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How to Organize Asian Americans – Notes from Two Generations
A step-by-step guide on building power, by Rinku Sen.

* * *
America Is Turning Its Back On Cambodian Refugees
They came to the U.S. to escape the Khmer Rouge in the 1980s. Now, over a hundred Cambodian immigrants have been detained by ICE and are facing deportation. The same country that welcomed them as child refugee is now turning its back on them.

* * *
If you get a robocall in Mandarin, just hang up
Beware, Mandarin speakers: a phone call that appears to be from the Chinese consulate is a scam.

* * *
Vietnamese Forged a Community in New Orleans. Now It May Be Fading.
Forty-three years after the fall of Saigon and almost 13 years after Hurricane Katrina, many residents wonder if their long-resilient community is nearing another -- quieter -- inflection point.

* * *
What My Korean Father Would Have Felt Watching Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in Embrace
Chang-Rae Lee imagines his father's reaction to seeing the historic moment when Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in embraced.

* * *
Will Asian Americans make California even bluer in November?
Democrats are pouring resources into seven congressional districts in California as we move closer to November. How will Asian Americans vote? Sara Sadhwani crunches some numbers.

* * *
Asian American Stereotypes in Popular Culture Are Being Challenged by the Asian Mean Girl
Not too long ago, the only roles that Asian American girls could play, it seemed, were nerdy, meek, goody-two-shoes. Lo and behold, a new trend: the "Asian Mean Girl."

* * *
Dislikes the Sea, but Will Venture Upon It If Necessary
Greg Pak examines his childhood notebooks, rife with characters, plots, and Dungeons and Dragons.

* * *
The Strategic Mind of Ali Wong
Thanks to sharp bits about gender roles, she's on the cusp of stand-up comedy's A-list, the rare working mother to make the cut. And she's carefully considered every step of the way.

* * *
A Workplace Potluck Filled With Filipino Food And Memories
How an email from an NPR intern inspired a workplace potluck filled with Filipino food and memories.

* * *
20 Questions You Ask Yourself Trying To Cook Filipino Food For The First Time
You're a thousand miles away from a palengke. The closest Asian grocery store is a four-hour drive away. But those flavors from home are calling you!

* * *
David Henry Hwang: Backward and Forward
An interview with David Henry Hwang, whose new musical Soft Power is partly about China using musical theatre to promote its dominance on the world's political stage.

* * *
For David Henry Hwang, conflicted feelings about 'The King and I' inspire the ambitious 'Soft Power'
"This is not a show that just comes tumbling out. It’s not an easy one."

* * *
'Soft Power' has a cast that's almost entirely Asian. Here's why that's a radical idea for American theater
"When people see people like me on stage, they see somebody who represents something outside of their experience instead of someone they might share something with." Asian American performers are often seen as "symbols" -- representatives from a foreign culture, or ambassadors of something a typical audience does not identify with.

* * *
Why You Should Sweat the Details When Creating Your Series Pilot
Naomi Ko's Nice, which she created, wrote, and stars in, will premiere in this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Ko, director Andrew Ahn, and producer Carolyn Mao discuss the making of the show, and how they want to emphasize the personal in serialized storytelling.

* * *
Meet The Korean-Canadian Woman Who Helped Bring You The Wu Tang Clan
How one song -- "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- compelled Sophia Chang to divert from her path to becoming a French professor, instead building a career managing some of the most iconic musicians in hip hop.

* * *
Alex, Inc. Is Proof That Tiya Sircar Needs Her Own Show
You may recognize Tiya Sircar from smaller roles in The Good Place, Master of None, and now Alex, Inc., but it's high time she got her own show.

Angry Reader of the Week: Leo Chu

"I live for art and beauty so exquisite it hurts."



Hey, everybody! It is time 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 Leo Chu.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 39: They Call Us The Korean

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. 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 T.K., aka "The Korean," the pseudonymous blogger behind Ask a Korean! They discuss recent historic developments towards peace on the Korean peninsula, the long road that got us to this place, and the possibility of a reunified Korea.

Read These Blogs

Whole Foods is slammed over Yellow Fever restaurant. The owner says it’s not racist.
It was recently announced that a restaurant called Yellow Fever has opened a third location at a Whole Foods 365 store in Long Beach, California. The internet was not pleased.

* * *
As the Supreme Court considers Trump's travel ban, some want justices to remember a case they decided 74 years ago
In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. United States that Japanese Americans could lawfully be sent to concentration camps -- a decision that has never been officially overturned.

* * *
Scenes from a Chinese Restaurant
A photo essay exploring what it's like to be raised in a family business.

* * *
'Fresh Off The Boat' Expanded What Family Looks Like. Don't Cancel It.
The case for keeping Fresh Off The Boat on the air: "Positive, humanizing snapshots of immigrant families are essential to countering the current anti-immigrant climate. Research shows that, without these images, the public will rely on negative stereotypes to determine opinions about the impact of immigration."

* * *
Hari Kondabolu on The Simpsons' Apu Episode: "I Wasn't Trying to Troll, but if I Was, I Won"
The team behind The Simpsons finally responded to Hari Kondabolu's documentary The Problem With Apu, basically saying that they didn't really care about the conversation about the racist depiction of South Asians in the show. On this episode of Slate's Represent, Kondabolu discusses his reaction this response.

