Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome writer/director Daniel Kwan (one-half of Daniels) and actress Stephanie Hsu to talk about everybody's new favorite film Everything Everywhere All at Once. They discuss meaningful pelvic thrusting, why Stephanie is actually a witch, and the exclusive secret origin of "Jobu Tapaki."
One Garment's Journey Through History
The evolution of the traditional Korean hanbok is a lens into the history of the country, which is now being traced in the series Pachinko.
Experts: Asian population overcount masks community nuances
Advocates and academics believe the overcounting of the Asian population by 2.6% in the 2020 Census likely masks great variation in who was counted among different Asian communities in the U.S., and could signal that biracial and multiracial residents identified as Asian in larger numbers than in the past.
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The Mysterious Man Who Built (and Then Lost) Little Tokyo
The remarkable hidden history of Tony Yoshida, who transformed a single block in New York City, helped start the cocktail revolution -- and inspired John Belushi to become a samurai.
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Kim’s Video Survives at Alamo Drafthouse
Youngman Kim explains to IndieWire his strange journey from growing up on an Air Force base in Korea to becoming the proprietor of a legendary movie collection.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome a generational icon: Ke Huy Quan, who stars in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. He talks about his humble beginnings as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, how Crazy Rich Asians inspired his triumphant return to acting, and how to kick ass with a fanny pack (but not on the first take).
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome back our old friends Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of Diaspora to discuss our new favorite movie, Daniels' multiverse masterpiece Everything Everywhere All at Once. From Ke Huy Quan to butt plugs to hot dog hands, this film has it all and then some.
Do Your AAPI Employees Feel Safe Coming Back to Work?
Because of an increase in racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes targeted specifically against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, many members are scared to come to work because they don't feel safe.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Everything Everywhere All at Once is a love story between parents in a strange land and a daughter they're doing their best to rescue from alienation and depression. A review by Walter Chaw.
The Quiet Ascent of Justin H. Min
He found fame playing a ghost in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy. Now he's an android in After Yang, holding his own opposite Colin Farrell. In the human realm, though, he's simply Justin: an actor of rare and sensitive gifts, with deep and wide-ranging ambition, working hard to ready himself for his moment.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Shirley Li (The Atlantic) and Anita Li (The Green Line) to talk about Meilin Lee and Disney/Pixar's animated feature Turning Red. They discuss the incredible specificity of this Chinese Canadian story, what makes a film "relatable" and why it's so meaningful to let your teen girl characters go "AWOOGA!"
It's September 2021, year two of the Coronavirus pandemic -- and the world premiere of Silent River at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (otherwise known as 'VC'). Among many of my friends, I haven't seen the director, Chris Chan Lee, in quite a while. After the film, I avoid the crowd and slip out but send Chris an email asking if he'd like to talk about his latest work via Zoom? I feel pretty sure the conversation will be something to document. Five months later, the film has been gaining critical momentum, earning its recent award at the Paris International Film Festival. Here's an excerpt:
Jae: Okay, so -- when I started getting involved with making my own films and eventually my own art projects, I started to see the processes and the results as self-diagnosis.
Chris Chan Lee: Mm.
Jae: How does that sit with you with regards to Silent River?
CCL: Well, you know, when I sit down to write, I never first think about the thematic content. I just think about, like telling the story, right? But I definitely notice a pattern with everything that I do that's not necessarily intentional: it's always about dealing with past and like regret and stuff like that. So that's always inherent in my work.
What White Men Say in Our Absence
"I wonder if the men who attacked and killed us are the same men on the Internet who argue that we make better wives because we don't talk or fight back and that we make for easy sex because we are, after all, such easy prey."
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Asian American Women Fight Back
At a self-defense class in New York after the latest anti-Asian attack, one student said, "I feel like I have an army of sisters."
Asian Americans Have Always Lived With Fear
"For some, deep down, my ordinary Korean face — small, shallow-set eyes, round nose, high cheekbones, straight dark hair — reminds them of lost wars, prostitutes, spies, refugees, poverty, disease, cheap labor, academic competition, cheaters, sexual competition, oligarchs, toxic parenting, industrialization or a sex or pornography addiction."
