar of The Big Bang Theory, the film will have its world premiere this Saturday at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Here's the trailer:

Asians behaving badly... airport thievery edition! In Minneapolis, a behind-the-scenes airport worker is accused of stealing guns(!), computers, cell phones, cameras and other valuable items from checked luggage: Minneapolis airport worker accused of stealing guns, other valuables from luggage.

23-year-old David Vang, who worked maintaining baggage conveyance systems in a secure area of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, was charged with eleven counts of felony theft after he was caught on camera taking items from checked baggage. His wife, Vue Xiong, was charged with one count of felony theft for helping him take the items.

Police uncovered more than 700 stolen items from Vang's living room closet -- including 10 firearms, as well as iPads, laptop computers, projectors, cellphones, cameras, purses, watches, knives, jewelry and hunting and fishing gear -- all together valued at over $84,000:

Kristina Wong in Going Green the Wong Way, April 10

Good people, if you are in Los Angeles this week, our good friend Kristina Wong invites you to a special free, one-night-only presentation her show Going Green the Wong Way -- a true-life tale of one woman's mad-cap quest to save the planet. It's happening Wednesday, April 10 at UCLA's Schoenberg Music Hall. Here are some more details about the show:

This is for folks working with survey data and research in the AAPI community... If you're in Seattle, come to Grounding the Asian American & Pacific Islander Policy Voice Through Survey, the second annual convening of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Research Consortium, happening Wednedsay, April 17 at the University of Washington. This one-day event is open to students faculty, community members and AAPI professionals interested in utilizing research to drive AAPI policy. Here are some more details:

On heavy rotation: Heiroglyphs, the new album from New York City-based band Deb Oh & the Cavaliers. I was a big fan of Deb's solo EP, Cold Glory, but the soulful, epic force of Deb's vocals plus a seven-piece indie-pop orchestral collective takes her sound to another level. I've already shared the music video for their lead single "Primacy." You can preview the rest of Hieroglyphs here:

J. David Kuo, an evangelical Christian leader who was an influential figure in President George W. Bush's faith initiative who later turned his back on the administration, died on Friday after battling brain cancer. He was 44: J. David Kuo, Who Split From Bush Faith Effort, Dies at 44.

Kuo was deputy director the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and played an instrumental role in the Bush administration's effort to link religious groups with the delivery of social services.

But after only two years, he left the administration, claiming that President Bush had failed to live up to his promise of "compassionate conservatism" and used the evangelical movement as a political prop:

All right, I ain't gonna lie -- I'm a little bit obsessed with Lee Byung Hun's abs in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Dude's physique is inhuman. So how the hell did he do it? Here's a behind-the-scenes video which reveals a little bit of his diet/training regimen to prepare for the role of Storm Shadow. It's entirely in Korean, without subtitles, but I think you can an idea of what's going down. Trust me, Byung Hun fans, you'll thank me:

I understand. Making fun of North Korea is pretty easy. From threats of missile strikes to bad Photoshop jobs boasting false military might, to ridiculously outrageous claims about Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has made itself the easy target of copious lampooning. And that's where Saturday Night Live went this weekend: 'SNL': Kim Jong-un Endorses Gay Marriage in Cold Open.

With all the crazy-ass stuff that's been in the news lately, SNL couldn't not do something on North Korea. But the problem that always arises when the show attempts sketches about China or North Korea, is how they depict Asian characters -- there are no identifiably Asian cast members on Saturday Night Live to fit those roles, so it usually ends up being some kind of mild yellowface. On Saturday, it was Kim Jong-un.

This time around, the best they could do was put Bobby Moynihan in a funny haircut and had him mumble a really uncomfortable "wallawallawalla" gibberish approximation of the Korean language (kicked off with a "watashi-wa" -- Japanese, by the way) that lasted through the whole skit. See for yourself:

Your favorite Houston Rocket point guard Jeremy Lin was featured on last night's edition of 60 Minutes, which recounted his rise from obscurity to NBA stardom: Linsanity: Jeremy Lin's rise to stardom.