* * *
A Reckoning for Apu, ‘The Simpsons’ and Brownface
"But for many of us, it is not so easy to dismiss Apu and his accent as a mere joke. It is too often clear that the joke is on us — and even more so on our older relatives. Apu was the only major South Asian character on prime-time TV for many years, helping to define how millions of Americans think Indians, Pakistanis and other people from the subcontinent talk and live."

* * *
How Your Filipino Science Fiction Novel Will Be Adapted for Film
"Get rid of all the 'social justice warrior diatribe'; keep the one-liners. The treatise on war, the confusing tie-in with race relations and postcolonial commentary push down an agenda that doesn't flow with the rest of the narrative. Keep the plot simple. You're writing science fiction, not War and Peace."

* * *
A Little Bit Like Worship: An Interview with Elaine Castillo
Elaine Castillo, author of America is Not the Heart talks commemorating the mundane in fiction, writing about working class queer women, and re-claiming the Bay Area in her novel.

* * *
Silicon Valley's Jimmy O. Yang on How Crazy Rich Asians Changed His Life
Comedian Jimmy O. Yang discusses schisms within Asian America, his role as Jian Yang on HBO's Silicon Valley, and how being in Crazy Rich Asians changed his life.

* * *
With 'Ocean's 8' and 'Crazy Rich Asians,' Awkwafina is the summer's comedy secret weapon
You may know Nora Lum as Awkwafina. These days, the Queens native is not only a rapper, but adds comedian and actor to the mix in her upcoming roles in Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians.

* * *
CRISPR Wizard Feng Zhang: The Making Of A Sunny Science Superstar
By any measure -- papers, prizes, impact -- Feng Zhang is a science superstar, one of the most inventive life scientists in the world. And he's only 35.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 38: They Call Us Pulitzer

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. 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 journalism student Mariel Padilla, who, at 23 years old, just won a Pulitzer Prize for her role in The Cincinnati Enquirer's coverage documenting Cincinnati's heroin epidemic.

The Crazy Rich Asians trailer is here. And you are not ready.

"The only thing crazier than love is family."



Here we go. Who said there are no Asian American movie stars? After teasing us with a juicy sliver of footage last week, the full official trailer for Crazy Rich Asians has finally dropped. And it is hot damn glorious.

If you haven't heard about this movie, you will. Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, and directed by Jon M. Chu, the contemporary fish-out-of-water romantic comedy is the first major Hollywood studio movie featuring an all-Asian cast in over 25 years. And judging from the trailer, it's going to be a blast.

Fresh Off The Boat's Constance Wu stars as Rachel Chu, a Chinese American economics professor who accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (newcomer Henry Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. But she soon learns that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. Not only is his family impossibly wealthy, he's perhaps the most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Check it out:

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Meet the journalism student who found out she won a Pulitzer in class
23-year-old Mariel Padilla, a grad student at Columbia Journalism School, won a Pulitzer for her reporting on the opioid epidemic for The Cincinatti Enquirer. In addition to helping to write "Seven Days of Heroin," Padilla created a much-needed database for better coverage of the crisis.

* * *
1965 to Today: Moving Towards a Majority-Minority America
With the Trump Administration's eye on xenophobic immigration policies, America's family-based, legal immigration system -- the one that shaped Alton Wang's family -- is under attack.

* * *
'No job, no money': Life in Vietnam for immigrants deported by U.S.
Despite a bilateral agreement that Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. prior to 1995, many of this population have been deported. Many deportees say adjusting to life in Vietnam has been difficult, especially since they are viewed with suspicion by Vietnamese officials and have trouble finding work.

* * *
Why Your Mother Can't Drive
"Your mother can't drive because when all her high school friends were getting permits, she was an undocumented teen with a MetroCard but no I.D." Cinelle Barnes on intergenerational trauma and growing up undocumented.

* * *
Here's Why You've Never Heard Of The Titanic's Chinese Survivors
Wait, what?! A century ago, a racist press either muddied or completely ignored the names of Chinese survivors of the fatal Titanic voyage -- part of the reason why you've probably never heard about these people.

* * *
From Internment Camps to Souped-Up Chevys: The Rise of Nikkei Car Clubs
Oliver Wang looks at Nikkei car clubs of '50s and '60s L.A. -- comprised of Japanese American teens who either had families who had been incarcerated during World War II, or had been incarcerated themselves.

* * *
BuzzFeed's Eugene Lee Yang Mixes Humor With Social Commentary
Filmmaker Eugene Lee Yang is a breakout internet star from the popular video series "The Try Guys."

Angry Reader of the Week: Lori Kido Lopez

"Most importantly, I am always hungry."



Greetings, internet friends. As we do every week, it is 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 Lori Kido Lopez.

First Look at the Crazy Rich Asians Movie

New footage teases the upcoming full trailer for hotly anticipated romantic comedy.



At long last, here it is! Your first glimpse at the Crazy Rich Asians movie. The official full trailer drops on Monday, but Warner Bros. is first giving us a little tease of the hotly anticipated summer romantic comedy.

Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel Chu, an American-born Chinese economics professor, who travels to her boyfriend Nick's hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding. Before long, she learns his secret: Nick's family is rich. Crazy Rich. Not only is his family impossibly wealthy, he's perhaps the most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Crazy Rich Asians is directed by Jon M. Chu, written by Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli, and stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Jimmy O. Yang, Chris Pang, Sonoya Mizuno and more.

Take a look:

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Why We Need To Remember Stockton, California's Filipino American Legacy
When the Little Manila Center in Stockton, California, was vandalized with what its community considered hate speech, it was a vivid reminder Filipinos are not exempt from the same hate that plagued the city a century ago.

