Teens Caught on Camera Spitting on Asian Woman's Door

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Surveillance Video Shows 2 Males Spitting On Door Amid Pandemic
In Bellflower, California, two teens were caught on surveillance video spitting on the door of an Asian woman's home. "One spits a huge loogie on the side of my door, which I cleaned up not too long ago. It was dried up and disgusting," said Heather, who lives at the home with her husband and found the footage on her security camera. "The other one was discovered when my husband went to go walk the dogs and when he came back inside the house he noticed the door knob was really slimy."

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Bystander Intervention Training to Stop Anti-Asian Harassment
With anti-Asian and Asian American and xenophobic harassment on the rise across the U.S. amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC are holding a series of bystander intervention trainings -- a virtual workshop on how you can intervene effectively as a bystander without compromising your safety the next time you see Anti-Asian harassment online or in-person. Find more information and register here.

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Kimarlee Nguyen, Writer Who Explored Cambodian Roots, Dies at 33
Kimarlee Nguyen's writing, imprinted with her parents' experience living under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, was as restrained as the Cambodian elders she conjured in her fiction, short stories that sketched precarious, haunted lives in a chilly new country." She died of the novel coronavirus on April 5, on the way to the hospital in nearby Everett, Massachusetts.

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Rapper Dumbfoundead To Front Comedy Inspired By His Life
Peacock has put in development Big Dummie, a half-hour comedy inspired by the life of Korean-American rapper Jonathan Park (aka Dumbfoundead), from NCIS: Los Angeles co-star Eric Christian Olsen and his Cloud Nine Productions and CBS Television Studios. Written by Lisa Parsons (Insatiable) and set in Los Angeles' Koreatown, Big Dummie centers on a 30-year-old rapper, played by Park, who endures an early mid-life crisis as he loses relevancy in the rap world and falls out of touch with his family and friends.

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Never Have I Ever
Teen newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan stars in Never Have I Ever is a new Netrlix coming-of-age comedy about the complicated life of a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl. Created by Mindy Kaling, and inspired by her own childhood, the series centers on Devi, an overachieving high school sophomore who has a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations. Never Have I Ever premieres on Netflix on April 27.

COVID-19 CONVOS #2: Rising Above Bullying and Hate

Presented by Act To Change, Streaming Friday, April 17 at 1:00pm ET



With more than 100 cases of Coronavirus-related discrimination being reported on a daily basis, the need for the Asian American community to fight back against anti-Asian racism is now stronger than ever. The lack of Asian American inclusion in mainstream media and school curriculum, in addition to the misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, perpetuates xenophobia and racism against our community.

Act To Change brings you COVID-19 CONVOS, a series of virtual conversations to share ways in which parents, educators, students, and community members can come together to protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community from discrimination.

COVID-19 CONVOS #2: Rising Above Bullying and Hate, streaming live on Friday, April 17 at 1:00pm ET, will feature panelists Maulik Pancholy (Actor, Author & Co-Founder of Act To Change), Sarah Ha (Vice President, National Community Alliances at Teach For America) and Randall Park (Writer, Producer and Actor, Always Be My Maybe and Fresh Off The Boat).

Register here.

Korean Restaurant Gets Hit with Racist Graffiti

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Racist Graffiti Scrawled on Michelin-Starred West Village Korean Restaurant
Last week in New York, racist graffiti was found scrawled on the window of a West Village Korean restaurant. Somebody wrote "Stop eating dogs" in black marker on the outside glass at Jeju Noodle Bar, which has been closed since March 16. Chef and owner Douglas Kim is calling it a hate crime. You're damn right it is.

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Vietnamese Nail Salons Donate Thousands of Masks, Gloves to Hospitals
"Fighting this virus is a responsibility for every one of us. We don't work in the medical field, so we cannot fight the virus directly but we want to share our responsibility and share what we have with the community."