Charlie Rose interviewed him about his upbringing, his struggles facing racism and stereotypes on the court, and that unlikely moment when he came off the New York Knicks bench to inspire what millions would affectionately call "Linsanity." Here's the video:

Oh, the hazards of biking while Asian. Highly amused by this embarrassing incident out of Portland... Last weekend, a bunch of bicycle activists went for a ride across the city to promote better streets. Or something. So what happens when a random Asian dude that nobody knows shows up to participate in the ride?

The cyclists accuse him of being an undercover cop.

Read These Blogs

An Epic "Illegal Immigration" Debate Happened On Twitter: I'd like to think I had a small hand in helping to jumpstart this Twitter conversation... Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented immigrant, had a Twitter discussion about immigration in the United States.

Why My Immigrant Christian Conservative Dad Supports Same-Sex Marriage: Jeff Yang's father, a devout Christian and Nixon Republican, ended dinner one night by declaring that gay marriage should be legal.

'Olympus Has Fallen' Brings Out the Anti-Asian Slurs from Its Audience: Oh, what? Hollywood misrepresents Asian Americans and fools air out their racism on Twitter? Yes, we're tired of internet trolls, too, but it's worth analyzing why crap like this happens in the face of real life international politics.

Why the AP's Choice to Drop the I-Word Is a Crucial Victory: This past week, the Associated Press announced that it's dropping the phrase "illegal immigrant" from its current style guide. Here's why this is awesome news.

Roger and Me: "Ebert was the rare populist who never talked down to the elites or to the common moviegoers. He wanted to elevate the reader, not because he was smarter, but because he wanted us all to love movies as much as he did." Brian Hu remembers Roger Ebert, who passed away on Thursday.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.

They're All So Beautiful: webseries explores "Yellow Fever"

"Only Americans can pitch perfect games, you gook! #Merica"

Roger Ebert, Champion of Asian American Cinema

Chris Brown goes down to Chinatown... or whatever.

It's so hard to say goodbye to Chink's Steaks

Federal authorities shut down Fung Wah bus line. Forever.

Sulu will bring balance to The Force.

The Further Adventures of Baby Mentalist

Missing: 92-year-old Dr. Samuel "Sammy" Lee, last seen Monday

Family of subway shove victim sues transit authority

It's been one hell of a week. Stay Angry.

4.05.2013

Angry Reader of the Week: Anida Yoeu Ali

What's up, my people? It's about time we 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 Anida Yoeu Ali.

Conan O'Brien recently took his show on the road to Atlanta, where TBS, cable home of Conan, happens to be based. It's also where they shoot the popular AMC zombie drama The Walking Dead, so they invited Steven Yeun back on the show to yuk it up with Conan and Co. He talked about the ongoing progress of his burgeoning facial hair, and also encouraged Conan to check out a very unique local attraction:

So... you've seen Jeremy Lin doing his thing on the court. But what does the rest of the day look like for your favorite Houston Rockets point guard? In this video, A Day in the Life, follow Jeremy as he takes you through his game day routine on one day in January, as the Rockets play the Los Angeles Lakers, with an official behind-the-scenes look at how he prepares, warms up and recovers:

Holy moly. In the Bay Area, a woman pled no contest to killing her ex-husband by throwing boiling water over his naked body before beating him in the head with a baseball bat: Daly City woman pleads no contest to killing ex-husband with scalding water, DA says.

In November 2011, Jesusa Tatad attacked her ex-husband Ronnie Tatad while he was sleeping, pulling back the covers and dousing him with a pan of water she had boiled. The burns covered 55 percent of her body, and he died in the hospital of a blood infection two weeks later.