* * *
'Roseanne': When a Punch Line Feels Like a Gut Punch
"This isn't just about a couple lines on a TV show. This isn't just about Twitter or outrage or political correctness or even race, per se. To me, this is about attention. This is about the basic human need to have someone say: "I see you. You matter."

* * *
Asian-Americans rejected by Harvard need to resist the anti-affirmative action narrative
Our community is being fed a story by a white man trying to preserve spaces at colleges for mediocre white students, not stellar Asian American ones.

* * *
How to Disobey Your Tiger Parents, in 14 Easy Steps
"I know a lot about disobeying immigrant tiger parents. I didn’t take the conventional route of becoming a doctor or going into tech, as many Asian parents want. Instead, I nurtured lofty ideas about living radically: My heroes were Malcolm X, James Baldwin and Dorothy Day."

* * *
The Artists Who Brought Asian-Americans Into the Annals of Contemporary Art
How artists Martin Wong and Tseng Kwong Chi subverted the outsider status imposed on them in early 1980s New York City.

* * *
South Asian Actors Are Fighting Hollywood's Racism
South Asian characters used to be written as the underdogs and sidekicks. Now, the stereotyped are speaking out and creating their own content -- and America is listening.

* * *
Why the new wave of East Asian authors is targeting YA
Seeking new pathways for telling the fiction they want, authors like Emily X. R. Pan, Maurene Goo, and Mary H.K. Choi are writing stories targeting young adults.

* * *
M.I.A. almost gets arrested, meets Riz Ahmed for lunch
Swet Shop Boys MC and actor Riz Ahmed interviews Mathangi Arulpragasm, aka M.I.A

Angry Reader of the Week: Leena Pendharkar

"I tell stories, I ask questions, a lot of questions."



Hey, everybody! 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 Leena Pendharkar.

Read These Blogs

The U.S. Just Quietly Deported The Largest Group Of Cambodians Ever
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent more than 40 Cambodians, many of whom were refugees, back to Cambodia this week -- the largest group ever to be deported from the U.S. to Cambodia.

* * *
The Rules of the Asian Body in America
During a fraught time for healthcare and immigration, author Matthew Salesses's wife has been battling cancer.

* * *
Orientalism Is Alive And Well In American Cinema
The rage directed at critics of Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs is a reminder of how many people don't want to believe that an homage can also slight the culture it's putting onscreen.

* * *
Former 'Fresh Off the Boat' Writer Explains Why That 'Roseanne' Joke Is So Problematic
In the re-boot of Roseanne, Dan and Roseanne take a swipe at shows like Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat. Kourtney Kang, a former writer on Fresh Off The Boat, talks about why jokes like that aren't funny.

* * *
'Roseanne': Is the Show Really 'Just Like Us'?
It's hard to tell if the characters in the Roseanne revival are mocking diversity or being ironic, but some of us aren't interested in sticking around to find out.

* * *
This Comedian Shares the Most Relatable (and Hilarious) Posts About Motherhood
Since giving birth to her second child, comedian Ali Wong has shared on Instagram some real gems on how hard being a mom can be, with the semi-ironic hashtag #TheJoyOfMotherhood.

* * *
The Pregnancy Film That Every Republican Needs to See
Writer/directorr Leena Pendharkar writes about how her own pregnancy troubles inspired her new feature film 20 Weeks, which opens in theaters and digitally on April 13.

* * *
Counter Revolution
Melissa Hung's grandparents from China risked everything to start a humble grocery story in an unlikely place -- El Paso, Texas -- and changed their family forever.

* * *
Hamburgers or Dumplings?
Sometimes the fairy tale version of our family history is the one we want to believe.

* * *
For these superfans, the Instant Pot is not just about easier cooking
The 7-in-1 multicooker that has thousands of devotees in online community groups has also been a tool for some home cooks to connect with the cuisines of their heritage.

* * *
A Chef Told Gordon Ramsay He Couldn’t Cook Pad Thai And It's So Satisfying
"This is not pad thai at all."

* * *
Sandra Oh's Been Waiting 30 Years for a Show Like Killing Eve
The actress opens up about the thrilling new BBC America series Killing Eve, her post-Grey's Anatomy career, and her thoughts on Ellen Pompeo's heroic salary negotiations.

* * *
Mary H.K. Choi Wanted to Write a Book in Which 'High-Key Nothing Happens'
Mary H.K. Choi says that "nothing happens" in her new book, Emergency Contact, but a lot does -- including conversations about sexual assault, communication, and what it means to be someone's emergency contact.

* * *
The Longest Walk
Arla Shephard Bull on her trip to visit her mother's side of the family in the Philippines.

Angry Reader of the Week: Emily P. Lawsin

"When I get angry, I write. I write for two reasons: love and revenge."


Photo: Sahra Vang Nguyen
Greetings, good people of the internet! 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 Emily P. Lawsin.

Randall Park begs ABC to renew 'Fresh Off The Boat'

"The cast is top notch. The guy who plays the father is very handsome."



Let's get real, fellow Fresh Off The Boat fans: the show is at risk of being canceled.

Creatively, Fresh Off The Boat is still one of the joys of prime time television. But after wrapping its unprecedented fourth season last month to middle-of-the-road ratings, the ABC comedy is firmly on "the bubble." Its future is uncertain, and renewal is not guaranteed. So if you want to see another season of your favorite Asian American family comedy, this is the time to raise your voice and let the network know what's up.

