30th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Presented by Visual Communications, May 1-11



Heads up and make plans, Los Angeles film fans. This is a big one. I want to personally invite you to join me at the 2014 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications. The 30th anniversary festival, featuring a lineup of 143 films and running May 1-11, is a celebration of cinema, storytelling and community. Between a packed schedule of narratives, documentaries, shorts, parties, panels and other special programming, there's definitely something for everyone...

Angry Reader of the Week: Young Laura Kwon

All right, folks. Gather 'round, because I've got someone you should meet. It's 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 Young Laura Kwon.

Most Awesome Photo Ever: A Girl and Her Eagle

Meet 13-year-old Ashol-Pan, badass Mongolian eagle huntress



Thanks to all the folks who sent this photo my way... because it is awesome. Meet 13-year-old Ashol-Pan, a typical smiling, sweet and shy girl from western Mongolia... who happens to know how to hunt with a freaking eagle. Perhaps the country's only eagle huntress. And she's apparently damn good at it too.

A 13-year-old eagle huntress in Mongolia

Ashol-Pan, the daughter of a celebrated hunter, is the lone girl amidst a tradition of Kazakh boys who start learning how to use golden eagles to hunt for foxes and hares at the age of 13. She is f**king fierce!

We demand the release of the El Paso 37

Sign the petition in support of Punjabi asylum seekers unjustly detained in Texas



Calling your attention to this petition from 18 Million Rising that could use your support...

In June 2013, more than forty Punjabi men -- all of them members of a minority political party -- fled India because they feared for their lives. Their journey brought them to the United States where they hoped to find safety and freedom. But they did not find asylum they had hoped for.

Instead, these asylum seekers have been trapped in Texas at the El Paso Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. Despite proving their identities and certifying their reasons for asylum, they have been detained indefinitely by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department.

Now thirty-seven of these unlawfully detained Punjabi men -- the "El Paso 37" -- are on a hunger strike. Some of the hunger strikers have been hospitalized, and many others are in danger. But they've made it clear that they're not ending the strike until they're released.

Sign this statement and tell ICE to release these asylum seekers immediately:

The Curious Case of the Racist Swan

The swan at the University of Warwick apparently only attacks ethnic minority students



You can file this one under weird, courtesy of the United Kingdom... Students at the University of Warwick in Coventry have apparently been under attack by a campus swan. But not just any swan -- a racist swan.

White wing supremacist: swan attacks foreign students

University officials recently erected a fence around a lake to stop the resident swan from attacking passing students. The weird thing is, the swan only seems to be attacking foreign students. This is what is actually being reported. The angry (ahem) white swan only appears to attack Indian and other minority students.

If you needed a reason to lock your windows and doors...

Surveillance video captures burglar hovering over sleeping toddler's crib in the middle of the night



Here's a creepy story that will have you double-checking your locks at night... In Katy, Texas, a family's security cameras caught a burglar breaking in and creeping through their house undetected -- stopping to hang out in the bedroom of a toddler -- while everyone was sound asleep.

Intruder creeps through toddler's room, hovers over crib

The teenage burglar, who slipped through an unlocked first-story window, is seen in surveillance footage sneaking through the house, going room to room, and spending five minutes walking in and out of the bedroom of the family's 2-year-old boy. Thinh Le and the rest of the family slept through the whole thing.

Here's the surveillance video:

Kaya Press presents Mehfil Massive

Wednesday, April 23 at USC's Bovard Auditorium



Los Angeles! The good folks at Kaya Press are bringing you Mehfil Massive: South Asian Religions Remixed Through Poetry and Music on Wednesday, April 23 at USC's Bovard Auditorium.

South Asian artists from around the country and from India are coming to share one stage and celebrate National Poetry Month. The event is free! Check out this rad trailer:

Apply to SAALT's 2014 Young Leaders Institute

Leadership opportunity for undergraduate students, July 18-20 in Washington DC



SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) is seeking 15-20 outstanding, diverse young leaders to join the 2014 Young Leaders Institute. Selected candidates will join other undergraduate students from across the United States this summer, July 18-20, for training in Washington, DC.

Institute participants will explore key issues affecting South Asians in the United States. This year's institute will focus on LGBTQ justice and allyship. You'll learn about social change movements and the intersections of identity and power, and develop leadership skills and resources to become agents of change.

Here's some more information:

Angry Asian America Episode 3: "Never Go Full Geisha"

With co-host Jenny Yang and guests Andrew Fung and Tess Paras



Proud to present the freshly released latest edition of Angry Asian America, my talk show with ISAtv. In Episode 3, co-host Jenny Yang and I are joined by Andrew Fung of the Fung Bros. and actress Tess Paras to have a lively little discussion. We talk about geishas, martial arts and other Asian-y things that may or may not get inappropriately appropriated. Check it out:

Vijay Seshadri wins Pulitzer Prize in poetry for '3 Sections'

First Asian American to be awarded the Pulitzer for poetry



Congratulations to Indian American poet Vijay Seshadri, who has been awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for his collection 3 Sections. According to The Aerogram, Seshadri holds the distinction of being the first Asian American win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

Indian-Origin Poet Wins Prestigious Pulitzer

The 98th Pulitzer Prizes, considered one of the most prestigious awards in journalism, were announced on Monday. In awarding Seshadri's volume of original verse, the Pulitzer Prize committee described 3 Sections as "a compelling collection of poems that examine human consciousness, from birth to dementia, in a voice that is by turns witty and grave, compassionate and remorseless."