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Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits
Hell yes! This one's for the serious Bruce fans. Criterion Collection has announced a comprehensive Blu-ray box set collection that define Bruce Lee's monumental legacy. Available July 14, Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits includes The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon and Game of Death, and a seven-disc truckload of special edition features.

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Jeff Chan to Direct New Line's Asian-Centered Rom-Com 'Singles Day'
Jeff Chan will direct New Line's romantic comedy Singles Day, with his filmmaker partner Andrew Rhymer producing. Lillian Yu's spec script centers on the Chinese anti-Valentine's Day holiday that takes place on November 11. The interconnected ensemble of romantic partners, friends and family will be predominantly of Asian descent.

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Jimmy O. Yang: Good Deal
Comedian Jimmy O. Yang's new one-hour standup special Good Deal will premiere on May 8, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Performed live at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Good Deal covers Jimmy's hilarious interactions with immigrant parents, his thoughts on Matt Damon, and whether ghosts will haunt one-bedroom apartments.

Read These Blogs

The Slur I Never Expected to Hear in 2020
"Since the coronavirus, what has been happening is a different strain of anti-Asian racism than the kind to which I’m accustomed. Not the kind in which we are invisible or we’re seen as efficient cyborgs. Racism never disappears but adapts to new circumstances when old strains rise from the dark vaults of American history."

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I spent six days on a ventilator with covid-19. It saved me, but my life is not the same.
"As a patient whose life was saved by a ventilator, I believe it is an outrage and an embarrassment that a nation as wealthy as ours is even discussing possible ventilator shortages."

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A resource to assist adults in conversations on xenophobia with Asian American children
"This letter is designed to support the social-emotional health of Asian American children, and to be used as a resource to help parents and mentor adults talk with Asian American children about xenophobia."

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Eating Apart When Food is Love
For Chinese Americans whose love language is food, social distancing can be even more challenging.

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Texts from my Father, in Elmhurst Hospital
When his elderly father was admitted to Elmhurst Hospital Center with COVID-19 symptoms, Victor Zapana, Jr. could not visit. They could only communicate with text messages.

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Trouble Focusing? Not Sleeping? You May Be Grieving
Author R.O. Kwon names the grief that is gripping her -- and many of us -- during this global pandemic.

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When Your Inheritance Is to Look Away
"Obfuscation is my inheritance. My parents, like many immigrants, depicted their pre-America lives as mere prologue, quickly sketched. Once, we lived in China. The winters were cold. You were small. Now we live here."

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When The Love Is Good But The Food Is Sad
Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay on her relationship to Lao food and her mother.

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Postponed Asian American Film Festivals Work Together To Champion Representation
The month of May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and three of the biggest Asian film festivals in the country -- Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Center For Asian American Media's CAAMFest in San Francisco, and San Diego Asian Film Festival -- were revving up to showcase films and projects from all avenues of the Asian diaspora to help build community and put a spotlight on talent from all over the world -- but then coronavirus happened.

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With 'Tigertail,' a Filmmaker Hopes to Comfort Asian-Americans
Writer/director Alan Yang based his Netflix movie Tigertail on his father's tale of leaving Taiwan for the United States. The film arrives at a difficult time: a rise in xenophobia amid the pandemic.

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'Tigertail's Tzi Ma Transcends Role As Hollywood's Go-To Asian Father To Become Trailblazing Icon
Over the years, Tzi Ma has garnered the reputation of being Hollywood's go-to Asian father figure. His latest role in Alan Yang's Tigertail is just that -- and much more.

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Tzi Ma is already everyone's go-to Asian dad. Netflix's 'Tigertail' makes him the star
After four decades in TV, film and theater, Tigertail marks Tzi Ma's biggest lead role to date.

Gary Locke is Not a Chinese Official. Like Trump Gives a Shit.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



New Trump Ad Suggests a Campaign Strategy Amid Crisis: Xenophobia

Right out of the racist playbook, right on time. Donald Trump has kicked off his general election advertising campaign with a xenophobic attack ad, calling Joe Biden soft on China and falsely suggesting that Gary Locke, the former governor of Washington and commerce secretary under Obama, is a Chinese official. (Locke was born and raised in Seattle.) Expect to see a lot more of this racist bullshit all the way to Election Day.