Who better to lead the charge than the show's star? In this video for USA Today's "Save Our Shows 2018" feature, Randall Park, who plays patriarch Louis Huang, makes an impassioned plea, literally getting on his knees and begging ABC to renew his show. He also offers some solid reasons to bring the show back.

"The cast is top notch," Park explains. "The guy who plays the father is very handsome. It also happens to be, in my opinion, the best show on network television. Or at least the best show about an Asian American family on network television. Out of all those shows -- there's so many of them -- and ours is definitely the best."

I mean, of course, if you put it that way.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 37: They Call Us Cambodian Rock Band

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. 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 playwright Lauren Yee and performer Jane Lui, fresh off the world premiere run of their groundbreaking play Cambodian Rock Band, which joins the story of family secrets, Cambodia's darkest hour, and the incredible sounds of Cambodian psychedelic surf rock.

I Can't Wait To Be An Old Asian American Woman

"I will do nothing else but sit in my favorite chair and let all my migrant muscles rest."



From the icy wilds and tiny desks of Alaska... I don't know about you, but Christy NaMee Eriksen can't wait to be an old Asian American woman. The Juneau-based poet and activist gives us a gorgeous gift: her wonderful, unique last-minute submission to NPR's 2018 Tiny Desk Contest.

Recorded on frozen Auke Lake and accompanied on guitar by Avery Stewart, she lists off all the awesome things she's legitimately looking forward to being and doing when she is an old Asian American woman. It's a thank you to Asian America and a thank you to ajummas everywhere.

Dammit, can you stop using the word "Chinaman"?

West Virginia, please tell your people.


West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice
It's 2018. Can we all agree that some phrases are racist and just need to be retired? In West Virginia, both the governor and a state school board official have recently been on record using the term "chinaman."

Yes, people, the word is a slur.

WV governor, state school board VP have used what's considered an anti-Asian slur

Back in February, at a live streamed town hall meeting, Governor Jim Justice was discussing issues that later led into a statewide public school workers strike. He was trying to dissuade teachers from backing a proposed tax increase to fund more substantial pay raises, saying the bill had no chance of passage in the legislature.

"There's not a Chinaman's chance in the whole wide world that will happen," Justice said. "It's not getting out of committee."

May this be your semi-regular reminder that "chinaman" is a racial slur.

Aside from the fact that Justice clearly doesn't know -- or doesn't care -- that he's using a slur, this was just plain unnecessary. How was the governor's point enhanced by slapping the phrase "Chinaman's chance" on top of this statement? Like, "in the whole wide world" wasn't enough hyperbole? Had to throw in that racial slur for good measure, because hey, it sounds funny. Or "silly," as the governor would later claim, two days later.

"I use a lot of silly phrases and stuff like that," Justice said. "If that offended somebody, then I'm sorry."

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Asians are being used to make the case against affirmative action. Again.
We are cast as victims in a pernicious story about race.

* * *
Asian Americans think an elite college degree will shelter them from discrimination. It won't
Many Asian Americans believe a degree from an elite college or university -- and preferably an Ivy League one -- is a necessary step to a successful career, and a safeguard against discrimination in the labor market. But there is also growing evidence that this faith in elite credentials may be misplaced.

* * *
The bitter lie behind the census’s citizenship question
Adding a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census would be disastrous for everyone, with communities that are already at greater risk of being undercounted -- including people of color, young children, and low-income rural and urban residents -- suffering the most.

* * *
A Snapshot Of How Asian-Americans Are Changing The South
According to census data, the Asian American population in the South has grown by 69 percent in ten years, and now has the power to influence elections, schools and culture.

* * *
As Airbnb Moves In, Boston's Chinatown Sees Its Culture -- and Demographics—Change
Short-term rentals are spreading through Boston's Chinatown, displacing long-time residents and changing the culture and identity of the neighborhood in the process. Chinatown is fighting for its existence.

* * *
The Former Khmer Rouge Slave Who Blew the Whistle on Wells Fargo
Duke Tran has waged a nearly four-year legal fight against his former employer Wells Fargo, arguing that he was fired for blowing the whistle on deceptive practices.

* * *
I Thought Going To Korea Would Help Me Find Home
"When I moved to Seoul after growing up in America, I was a foreigner who looked native. I ended up staying for three years -- but eventually I had to go home."

* * *
The Sunken Place and the Model Minority Myth
"I sometimes wish I could go back in time and be my own guardian angel. I would reach down into that dark place of the Model Minority Myth and pull the younger me out. I would tell myself, "Baby, you got this. The best thing you can do is to ignore these goras.'"

* * *
From Superhero Shows to Soaps, South Asian Actors Are Taking Over TV
This pilot season, from legal dramas to family sitcoms to The Greatest American Hero reboot, there's a major boom in South Asian representation -- and we're not just seeing the same old stories anymore.

* * *
Off the coast of San Pedro, a Japanese community erased
Isolated from the mainland of Los Angeles, Fish Harbor was a 'dreamland' for Japanese Americans until 1942.

* * *
What It's Like to Watch Isle of Dogs As a Japanese Speaker
"When the first trailer arrived for Isle of Dogs last fall, I had three immediate, consecutive reactions: One: Oh, no. Two: Wait, I take that back. I'm going to be a good critic and reserve judgement until the week of March 23. Three: This is exhausting."