"We're just trying to protect you."
A 20-year-old died of a GHB overdose in an older man's home. For two years, his family has called on police to reopen their investigation.
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Michelle Yeoh Finally Loses Her Cool: "What Have I Got to Lose?"
The ballerina who became a beauty queen who became a Hong Kong martial arts star lets loose onscreen and gets the Hollywood top billing she's long deserved in the madcap metaphysical romp 'Everything Everywhere All at Once.'
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What Turning Red means to me as an AAPI parent
For Clarissa Cruz, eeing a proudly nerdy Chinese Canadian 13-year-old with traditional parents and and supporting friends at the center of a Pixar movie was moving and important.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Iris K. Shim, writer/director of the feature film Umma. She talks about working with the one and only Sandra Oh, incorporating traditional Korean cultural elements into a horror story, and whether or not her own umma will watch her movie.
The Podcast In Which We Interview All The Asians On Star Trek.
All The Asians On Star Trek is the podcast in which we interview all the Asians on Star Trek. In Episode 24, we welcome actress Jacqueline Kim. She played the role of Ensign Demora Sulu -- daughter of Hikaru Sulu -- in the 1994 feature film Star Trek: Generations. Her other acting credits include Volcano, Disclosure, Xena: Warrior Princess, ER, The West Wing, Charlotte Sometimes and Advantageous, which she also co-wrote and produced. We discuss her brief stint at the helm of the Enterprise-B, her forays into domestic science fiction, and her evolution as a multi-disciplinary artist, including her recent work as a musician and composer.
I'm Done Being Your Model Minority
Author Patricia Park rejects the model minority myth, especially during a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.
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She's Combating a Wave of Anti-Asian Hate
Cynthia Choi, an activist in San Francisco, anticipated the pandemic would lead to more attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She and others are documenting the surge.
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How Did This Many Deaths Become Normal?
The U.S. is nearing 1 million recorded COVID-19 deaths without the social reckoning that such a tragedy should provoke. Why?
Punk Rock's New Hope: The Ferocious, Joyful Linda Lindas
Fueled by punk conviction (and snacks), this all-girl, school-age band is ready to release its debut album, Growing Up, nearly a year after its song "Racist, Sexist Boy" went viral.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Oscar-winning filmmaker Domee Shi, writer/director of the Pixar animated feature Turning Red. They discuss making an unapologetically Asian Canadian story, intergenerational drama, releasing the beast within, and accepting your whole self -- even your whole self is a giant red panda.
Can a Restaurant Become a Second Home?
Years after filmmaker Bao Nguyen left his suburban home for college in New York City, he's begun to search local restaurants for a taste of home.
Patti Harrison Means It (Except When She Doesn't)
The rising star of comedy discusses I Think You Should Leave, corporatized wokeness, A.D.H.D., and humor that swerves between sarcasm and sincerity.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, recorded on the eve of our long-anticipated book release, we welcome co-author Philip Wang and project manager Jes Vu, our co-conspirators on RISE: A Pop History of Asian America From the Nineties to Now. We discuss some exclusive behind-the-scenes details on the making of the book, including The Good, The Bad and The WTF.
Whatever happened to Short Round? Ke Huy Quan returns to the big screen
Ke Huy Quan was of the '80s' most recognizable child stars thanks to his roles as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies. So why did he quit acting? And what lured him back in front of the camera after 35 years away?
Stephanie Foo on Gaining Agency From C-PTSD
Stephanie Foo's memoir, What My Bones Know, details her painful experiences with childhood abuse, and the long, indirect path she took to healing as an adult.
J. Kenji López-Alt Says You’re Cooking Just Fine
Ahead of the release of his new book, The Wok, food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt reflects on kitchen-bro culture, who gets credit for recipes, and how not to be an asshole.
Friday, March 4 at the Japanese American National Museum
If you're in Los Angeles, I invite you to help us celebrate the publication of RISE: A Pop History of Asian America From the Nineties to Now, the book I wrote with Jeff Yang and Philip Wang. It's been a long road getting this book to the finish line, but at long last, you can hold it in your grubby hands and read the dang thing.