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Senate Democrats Call for Federal Action on Coronavirus Racism
A dozen Senate Democrats on Friday called on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to take "robust" action against the uptick in anti-Asian sentiment and attacks since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In a letter spearheaded by Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii, lawmakers urged the chair of the commission, Catherine E. Lhamon, to issue guidance to federal agencies, like the Citizenship and Immigration Services or the State Department, on preventing and addressing anti-Asian racism and xenophobia.

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A post shared by red*hongyi 康怡 (@redhongyi) on Apr 7, 2020 at 5:31am PDT

"I Am Not a Virus"
Malaysian-born artist Red Hong Yi, who became known for creating pop culture portraits and installations from everyday objects, has been speaking out against anti-Asian attacks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with her latest series of works, boldly declaring: "I AM NOT A VIRUS."

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Nurse Sketches the Heroes and Fighters Inside a Coronavirus ICU
"Oh Young-jun traces the outlines of superheroes."

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Tigertail
The feature film Tigertail, from writer/director Alan Yang, is now on Netflix. In this multi-generational family drama, Tzi Ma stars as a man who reflects on the lost love of his youth and his long-ago journey from Taiwan to America as he begins to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

"You! Get out of the United States, you ugly ..."

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Woman Unleashes Racist Rant at Vietnamese Restaurant Owner
In Houston, a woman was caught on camera going off on a racist rant at an Asian business owner in a supermarket parking lot. In the video, the woman can been pushing a shopping cart and yelling, "Get out of our country!" in addition to other profanities. "Get out of the United States, you ugly [expletive]."

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What Bigotry Looks Like During Social Distancing
As reports of harassment and assault against Asian Americans increase amid the COVID-19 pandemic, community advocates are finding new ways to tackle the spread of xenophobia -- like the SF Peace Collective, a grassroots organization made up of "ragtag" strangers who have taken to patrolling San Francisco's Chinatown.

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The Half of It
Watch the new trailer for the Netflix coming of age comedy The Half of It, the long awaited second feature from writer/director Alice Wu. Leah Lewis stars as Ellie Chu, an introverted overachiever in a small, conservative town who makes money writing English papers for her classmates. When jock Paul turns to her to help him compose love letters to popular girl Aster, Ellie and Paul strike up an unlikely friendship -- but only Ellie knows that they've both fallen for the same girl. The Half of It premieres May 1 on Netflix.

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Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Phenom
How do you make a music video when you're stuck in quarantine? Thao & The Get Down Stay Down do the best they can with what they've got -- and it's pretty damn great. Check the music video for "Phenom" from Thao's upcoming new album Temple.

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Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang's Soft Power to Release Cast Album
David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's musical Soft Power, which made its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater this past fall, will release a cast recording for digital streaming and download on April 17. Until then, watch as the company records the track "Democracy (Reprise)" in the video above, featuring the cast led by Conrad Ricamora, Francis Jue, and Alyse Alan Louis.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 94: They Call Us Alan Yang

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



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

On this episode, we welcome Alan Yang, writer/director of the new Netflix feature film Tigertail. We discuss why he wanted to make this multigenerational family drama, the golden age of Tzi Ma as Asian America's dad, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of telling immigrant stories.

This Teen Pilot is Flying Medical Supplies to Hospitals in Need

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



16-year-old Pilot Flies Medical Supplies to Rural Hospitals
"TJ Kim can’t play lacrosse -- COVID-19 took the sport away. And at age 16, he can't drive alone. But Kim can fly. And he's turned his flying lessons into missions of mercy, bringing desperately needed supplies to rural hospitals in need. Each week, he carries gloves, masks, gowns and other equipment to small hospitals." So what did you do over spring break? This kid delivered life-saving medical supplies. No big deal.