The couple had been divorced since 2007, but were still living together and apparently trying to reconcile their marriage. But two weeks before the attack, Jesusa found Ronnie with another woman in their apartment:

Roger Ebert, Champion of Asian American Cinema

Roger Ebert, probably the most influential film critic ever, died today after battling cancer. A giant who changed the face of movie criticism, he is perhaps best remembered to a generation as co-host of TV's Siskel and Ebert at the Movies with fellow Chicago movie critic Gene Siskel, with whom he famously coined the phrase "two thumbs up." He was 70: Roger Ebert Remembered: A Critic Who Changed The Game.

He was also a frequent champion of Asian American independent cinema. Or rather, he was a passionate advocate of good storytelling from oft-overlooked and marginalized filmmakers, regardless of race and background. I grew up watching Siskel and Ebert, and Roger Ebert's writing was a profound inspiration for my life's pursuits, but there is one moment that forever cemented my respect for Mr. Ebert: his outspoken defense of a film during a heated post-screening Q & A at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

The movie: Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow. The little indie film that could.

For fans of the Fast & Furious movie series... The good news is, Universal is already working on a seventh installment of the popular auto action franchise. The bad news: director Justin Lin, veteran of four Fast films, will not be sitting behind the driver's seat: Justin Lin Won't Direct 'Fast & Furious 7.'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal has the crazy idea of getting Fast 7 ready for release in summer 2014. Justin, who is still hard at work getting Fast & Furious 6 finished for its May 24 release, just can't get down with the studio's accelerated timetable, which would require him to get started right now:

Generation Return: Art & Justice Tour with Anida Yoeu Ali

This week, spoken word artist Anida Yoeu Ali embarks on the Generation Return: Art & Justice Tour. Through performance and video works, she'll present a body of work which provocatively considers the diasporic past/present contours of the Cambodian American experience. That's 15 stops, 11 cities and 2 countries -- traveling all the way from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to make this happen. Here's the tour schedule:

Some crazy-ass TV news... Production on has halted on the TBS comedy Sullivan & Son because star Steve Byrne has suffered an injury to his face. Whaaat? This is apparently not a late April Fools' joke: Production On TBS' 'Sullivan & Son' Shut Down After Star Steve Byrne Suffers Injury.

According to Deadline, the show has been shut down for six weeks because had his jaw broken "by an irate cabbie"(!) and will have it wired shut for six weeks. Because you can't make a show when your star's moneymaker is busted up. No other details, but it sounds like one hell of a story.

The second season of Sullivan & Son, which also stars Jodi Long, Vivian Bang and Dan Lauria, returns to TBS in June. Wishing Steve a speedy recovery, and no more encounters with irate anybodys.

"Only Americans can pitch perfect games, you gook! #Merica"

Baseball's back. First, something cool... then some of that good ol' social media racism. On Tuesday night, on the second full day of the major league season, Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish came this close to pitching a perfect game against the Houston Astros, only to give up a single with two outs in the ninth inning. Bummer, but still an impressive feat: Yu Darvish loses perfect game with 2 outs in 9th.

And then came the racist tweets. In what has become a far too typical trend, some social media morons took to Twitter to brandish their ignorance and express some fantastically racist comments about Darvish, who hails from Japan. A bunch of these tweets have been conveniently collected on the Public Shaming Tumblr.

Here are a few highlights, in case you want to feel sad about, you know, America:

This week in Seattle, a man was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with a hate crime in the brutal, racially-motivated assault of a Sikh cab driver: Hate crime indictment filed in Wash. cabbie attack.

49-year-old Jamie Larson is accused of attacking 50-year-old Kashmira Hothi last October, stomping on him as he lay on the ground and ripping out part of his beard -- all because he was wearing a turban.

Larson has been charged with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which "criminalizes acts of physical violence causing bodily injury motivated by any person's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability."