* * *
How to Fall in Love Over Text
To write her young-adult novel Emergency Contact, Mary H.K. Choi had to figure out how to render texts between a pair of teens without sounding like "an out-of-touch old person."

* * *
Jimmy O. Yang Of 'Silicon Valley': Asians Who Aren't Hunks Need Screen Time, Too!
Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang chats about his new book How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents, his own immigrant experience, Asian masculinity, and the untold impact that one movie, Ninja Assassin, had for Asian men.

* * *
Fresh off Olympic glory, Chloe Kim says she hopes to use her platform to fight bullying
Snowboarder Chloe Kim, who became a household name last month when she took home gold for Team USA at the Winter Olympics, said her favorite part about her overnight rise to fame has been the free food. But she also hopes to use her platform to fight bullying, something she faced growing up.

Angry Reader of the Week: Leslie Ito

"Passively observing the arts is part of the past."



Hey, everybody! You know what time it is. 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 Leslie Ito.

Get a FREE Copy of Kore Asian Media's "New Hollywood" Issue

Featuring Ross Butler, Grace Park, Karrueche Tran, Chloe Bennet and more.



Kore Asian Media (formerly KoreAm Journal and Audrey Magazine) is giving out copies of its annual limited edition print magazine. Want one? Order your free copy here -- you just have to cover the shipping.

This year's special issue celebrates "The New Hollywood," focusing on APAs in entertainment who are out there making their mark, challenging the status quo and transforming Hollywood in their own ways.

The full-color, 142-page issue features a fold-out cover showcasing stars Ross Butler, Grace Park, Karrueche Tran, Chloe Bennet, Leonardo Nam, Ludi Lin, BD Wong, Awkwafina, Justin Chon, Wendy Nguyen, Lana Condor and Jo Koy. Inside, feature stories include profiles on the likes of Mitski, Ally Maki, Celina Jade, Danny Pudi, Amy Okuda, Min Liang Tan and more.

Ali Wong and Randall Park's Netflix rom-com has a director

Fresh Off The Boat showrunner Nahnatchka Khan will make her feature film directorial debut.



This dream project just gets better and better... Fresh Off The Boat showrunner Nahnatchka Khan will make her feature film directorial debut on Netflix's untitled romantic comedy project starring Randall Park and Ali Wong.

Nahnatchka Khan to Direct Ali Wong-Randall Park Romantic Comedy Film for Netflix

We've been dying to hear some more news about this project -- previously described by Ali Wong as "our version of When Harry Met Sally" -- ever since it was just a mere social media prayer, then announced last August as an actual upcoming feature for Netflix. Now the project has a director.

We also get some new details about the story. Park and Wong's script, written with Michael Golamco, follows two childhood sweethearts who have a falling-out and don't speak for 15 years. They reconnect as adults when Sasha, now a celebrity chef opening a restaurant in San Francisco, runs into Marcus, a happily struggling musician still living at home working for his dad -- and discover the old sparks are still there.

FBI chief defends remarks on "the China threat"

Christopher Wray defended his previous portrayal of Chinese people in the U.S. as threats.



From Huffington Post: Despite backlash from Asian-American civil rights groups, FBI chief Christopher Wray defended his previous portrayal of Chinese people in the U.S. as threats.

In an interview with NBC News published on Wednesday, Wray addressed the controversial statements he made during a hearing with the Senate intelligence committee.

More here: FBI Director Defends Remarks That Chinese People In U.S. Pose Threats

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My Life Since the 2012 Sikh Temple Shooting: Pardeep Singh Kaleka's Story
"Sandy Hook happened about four months after our shooting. And ... nothing really changed. Not enough to make up for the human suffering. But I do feel hopeful."

* * *
Talking With the Author of In a Day's Work About Low-Income Workers' Battle to Be Included in #MeToo
Journalist Bernice Yeung's new book, In a Day's Work, chronicles the lives of women who do the essential jobs of caring for our children and elders, cleaning our offices, and growing our food, and often they are undocumented, working for low pay, and in isolated environments.

* * *
'Isle of Dogs' undercuts its own message by treating Japanese culture as an aesthetic flourish
"In a movie where the leads are largely inhuman, it's the humans who end up feeling like the inscrutable foreigners."

* * *
Lauren Yee, playwright on the verge
Playwright Lauren Yee, whose original play Cambodian Rock Band just closed at the South Coast Repertory Theatre, has become a leading force for showcasing Asian American stories and talent on the stage.

* * *
Dan Lee on Tweeting as Characters That Speak Just a Little Too Loud
How actor, writer, and comedian Dan Lee, co-host of hit variety show Asian AF at the UCB Theatre in New York, comes up with his jokes, and the characters he takes on whenever he uses Twitter.

* * *
How 88rising Is Making a Place for Asians in Hip-Hop
With artists like Rich Brian and Higher Brothers, Sean Miyashiro's company 88rising has rapidly become an authority on how to create Asian and American pop-culture crossovers.

* * *
America Is in Love With Asian Music, but Asian American Artists Still Can't Catch a Break
While genres like K-pop break through in the U.S., Asian American artists are still largely ignored.

* * *
Amid Lack of Film Opportunities, One Actor Took a Roundabout Way to 'Pacific Rim Uprising' Role
Before landing his first role in a major Hollywood blockbuster, Wesley Wong had to establish a career in China -- a journey underscoring the struggles of many Asian actors, and the lack of roles stateside.