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We’ve had SEVERAL customers ask our Asian team members if they have Coronavirus within just the last week.

This is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. We will not tolerate racism, ignorance or hate.

— OMG Tacos (@OmgTacosTX) April 4, 2020

This Texas Restaurant Will Ban You For Being Racist
A Dallas-Fort Worth taqueria has announced a lifetime ban for any customers making rude or racial comments as tensions grow over the coronavirus pandemic. Richardson-based OMG Tacos, a Southern California-style fusion taqueria, posted a warning on social media last week after two different customers asked a Latino and an Asian American employee whether they had the coronavirus. “We will not tolerate racism, ignorance or hate," OMG Tacos posted on Twitter. "If you are racist, ignorant, aggressive, or threatening toward our staff in any way, we will absolutely refuse to serve you. You will also be BANNED from our establishments FOR LIFE."

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#Dumplings Against Hate x Patriot Act
This Saturday, April 11, #DumplingsAgainstHate will be hosting a behind-the-scenes panel and Q&A session with three members of the Patriot Act team, including showrunner and co-creator Prashanth Venkataramanujam. Get access with a $25 donation to support New York City's Chinatown.

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Community Stepping Up During COVID-19: Kristina Wong
As COVID-19 sweeps the nation, comedian Kristina Wong and a team of volunteer "aunties" are stepping up. Armed with sewing machines, the group is combating a country-wide shortage of coronavirus-preventing face masks by making dozens from home.

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'Doogie Howser' Reboot in the Works from Kourtney Kang
Doogie Howser, M.D., ABC's classic 1989 half-hour medical dramedy series, is making a comeback and getting a makeover. Disney+ is reportedly developing a reboot, Doogie Kealoha, M.D., starring an Asian American female lead, from How I Met Your Mother and Fresh Off the Boat alumna Kourtney Kang.

She Was Taking Out the Trash. A Man Threw Acid On Her.

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Asian Woman Suffers Burns in Acid Attack
In Brooklyn, an Asian woman suffered severe burns across her body when someone sneaked up on her outside her home and splashed her with a caustic substance. The attack took place on Sunday night in the Sunset Park neighborhood. Surveillance video shows the 39-year-old victim taking out the trash when the man, who is sitting on the stoop, stands up and approaches her from behind with a bottle in his hand. The woman suffered chemical burns to her face, neck, and back. The NYPD is asking for the public's help to identify the man, whose ethnicity is unknown. He was wearing a face mask, gloves, and a black hoodie.

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"When I go out, I'm afraid of people attacking me."
Anna Ng, a 51-year-old Chinese American woman who was the victim of a coronavirus-related hate crime last month, speaks out. A group of teenage girls attacked her on a Bronx bus, calling her "coronavirus" and hitting her over the head with an umbrella. Three of the attackers were arrested and charged hate crime assaults, menacing and harassment. A fourth attacker remains at large.

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Fort Smith Buddhist Temple Vandalized
In Fort Smith, Texas, a man was caught vandalizing several statues inside a Buddhist temple. Police found 21-year-old Shawn Michael Israel holding a hammer, smashing a statue. When asked if he was on something, Israel reportedly replied, "Nothing, I'm sober. Look sir, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, thou shall not lie. It's a false idol, it's a false monument." Three statues of Buddha were destroyed, with damage estimates in the thousands of dollars. Israel was charged with felony criminal mischief.

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Chinese-Americans, Facing Abuse, Unite to Aid Hospitals
"Throughout New York and New Jersey, small groups from the Chinese-American community are uniting to fight the pandemic in this country even as they face racist remarks and some physical attacks. Using mostly WeChat, they are creating vast networks and rallying their contacts here and in China to procure supplies for doctors and nurses in need."

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Andrew Yang Sets Launch of Issues-Oriented Podcast 'Yang Speaks'
Former U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang plans to launch a new podcast, "Yang Speaks." Slated for May 2020, the weekly show will broadly cover the future of the U.S. economy and society. It will feature in-depth discussions with "thought-leaders" on a range of topics including tech, public policy, sports, entertainment and pop culture.