RISE Is a love letter to our community, chronicling the ups and downs, struggles and triumphs, personalitis and ideas that have shaped who we our today. Through intimiate recollections, exclusive interviews, graphic essays, annotated illustrations and more -- thanks, in part, to an amazing squad of contributors -- we assembled a chronicle of the last three decades of Asian America that we hope will inspire delight, nostalgia and exploration.
Please join us Friday, March 4 at the Japanese American National Museum for a book talk, signing and reception with me, Jeff, Philip and a bunch of a amazing folks who made this book possible.
Remembering Linsanity
In an exclusive, illustrated excerpt from our upcoming book RISE: A Pop History of Asian America From the Nineties to Now, Jeremy Lin remembers his road to the NBA and reflects on where "Linsanity" led.
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My Family Lost Our Farm During Japanese Incarceration. I Went Searching for What Remains.
"Japanese Americans who were forced off their land lost property worth an estimated $3.7 billion in today’s dollars, and $7.7 billion worth of income... But not all losses are quantifiable, even in estimates. How can we count the communities dispersed, the culture disappeared? In the 80 years since, there’s been another loss: the memories of survivors of this forced removal."
Why Chinese Americans Are Talking About Eileen Gu
The critical crossfire Ms. Gu has faced has implications that go far beyond the Olympic slopes, Chinese Americans say. And some see themselves in the duality she has embraced.
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Eileen Gu, the Olympics and who gets to be American
"It seems we can’t let an Olympics pass without wondering whether an Asian American athlete is truly American. Every four years, the Olympic team gets more diverse, and every four years, the American media fumbles for the words to describe them."
What Min Jin Lee Wants Us to See
Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires, discusses her research process, her memories of arriving in America, and why she reads the Bible before writing.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we round up The Good, The Bad and The WTF of the week, including Ali Wong's latest standup special, Asian American excellence at the Winter Olympics, anti-Asian violence, Wrong Asians, and taking off your damn shoes inside the house.
Honestly, with everything going on these days, I almost forgot. But on this day in 2001, I started this website. I hit the upload button on the very first rickety-ass HTML iteration of what I would eventually learn was called a blog. I've been doing this damn thing for 21 years. Angry Asian Man is allowed in the bar.
Every year I write this post, I am more bewildered about this journey and how I got here. I know I say this pretty regularly, but when I started this blog, I had no idea I was starting something. And certainly not the "something" that would go on to define my personal and professional identity for the next two decades and beyond.
Other things have become clearer. Raising the issues, fighting for visibility and engaging in hard conversations about our Asian American identities and communities are not more relevant and vital right now -- they've always been relevant and vital. I'm tired, and I'm twenty-one years older, but my work is not done. Our work's not done.
That said, I have to acknowledge that, in terms of output, I'm not the blogger I once was. My attention, time and resources have been diverted in a lot of different directions that pull me away from posting here -- fun stuff, like podcasts and writing a book, but also general adult life concerns like the safety and well-being of loved ones, paying the billz, my own mental health, and the goddamn COVID-19.
Truthfully, there are just days that I feel overloaded and paralyzed.
But other thing I know for sure after twenty-one years, none of this would be possible without my community. The hands-down best thing about this whole endeavor are the people that it has put in my path. The partners, the collaborators, the challengers, the teachers, the listeners, the readers. On the most difficult days, you've had my back, and in our most joyous moments, the celebrations are sweeter because we got there together.
Thank you being on this journey with me. Twenty-one years. I'll take that drink.
The Asian American Pipeline in Figure Skating
For the second consecutive Winter Games, four of the six figure skaters who arrived to represent the United States in the singles events were Asian American. The chain of success stretches back for years and has only strengthened as more have poured into the sport and become Olympic stars.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome the one and only Dante Basco. He talks about his directorial debut The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, making a movie with his family -- his entire family -- growing up in Hollywood, and being perpetually linked to iconic characters, including Prince Zuko and, of course, RUFIO.