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I'm an Asian American Stand-Up Comedian. What If I Could Just Be a Stand-Up Comedian?
In this Elle series on women's rage, comedian Jenny Yang talks about performing comedy and creating a place for yourself in a culture that is hostile to women -- especially women of color.

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Deported, and Sticking Out: ‘This Ain't Home. America's My Home.'
It's expected that this year, the United States will deport 200 more Cambodian Americans. For deportees currently in Phnom Penh, who grew up in America, life isn't easy.

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Neither Black Nor White in the Mississippi Delta
Two photographers document a community of Chinese Americans in the birthplace of the blues.

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Filipino Food Finds a Place in the American Mainstream
For many Filipinos, the dishes of their heritage are inseparable from days of celebration.

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What Did You Do to That Kimchi?
In defense of Twitter backlashes against culinary appropriation.

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Why Can't Everyone Do the 'Asian Squat'?
In many parts of Asia, the "Asian squat" is pretty ubiquitous. But why can't everyone do it?

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Kelly Marie Tran Has a Story to Tell
Even within a cast of charmers like Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran carved out her own space in The Last Jedi with a big-hearted performance as Rose Tico. So what comes after Star Wars?

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Jane Lui will play music, bake up a storm, and eat your cantaloupe
Jane Lui, the musician and actress who's been brightening lives with her YouTube videos for almost a decade, currently stars in Lauren Yee's play at South Coast Repertory, Cambodian Rock Band.

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Meet Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Teen Vogue's new executive editor
Samhita Mukhopadhyay, the new executive editor of Teen Vogue, talks about her new role, her advice for Indian-origin teenagers, and her relationship with Indian culture.

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A New Anthology of Asian American Writing Asks What Home Even Means
Go Home!, a new anthology of Asian American writing featuring the likes of Viet Thanh Nguyen, Alexander Chee, Kimiko Hahn and more, attempts to answer that complicated question, "Where are you from?"

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Nancy Wang Yuen has devoted her research to Hollywood's diversity problem
Nancy Wang Yuen is the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, the first book to examine the barriers African American, Asian American and Latina and Latino actors face in Hollywood.

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Daniel Wu on his supporting turn in 'Tomb Raider' and his journey back home — to Hollywood
The Los Angeles Times profiles Into the Badlands and Tomb Raider star Daniel Wu, a massive star with a two-decade career in Asia who stateside audiences are only beginning to get to know.

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Now Trending on TV: The Sexy Asian Hunk
A new class of handsome actors—including Manny Jacinto on The Good Place and Vincent Rodriguez III on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend—are finally putting to rest the absurd question 'Can Asian guys be sexy?'

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Darren Criss on Playing Serial Killer Andrew Cunanan in ACS: Versace and Passing As White
Darren Criss, who plays serial killer Andrew Cunanan in the Assassination of Gianni Versace, talks about the limits of empathy, creating false guises, and whether he identifies as Asian American.

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Jon Jon Briones Explains How He Transformed Into Andrew Cunanan's Father Pete
Jon Jon Briones delivers an unsettling performance as Andrew Cunanan's father Pete in The Assassination of Gianni Versace. In this interview, Briones talks about how he got into character and what he hopes people will take away from the performance.

Angry Reader of the Week: Jimmy O. Yang

"...better to disappoint my parents for a couple of years than to disappoint myself for the rest of my life."



Good people of the internet! It is 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 Jimmy O. Yang.

Interior Secretary's response to hearing about Japanese American incarceration: "Konnichiwa"

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa was not amused.



"Konnichiwa." Wow. So you know one fucking Japanese word. Slow clap.

It's one thing -- annoying as shit -- when some fool tries to bust one of these on you in a bar or on the street. (Asian folk, raise your hand if you've been on the receiving end of an unsolicited "konnichiwa" or a "ni hao.") It's wholly inappropriate when it happens during a hearing of the United States Congress.

But that's what happened Thursday during a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii), who is Japanese American, was pressing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about re-funding a National Park Service program that offers grants towards the preservation of incarceration sites where Japanese Americans -- including Hanabusa's grandparents -- were held during World War II.

"Are you committed to continue to grant programs that are identified, I believe, as the Japanese American Confinement Sites grants program which were funded in 2017? Will we see them funded again in 2018?" Hanabusa asked.

Zinke's response: "Oh, konnichiwa."

I imagine Rep. Hanabusa had to summon every molecule of her being to suppress an eye roll.

Explore Bruce Lee's Seattle legacy in 'A Dragon Lives Here'

Now open at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle



Bruce fans, get yourself to Seattle. The multi-year Do You Know Bruce? exhibition series at the Wing Luke Museum provides fresh and untold perspectives on Bruce Lee's life and his connection to Seattle. Part 4, A Dragon Lives Here, focuses on the martial arts icon's close local ties.

Bruce Lee spent some of his most formative years in Seattle -- learning English, attending university, meeting his future wife, and establishing his first martial arts studio. In this all-new exhibit, retrace Seattle locales special to Bruce Lee and get an up-close look at how this city also shaped his trailblazing approach.

"Bruce Lee is part of Seattle's legacy of entrepreneurship and innovation," says comedian and host of CNN's United Shades of America (and professed Bruce Lee superfan) W. Kamau Bell, who is featured in the museum's intro video for A Dragon Lives Here. "They may not know it yet, but they will: a dragon lives here."