Do Not Call This "Our Pearl Harbor" or "9/11 Moment"

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Surgeon General Warns of 'Our Pearl Harbor Moment'
Forecasting the nation's struggle with COVID-19, the Surgeon General issued grave warnings to the American public, saying the coming week -- when the outbreak is expected to reach its peak in places like New York -- will be "our Pearl Harbor" or "our 9/11 moment." This is just more dangerous rhetoric to equate our country's situation to a foreign attack, and divert attention from this administration’s monumental public health response failure. The only similarities to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor are the everyday Americans who will be targeted and harmed in the racist fallout.

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Asian Americans Face Attacks During COVID-19 Pandemic
Some follow up on the jogger who was assaulted by two women in Naperville, Illinois last month... The original reporting left out the fact that the victim was Asian, and the attack was indeed a hate crime. According to WBEZ, a 60-year-old Chinese American was running along a trail when one of the women threw a log at him, accused him of being sick, told him to "go back to China," and spat at him.

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Nothing like a global crisis to bring out peoples true colors. There’s no excuse for the flagrant racism that Asian people have experienced in this pandemic. I don’t care where or when this guy served, he’s a piece of shit. pic.twitter.com/Y5msOyoQHS

— Maximilian Uriarte (@TLCplMax) April 5, 2020

"THANKS CHINKS"
Spotted on Twitter. Yes, he's wearing it inside out.

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"Due to the Chinese Communist Party FILTH VIRUS..."
This sign was spotted last week taped outside the doors of Real Estate Depot ("For all your Real Estate needs!") in Reno, Nevada. It reads: "To Tenants: Due to the Chinese Communist Party FILTH VIRUS we are trying to avoid close communication with our clients. Please knock on the door if the light is on...." Classy.

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Anick Jesdanun, Longtime AP Technology Writer, Dies at 51
Anick Jesdanun, deputy technology editor for The Associated Press, died in New York City on April 2 of coronavirus-related complications. He was 51. For two decades, he was a journalist who helped a generation of readers understand the emerging internet and its impact on the world.

Read These Blogs

Targeting Asians and Asian Americans will make it harder to stop covid-19
"Though the wave of anti-Asian racism that looms in response to the global coronavirus pandemic is ugly and frightening, it is not new. I should know: I witnessed the harassment and violence Asian Americans faced in the wake of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing sector in the 1980s. Scapegoating Asian immigrants and Asian Americans did nothing to save the U.S. auto industry then. And it won't provide the scientific advances and government leadership necessary to slow the spread of covid-19 now."

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Trump's racist comments are fueling hate crimes. Time for state leaders to step in
"This pandemic requires us to stop the spread of both COVID-19 and racial hatred. Asian Americans need allies who will intervene when they see racial profiling happening. We need to learn from American history and have the courage and leadership to counteract fear and anxiety in this time of crisis."

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Andrew Yang is Wrong: Respectability Politics Won’t Save Asian Americans from Racist Violence
"Asian Americans are not responsible -- in any way -- for anti-Asian hate crimes against our community. We have not invited or incited violence against our bodies. We have nothing to apologize for."

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Dear Andrew Yang — Racism was the first virus, and there's no cure for that.
"I totally get what you're saying, but it’s what you didn't say that really frustrated me."

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Asian Americans Use Social Media to Mobilize Against Attacks
"Asian Americans are using social media to organize and fight back against racially motivated attacks during the pandemic, which the FBI predicts will increase as infections grow. A string of racist run-ins in the last two weeks has given rise to hashtags — #WashTheHate, #RacismIsAVirus, #IAmNotCOVID19 — and online forums to report incidents."

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Cyberbullying against Asian people skyrockets 900% in wake of pandemic
Hateful online abuse targeting Asian people has increased by 900% since the coronavirus outbreak began.