If that's a checklist, it sounds like Larson earned his merit badge in hate crimes:

It's so hard to say goodbye to Chink's Steaks

Damn. Some people have a hell of a hard time letting go of that old school racism... As we reported last week, Philadelphia eatery Chink's Steaks finally got around to changing its name, which was inspired by the original owner's racist childhood nickname. Now owned and operated by Joe Groh, who took over the business in 1997, the restaurant became Joe's Steaks & Soda Shop starting Monday, with a new logo and everything.

It only took six decades for Mr. Groh to admit that maaaaaaybe "Chink's" could be kind of sort of possibly associated with a racial slur. Thus, the name change. However, the decision is not sitting well among some folks in the neighborhood, who are indignant about the name change and yearn for a simpler time when they could freely utter a racial slur like nobody's business: No offense: They prefer original Chink's.

This article is downright hilarious. Here's my favorite part:

This news is a couple of months old, but I completely missed it when it dropped... Fans of comic book series Chew will be disappointed to hear that plans for a live-action Showtime series have fallen through. It's not happening: Showtime's Proposed "Chew" Television Adaptation Is Officially Dead.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Chew follows the exploits of Tony Chu, a detective for the FDA, who has the bizarre ability to get a psychic impression from anything that he eats. Yes, that means taking a bite out of a dead body to solve a murder. It's a fun book that centers of an Asian American protagonist, which we like. It would have been pretty cool to see the live action version on Showtime series.

However, Chew writer/co-creator John Lyman broke this bad news back in February via Twitter:

It's official. Randall Park is a comedy genius. People, if you have not yet experienced the ridiculously awesome hilarity of Baby Mentalist, you have been missing out. The web series -- a twisted twist on the cop show -- is a family affair, starring Randall, his wife Jae, and their baby daughter Ruby in the title role.

It seems wrong to involve a child in the levels of violence, language and swastikas that go down on this show. But if watching Baby Mentalist is wrong, then I don't want to be right. First, watch/re-watch Episode 1:

Alarming news out of Southern California... 92-year-old Dr. Samuel "Sammy" Lee, two-time gold medal-winning American diver, is missing: Police seek missing 92-year-old.

Police are asking for the public's help in locating Dr. Lee, who has been missing since Monday afternoon. According to a news release, Lee left his home in Huntington Beach around 3:00 pm on Monday to go swimming at the Los Caballeros Sports Club in Fountain Valley. His family has not heard from him since.

According to police, Lee used his credit card to buy gas at 8:30am this morning in Mojave, which is 130 miles north. Lee reportedly suffers from dementia and heart problems. It is believed he may be confused and lost.

Lee is described as a male Asian, 4 feet 11 and 122 pounds. He was driving a tan 2011 Mercedes 300 with a license plate of 2GOLDS.

Anyone with information about Dr. Lee's whereabouts is asked to call Detective Ellis at (714) 536-5971 or the Huntington Beach Police Department at (714) 960-8811.

UPDATE: Police have determined that Sammy Lee filled up his car at a gas station in Studio City at around 5:30pm on Tuesday night: Missing Olympic diving champ Sammy Lee was in Studio City.

UPDATE: Sammy Lee has reportedly been found in Pico Rivera. No immediate details about his condition, but he has been located, and his family is on their way: Olympic gold medalist Sammy Lee found in Pico Rivera.

4.01.2013

UCLA Asian Pacific American Law Journal Symposium: Only We Can Free Ourselves, April 6

Hey, Los Angeles. This Saturday, April 6, the UCLA Law Asian Pacific American Law Journal presents the 2013 Asian Pacific American Law Journal Symposium. This year's symposium is titled "Only We Can Free Ourselves" and is themed around the works of Professor Mari Matsuda, the first tenured Asian American female law professor in the United States. Professor Matsuda is also the keynote speaker. The event is free and open to the public. Here's more info:

If you're in New York City, interested in independent Asian American cinema, and want to get involved with a super cool film festival, check this out this internship.