Kelly Marie Tran takes a bite out of this Star Wars deleted scene

Leaked 'Last Jedi' deleted scene leaves Rose Tico with a bad taste in her mouth.



If you were dying to see more of Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, here you go. In this deleted scene from the upcoming DVD release, leaked from what appears to be a Korean subtitled version, we see Rose and Finn on their knees, captured by the First Order. What we didn't see in the theatrical cut: Rose taking a big ol' bite out of General Hux's gloved finger when he gets a little too close.

"Go back to your home country."

Golden West College faculty member placed on leave after being caught on camera making a racist remark.



Because you never know when you're gonna need it. Protip: in case of sudden, unexpected racist public encounters, always keep your camera ready to catch that shit go down. A Southern California college professor was recently caught on camera telling an Asian American couple to "go back to your home country."

58-year-old Tarin Olson, a teacher and counselor at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, was filmed telling Tony Kao and his wife that they should "go back to your home country" while they were walking in Long Beach. They were apparently on a neighborhood stroll with their baby when Olson just "nonchalantly" offered them this unwelcome advice, without provocation, as she was passing them on the sidewalk.

Kao says this wasn't their first encounter with Olson, only this time they heard her clearly.

"A few weeks back we believed we walked past the same lady and also heard her mumble something to that effect but ignored it and thought we misheard," Kao shared in a March 1 Facebook post that has since gone viral. "But this time as she walked away, I yelled to her, 'WHAT YOU SAY?'

Kao's wife recorded part of their interaction. As you can see, once Olson realizes they've got a camera on her, she tries to get the fuck out of there. But not before telling them, again, where to go.

Gunman kills three in deadly veterans home standoff

Former patient Albert Wong took several hostages before killing himself and three employees.



A former soldier and former patient of a veterans home in California took three employees hostage on Friday in a seven-hour standoff before authorities found him and three mental health professionals dead.

Gunman, 3 Hostages Dead At Veterans Home North Of San Francisco

Authorities say 36-year-old Albert Wong, armed with a rifle, burst into a morning gathering at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville, a treatment facility for elderly or disabled veterans. He took five hostages after exchanging gunfire with a Napa County sheriff's deputy. He later released two hostages.

When police stormed the facility hours later, they found Wong dead, along with three of home's employees, 42-year-old Clinical Director Jennifer Golick, 48-year-old Executive Director Christine Loeber, and 29-year-old Clinical Psychologist Jennifer Gonzalez -- all fatally shot.

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Oscar Nominee Kumail Nanjiani Still Gets Mistaken For Other Brown Stars
Kumail Nanjiani is an Oscar-nominated actor, comedian and writer. But all his fame and accomplishments apparently haven't shielded him from a scenario faced by many Asian-Americans -- getting mistaken for his brown colleagues.

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6 Little Known Asian American Stories that Should be Adapted into Films
With the 2018 Academy Awards behind us, YOMYOMF offers suggestions for six "little known" real-life Asian American stories that could provide the foundation for interesting, award-worthy feature films.

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Asian Americans Are Not Your Model Minority
The San Gabriel Valley, a major hub of U.S. Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities, grapples with poverty and a disproportionate number of cancer deaths, according to a new study.

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Preparing Little Brother for a Mass Shooting
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang on the devastating reality those of us in the U.S. have to prepare for.

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How Asian Americans climbed the ranks and changed the political landscape
From one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, particularly in Southern California, during an era of drastic social change, a cadre of Asian American political leaders has emerged.

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The Problem With the Explosion of White-Owned Dallas Asian-Fusion Restaurants
"What are you contributing, and who might you be hurting?" Good food is fine, but Asian Americans in Dallas are asking for white-owned Asian fusion restaurants to stop the cultural appropriation.

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Ms. Marvelous
By fostering a space for women and minorities in an industry once known as a boys club, Sana Amanat, VP of content and character development for Marvel, has changed the face of comics.

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Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang wants to teach you How to American
Silicon Valley actor Jimmy O. Yang's new book, How To American: An Immigrants Guide to Disappointing Your Parents, documents his journey as a Chinese immigrant to TV star.

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The ‘Shib Sibs Talk Asian Representation, Stereotypes And K-Pop
Maia and Alex Shibutani are the "Shib Sibs," the brother-and-sister figure skating pair who took it all the way to PyeongChang this year. They take some time to talk about growing up Japanese American in Colorado and Michigan, and always being aware of being put into various boxes.

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To design costumes for 'Black Panther,' this artist drew on his Filipino upbringing
Anthony Francisco, a visual designer who worked on the "Dora Milaje" costumes in Black Panther, drew on African and Asian cultures -- including his own Filipino upbringing -- for inspiration.

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Anna Akana, The New Queen Bee
Anna Akana, star of YouTube Red's Youth & Consequences talks to PAPER about representation, breaking out of the mold, and pitching a pink tent on Hollywood Boulevard.

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Oakland actor Daniel Wu talks 'Tomb Raider,' 'Into the Badlands'
Daniel Wu co-stars with Alicia Vikander in the reboot of movie Tomb Raider -- the biggest role he's had in a Hollywood film -- but he's already been a leading man for nearly two decades.

Angry Reader of the Week: Andrew Ti

"Definitely read all questions ahead of time before starting."



Hey, folks! Here's what's up. It's time for 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 Andrew Ti.

Chloe Kim is getting her own Barbie doll

Barbie's new "Shero" line celebrates modern-day role models from around the world.



Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim, still radiating awesomeness from her dominating, inspirational halfpipe win at the PyeongChang Winter Games, is being honored with a Barbie doll in her likeness.

The doll is part of Barbie's "Shero" program, unveiled ahead of International Women's Day on March 8 and honoring modern-day role models from around the world.

The Chloe Kim doll bears a striking resemblance to the teen snowboarder, right down to the shade of her signature blond locks. She comes equipped with, of course, a snowboard and looks appropriately outfitted for a championship halfpipe run... but does she come with a gold medal too?

Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles injured, 4-year-old daughter killed in car crash

A car ran a red light and drove through a crowd of people in Brooklyn.



Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Ruthie Ann Miles was in critical condition Monday after she was struck by a car in Brooklyn in an accident that killed her 4-year-old daughter and another child.

Tony Award-Winning Actress Hurt in Deadly Wreck After Driver Blows Red Light in Brooklyn

Miles was walking with a friend, Lauren Lew, and their kids in Park Slope when a white Volvo reportedly ran a red light, drove through the intersection and plowed through a crowd of people in the crosswalk. Miles and Lew were both injured in the crash. Miles' 4-year-old daughter Abigail and Lew's 1-year-old son Joshua were killed. A fifth victim, a 46-year-old man, was also hit.

Miles, who is currently expecting her second child, was critically injured but listed in stable condition.

Kelly Marie Tran got mistaken for Mirai Nagasu at the Oscars

Getty Images apparently can't distinguish between two totally different Asian ladies in blue-ish dresses.



On Sunday night, Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran made her debut on the Oscars red carpet, looking hot as hell in a stunning blue Jenny Packham gown. Looking awesome... then promptly misidentified as another Asian American woman on the red carpet, Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu. Oops.

All Look Same strikes again. It seems that whoever was on caption-writing duty at Getty Images, one of the world's leading photo agencies, had some trouble distinguishing between two totally different Asian ladies in blue-ish dresses, misidentifying Tran as Nagasu, and vice versa, in a number of their captions.

Of course, the mistake got lit up on Twitter.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 36: They Call Us #OscarsSoWhite

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. 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 April Reign, creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. Recorded on the eve of the 90th Academy Awards, we discuss Black Panther, the tired old excuses of the Hollywood establishment, and where the movement for diversity and inclusion goes from here.

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Detained and divided: how the US turned on Vietnamese refugees
A longstanding humanitarian deal protected many Vietnamese American refugees from deportation -- but a change in practice under Trump is tearing families apart.

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Writing Towards Liberation: Asian American Revolutionaries and the Written Word
On the legacy of Asian American revolutionaries, and the written words they left us.

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This is why Indian immigrants won't benefit from Trump's immigration plan
The Republic Hindu Coalition supports Trump's immigration plan, arguing that Indian immigrants are all highly skilled. But Indian immigrants come to the U.S. come via many different pathways and backgrounds

* * *
Khizr Khan Sees A Shared 'Moral Compass' In Lessons Of Japanese-American Incarceration
Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who famously addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention, spoke in Seattle to commemorate the anniversary of Executive Order 9066.

* * *
Say It with Noodles: On Learning to Speak the Language of Food
"I have forgotten how to speak two languages. But I have learned this one."

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How to Write a Memoir While Grieving
Nicole Chung contemplates loss, adoption, and working on a book her late father won't get to see.

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Meet the Asian and Asian American Nominees for the 2018 Oscars!
Makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, animator Ru Kuwahata, producer Ramsey Naito, and sound editor Ren Klyce talk about the work that earned them their Academy Award nominations this year.

* * *
How Mad Should I Be About the Whitewashing in Annihilation?
Director Alex Garland claims he did not intentionally whitewash the characters in his trippy sci-fi film adaptation of the novel Annihilation. But should we be mad?

* * *
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen on the struggles of being a refugee in America
Acclaimed author Viet Thanh Nguyen serves as editor of the upcoming essay collection The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives. Read an excerpt from the book's introductory essay, in which Nguyen describes his own refugee experience in stunning, at times painful detail.

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Cambodian Rock Band Joins an Inspiration Continuum
What was the inspiration behind Lauren Yee's new play Cambodian Rock Band? War, colonization, genocide... and psych-pop-rock-music.

* * *
But That's Another Story: Min Jin Lee
A great interview with Pachinko author and National Book Award finalist Min Jin Lee, who talks about George Eliot's Middlemarch, imposter syndrome, and her lifelong obsession with wisdom.

* * *
Awkwafina's Young Hollywood 2018 Interview on "Ocean's 8" and Asian Stereotypes
"If we're going to be telling stories about women, with female leads, why can't we have a female director?" Awkwafina tells Teen Vogue. "There are female directors; these people exist. So you can't say limited availability."

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Ugly Delicious star David Chang gains 'appreciation' for Asian-American successes
Ugly Delicious, the new eight-part Netflix food show from Momofuku restaurateur David Chang, addresses the silly, profound, and sometimes uncomfortable bonds between the food we eat and the people with whom food associates -- if that origin can even be truly known.

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A family of lawyers fought to clear their name. Now their story is in an Oscar-nominated documentary.
The Sung sisters, Vera, Jill and Chantrelle, still find it bewildering that they went from being accused of mortgage fraud to being the stars of an Oscar-nominated documentary.

Angry Reader of the Week: Raymond Lee

"Passivity is generally unattractive. Passion is almost always attractive."



All right, everybody. It's 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 Raymond Lee.