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I'm disabled and need a ventilator to live. Am I expendable during this pandemic?
"It is a strange time to be alive as an Asian American disabled person who uses a ventilator. The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has disrupted and destabilized individual lives and institutions. For many disabled, sick, and immunocompromised people like myself, we have always lived with uncertainty and are skilled in adapting to hostile circumstances in a world that was never designed for us in the first place."

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Comedian Jenny Yang Rebuts Andrew Yang Op-Ed With Satirical Video
"Honk If You Won't Hate-Crime Me!"

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Chinese-American Artist Creates A Comic About 'The Wuhan I Know'
Since the coronavirus outbreak began, Laura Gao has been troubled by the disgust and pity directed at her hometown. So she decided to make a comic telling her own story and highlighting her favorite parts of the city.

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Hate Crimes Surge Against Asian Americans While They Are On The Front Lines Fighting COVID-19
Hate crimes against Asian Americans and Asian immigrants in the United States have been surging in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. And yet, ironically, Asian Americans are also vastly over-represented among the front line medical workers who are treating those who have been infected, as well as working at the forefront of America's efforts to find a vaccine.

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Yaeji's New Mixtape Is the Opposite of Social Distancing
DJ and producer Yaeji's music has always been about communion and friendship. And that's precisely what makes her new mixtape What We Drew 우리가 그려왔던 such a tease right now.

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How a Chinese-American Novelist Wrote Herself Into the Wild West
C Pam Zhang’s debut, How Much of These Hills Is Gold, is one of several new or forthcoming books by Asian American writers set in a period that historically hasn't recognized them.

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Randall Park Talks 'Top Chef' Guest Judge Spot and Cooking in Quarantine
The Hollywood Reporter speaks with actor and writer Randall Park about judging Bravo's cooking competition Top Chef with his friend and collaborator Ali Wong: "I'm, like, the worst judge."

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For the Best Sriracha, Look Beyond That Famous Bottle
"Before Sriracha was found on counters in every restaurant, lined up in the Trader Joe’s sauce aisle, stacked within pantries across America, blended into a creamy and unholy mixture from Heinz called mayoracha, legend has it that the vibrant red sauce was actually quietly created in a seaside town southeast of Bangkok -- a town called Si Racha."

So You Made the Sidewalk Racist

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



"Fuck Off Gooks"
This heartwarming message was spotted on the sidewalk at Eddy and Laguna in San Francisco.

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Japanese Americans speak out against Andrew Yang's Op-Ed
Japanese American leaders are criticizing former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang's call to Asian Americans to display patriotism during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it brings back painful memories of the rhetoric directed at Americans of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated during World War II.

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"China Poisoned Our People"
A new campaign ad from Republican congressional candidate Kathaleen Wall, who is running for Texas' 22nd Congressional District, seizes the moment and goes heavy on the anti-China rhetoric. "China poisoned our people," a narrator says in the ad, which then lauds President Donald Trump for calling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus." You can probably expect to see a lot more of this shit pretty soon.

* * *

hey @andrewyang, consider this me showing my "AMERICAN-NESS" pic.twitter.com/ENfs9wnF3G

— Jenny Yang (@jennyyangtv) April 3, 2020

Honk If You Won't Hate Crime Me
America! Comedian Jenny Yang shows America her American-ness.

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At long last! We get the new full-length album from singer/songwriter Jane Lui, who is now making music as Surrija. New name, new music, new sound. The album's crowdfunding backers have had the privilege of listening to it for months, and now the rest of world's ears get to partake in this fantastic new record. Hear it on SoundCloud, Spotify and the all the usual places you get music.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 93: They Call Us Yul Kwon

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



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

On this episode, we welcome Yul Kwon, winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, who is back competing on the show's current season, Survivor: Winners at War. They discuss the "race war," Yul's reasons for returning to reality television, and if/how they'd all survive in a zombie apocalypse.