The Legacy of Linsanity, 10 Years Later
A decade after Jeremy Lin's NBA breakout, Lin and some of the people who observed his sudden ascent reflect on the excitement and lasting cultural significance of his heroics for the Knicks in February 2012.
The Anxiety of Exclamation Points
For Lan Samantha Chang, exclamation points are part of a decades-long project to be as truthful as possible to her lived experience as a child of immigrants.
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.
My Young Mind Was Disturbed by a Book. It Changed My Life.
"If we oppose banning some books, we should oppose banning any book. If our society isn’t strong enough to withstand the weight of difficult or challenging — and even hateful or problematic — ideas, then something must be fixed in our society. Banning books is a shortcut that sends us to the wrong destination."
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome award-winning journalist Lisa Ling, host of the new docuseries Take Out with Lisa Ling. She talks about her own family's Chinese restaurant roots, the new ubiquity of Asian cuisines -- and the untold stories behind them, and why she does indeed have the best job in the world.
Chloe Kim Is Ready to Win Olympic Gold Again—On Her Own Terms
After Chloe Kim returned home from the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, she put her gold medal in what felt at the time like the right place: a trash bin at her parents' house. But now she's ready to win gold again.
When Mark Twain Canceled Bret Harte
Despite their shared history of condemning bigotry, anti-Chinese racism fueled the falling-out between two of California's biggest writers.
A film and documentary try to make sense of the Akai Gurley shooting
Two films, Ursula Liang's documentary Down a Dark Stairwell, and Aimee Long's narrative feature film A Shot Through The Wall, offer lenses to examine the shooting death of Akai Gurley by NYPD officer Peter Liang.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston. She talks about breaking barriers as the first woman and first person of color elected to lead her city, hitting the ground running, "getting city hall out of city hall," and embracing both legacy and innovation. She also gives us The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being the mayor of Boston.
40-year-old Michelle Go was "suddenly pushed" in front of an oncoming train.
In New York, a woman died after she was pushed onto the subway tracks and struck by an oncoming train. The incident occurred on Saturday morning at the Times Square-42nd Street station while she was standing on the southbound R-Q train platform. According to witnesses, a man "suddenly pushed" the woman in an unprovoked attack shoving her onto the tracks as the train pulled into the station, killing her.
The victim was identified as 40-year-old Michelle Go, who was Asian. The attacker, identified as 61-year-old Simon Martial, fled the scene and rode the subway to Lower Manhattan, where he told officers at the Canal Street station that he had pushed a woman onto the tracks. Martial reportedly has a history encounters with the authorities related to mental health problems. He is expected to be arraigned on murder charges.
Police are calling the attack "random" and said there was no indication that Go had been targeted because of her ethnicity. I have to say that offers very little comfort. These mounting "random" attacks against victims who just happen to be Asian, during a sharp surge of violence against Asians... at some point, "random" really doesn't seem like a sufficient way to categorize a tragedy like this. We do not feel safe.
The Fight for Asian American Studies
After a year that put a spotlight on anti-Asian racism, students around the country have been petitioning their schools to create curriculums that reflect the moment.
Americans are just learning what people in East Asia already know about masks.
The CDC recently conceded that cloth masks do not protect against the coronavirus as effectively as surgical masks or respirators. In East Asia, a pronouncement like that would not be necessary because it is already common knowledge.
You Are Not Entitled To Our Deaths: COVID, Abled Supremacy & Interdependence
"You are not entitled to our deaths. You are not entitled to the deaths of our loved ones in the name of capital, privilege and “normal.” You are not entitled to our silence about our pain and suffering and the wet tar grief that envelops us. You are not entitled to our fear and terror at the worsening conditions and chaos of this pandemic, wondering if we will ever be able to safely leave our homes again."
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Michelle Li, reporter and anchor for KDSK in St. Louis, and Marian Chia-Ming Liu, Operations Editor for the Washington Post. We discuss racist voicemails, reclaiming our Asian names, and the significance of being Very Asian in 2022.
Japanese Breakfast Embraces the 'Good, Bad and In Between'
Musician and author Michelle Zauner talks about her monumental year, which includes her bestselling memoir Crying at H Mart and two Grammy nominations for her third album Jubilee.