Asian CineVision is currently looking for dedicated people to help organize the 36th Annual Asian American International Film Festival. Started in 1978, AAIFF is the first and longest running Asian American film festival in the United States, dedicated to showcasing some of the best independent art-house cinema.

This summer, they're seeking enthusiastic cinephiles to join their progressive community of organizers, artists, and filmmakers. Here's some more information about the kind of help they're looking for:

As if I needed a reason to dislike Chris Brown some more... In the music video for his latest single, "Fine China," the singer gets a taste for some Asian flavor and romances the wrong girl -- the daughter of Triad boss (played by Francois Chau) -- does some kung fu dance-fighting with tough guys and ends up in a standoff against bad people with guns. It's all rather ridiculous:

Last month, federal authorities halted operations of Fung Wah, citing major safety concerns after the discount Chinatown bus company failed multiple state and federal inspections. Being crafty, Fung Wah reportedly found a way around the federal order by contracting outside charter buses to transport passengers.

But alas, Fung Wah was permanently shut down with a new order last week, by swift decree of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Feds Issue 'Imminent Hazard' Order For Fung Wah Bus Line, Order Immediate Shutdown.

The agency's investigation found widespread evidence of safety problems that put "drivers, passengers and other motorists in danger of serious injury or death." In other words, Fung Wah was crazy unsafe:

They're All So Beautiful is the five-part companion web series to Debbie Lum's feature documentary Single Asian Female, exploring the phenomenon of "yellow fever." Yes, you know it. To put it gently, the "ubiquitous predilection Western men have for women of Asian descent." To put it bluntly, that gross-out fetish when dudes have an unhealthy obsession with Asian women. Chances are, you've met or know someone like this.

For some, this will be a tiresome conversation.

The series features talking head commentary from experts and everyday Asians/Asian Americans, as well as interviews with patrons of Asian fetish forums, who spell out the implications of race-based romantic preferences with honesty and humor. It will provoke, frustrate, intrigue and challenge you. Here's episode one, which poses the inital question, What is "Yellow Fever"?

Actor Christopher Larkin, recently seen in YOMYOMF's comedy webseries Squad 85 -- and here, as a former Angry Reader of the Week -- has joined the cast of the CW sci-fi drama pilot The 100: CW's 'The 100' Adds Wise Guy to its Cast.

The show, based on an upcoming book series, is set in a post-apocalyptic future, nearly a century after nuclear war has ravaged the planet, and the human race has evacuated to spaceships orbiting above the atmosphere. A group of juvenile delinquents is sent back to Earth on a high-stakes mission to investigate the possibility of re-colonizing and returning to the planet.

The first book in the series doesn't hit shelves until September, and it's already got a TV series? Sounds like a pretty hot property. I'm intrigued. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Larkin, a relative newcomer, will play a wisecracking kid named Monty:

George Takei is indeed the one who will bring balance to warring factions of the sci-fi fan universe. Today on Facebook, the veteran Star Trek actor announced that he'll be starring in the highly anticipated new Star Wars movie. Here's some more information from Mr. Sulu himself:

In New York, the family of the man who was killed when he was pushed onto the subway tracks in front of an oncoming train is suing the transit authority for negligence: Family of Queens man Ki Suck Han, killed after he was pushed on subway tracks, sues the Transit Authority for negligence.

58-year-old Ki-Suck Han was pushed onto the tracks and struck by a midtown train at the 49th Street station last December. 30-year-old street vendor Naeem Davis, who was arrested and charged with the murder, claimed that "voices in his head" made him shove Han to his death.

In a lawsuit filed Friday, Han's family accuses Metropolitan Transit Authority of negligence, claiming the Q train failed "to make timely and adequate use of the brakes":

4.15.2013

4.14.2013

4.13.2013

4.12.2013

4.11.2013

4.10.2013

4.09.2013

4.08.2013

4.07.2013

4.06.2013

4.05.2013

4.04.2013

4.03.2013

4.02.2013

4.01.2013

angry archive