Andrew Yang Wants You to Show Your "American-ness"

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Andrew Yang Says Asians Need To Show 'American-ness' To Avoid Racism
In a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang attempted to address the increasing incidents of harassment and racism against Asians amid the coronavirus pandemic, encouraging Asian Americans to "embrace and show our American-ness in ways we never have before." Yang called on Asian Americans to combat coronavirus-related racism by helping to end the public health crisis, urging them to "help our neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear red white and blue, volunteer, fund aid organizations" and "demonstrate that we are part of the solution." It was not well-received.

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Self-Care Tips For Asian Americans Dealing With Racism Amid Coronavirus
"Whether you've been subjected to discrimination or not, simply hearing about the widespread xenophobia can affect your mental health. We asked therapists who work within Asian American communities to share their best self-care advice for these stressful times."

* * *


Liyna Anwar, L.A. Times Podcast Producer, Dies at 30
Liyna Anwar, a rising journalist who helped the Los Angeles Times expand its digital footprint and waged a public fight to save her own life, has died of complications from acute myeloid leukemia. Surrounded by family, Anwar died March 26 at the City of Hope in Duarte, just weeks after the launch of Asian Enough, an Asian American-focused podcast she produced. She was 30.

* * *

Doctor's Log
In the new podcast Doctor's Log, Dr. Esther Choo, an emergency room physician in Portland, Oregon, delivers a twice weekly report from the front lines of the coronavirus crisis: her own ER. She takes listeners into the real world doctors and nurses are facing now, as they grapple with the most significant health threat in modern history, and helps us all understand what to do to stay safe.

* * *

The Linda Linda Lindas - "Claudia Kishi"
And just for fun, here are The Linda Linda Lindas -- Bela, Lucia, Eloise and Mila -- performing their song "Claudia Kishi," as heard in the closing credits of the documentary short The Claudia Kishi Club.

That Sam's Club Stabbing Was Indeed a Hate Crime

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Stabbing of Asian American Family Was a Virus-Fueled Hate Crime
Confirming what everybody pretty much suspected when this attack was reported last month, the vicious stabbing of an Asian American family -- including a 2-year-old girl --at a Sam’s Club in Texas earlier this month has been officially deemed a hate crime by the FBI. 19-year-old Jose L. Gomez confessed to authorities that he attempted to murder three Asian American family members, including the toddler and a 6-year-old, "because he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with coronavirus." He is now facing several charges, including three counts of attempted capital murder and one count of aggravated assault.

* * *


House Lawmaker Proposes Resolution to Denounce Coronavirus Racism
Last week, New York congresswoman Grace Meng introduced a House resolution to denounce the racism toward Asian Americans related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation, co-sponsored by more than 120 fellow lawmakers, stipulates that the House would condemn all forms of racism and scapegoating and call on public officials to denounce any anti-Asian sentiment, as well.

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Doctor Kicked Out of Gas Station in Coronavirus-Related Discrimination
A doctor who works with cancer patients says he was berated and kicked out of an Indiana gas station by an employee using the coronavirus to discriminate against Asians. The doctor stopped at a Marathon gas station in Martinsville, Indiana, for gas and a cup of coffee. But when he went inside, the clerk yelled at him, asking if he was Chinese, and told him to leave. (The doctor, by the way, is not of Chinese descent. Like it mattered.)

* * *


The New Fear for Asian-Americans Going Out in Public
"What's scary is you wear a mask, you get targeted. You don't wear a mask, you get targeted. It doesn't fucking matter," she said. "I've literally been like, How can I make myself look less Asian when I go out?"

* * *

Somebody decided to invite Dr. Rishi Desai onto Fox.

I don’t think they’ll be asking him back.

pic.twitter.com/7BGXo5Le9r

— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) April 2, 2020

"I don’t think they’ll be asking him back."
Dr. Rishi Desai, an Oakland physician who is treating COVID-19 patients, was invited on a Fox News segment to comment on some of the developments regarding the way the U.S. has handled the viral pandemic. And oh shit, he brought facts. Host Martha MacCallum could not cut to commercial fast enough.