As part of the award, Mr. Seshadri wins $10,000, a certificate and eternal bragging rights.

Here's Seshadri talking about what winning the Pulitzer means to him:

Serve the People 2.0: Asian American Activism & Organizing for the 21st Century!

April 17 & 18 at the International Hotel in San Francisco



San Francisco, it's time to serve the people. This April 17 and 18, come up to the historic International Hotel Manilatown Center for Serve the People 2.0: Asian American Activism and Organizing for the 21st Century!. Join community organizations, students, and scholars for a two-day conversation about what's happening locally and nationally in the Asian American Movement. Here's more info:

Watch a limited sneak preview of 'Nice Girls Crew' Season 2!

Enter to win a 'Nice Girls Crew' Book Club Kit!



Nice Girls Crew is back! Three best frenemies in the best book club ever -- Lynn Chen, Michelle Krusiec and Sheetal Sheth -- are back for a second season of the hit comedy webseries, created/written by Christine Kwon and directed/written by Tanuj Chopra. Watch it online starting April 28.

In season two of Nice Girls Crew, the book club moves their shenanigans to Sophie's house where we meet Geraldine's mom (the legendary Tsai Chin) and Leena's hot new love interest. There are motivational speeches, literary re-enactments and deadly games of survival.

To celebrate the impending new season, we're doing a sweet giveaway of NGC goodies. To find out how to win, scroll down below. But first, who wants to see a totally awesome sneak preview of Nice Girls Crew?

Freaking Sneak Preview! For a limited time! From now until Thursday, April 17, you can watch all five episodes of Nice Girls Crew Season 2 in advance of the official premiere. Whaaaaat. Watch it now. Right now:

Boston University student found dead in dorm room

No indications of foul play

Damn. More tragic news out of Boston about the apparent suicide of an Asian American student... On Monday morning, a Boston University student was found dead in his dorm room. News stories aren't quite calling it a suicide yet, but reporting seems to indicate that the victim took his own life.

ENG Student Found Dead in Dorm Room

19-year-old Kevin Lee, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, was found dead in his room by a university employee during well-being check. Lee's family expressed concern when they couldn't reach him and asked Residence Life to check up on him.

According to Boston Police, there are no indications of foul play.

Pacific Arts Movement's 4th Annual Spring Showcase

April 17-24 at UltraStar Mission Valley



San Diegooo! We've got some films for you to watch. Our friends at Pacific Arts Movement present the 4th Annual Spring Showcase, a presentation of eleven dynamic films from nine countries from Asia and beyond. They've got a pretty darn sweet lineup of films this year, so make plans, bring a friend and catch some cinema. It runs April 17-24 at UltraStar Mission Valley. Watch the Spring Showcase trailer:

Call For Proposals: AAPI Voices, a new data journalism and storytelling venture

Calling all bloggers journalists, data nerds and storytellers

Freelance writers! Spreading word about an awesome new venture for fellow AAPI journalists, data nerds and storytellers... AAPI Voices is a brand new, experimental "data journalism and storytelling" platform developed jointly by AAPIdata.com and 18 Million Rising that will develop and feature data-inspired feature writing and provocative short pieces relating to AAPI communities and AAPI experiences.

Launched just in time for APA Heritage Month, the goal is to harness both the power of compelling data and the storytelling talent of AAPI journalist, blogger and academic communities, to inspire more news coverage and public understanding of key aspects and features of our growing and changing AAPI populations.

They're currently seeking proposals. Here are some more details about the project:

Baz Luhrmann in talks to direct movie adaptation of 'Kung Fu'

But who will play Kwai Chang Caine?



Dude. No. Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, the guy behind The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge, is reportedly in talks to direct a big screen adaptation of the 1970s martial arts western television show Kung Fu.

Baz Luhrmann in Talks to Direct 'Kung Fu' for Legendary

The hit show, which aired on ABC from 1972 to 1975, followed the adventures of Kwai Chang Chaine, a biracial Shaolin monk who roamed the American west in search of his half brother, righting wrongs along the way.

For many, Kung Fu will likely be remembered as the show originally conceived as a star vehicle for Bruce Lee, only to see him replaced for a more audience-friendly Caucasian lead actor. How freaking cool would it have been to see Bruce in that role? Alas, all this show gave us was the bitter legacy of yellowface.

This movie script has apparently moved the story to China, with Caine in search of his father.

Bruce Lee lives! As a video game character.

Legendary martial artist to appear as fighter in UFC game



His movie career may have been cut short, but Bruce Lee's global legacy has been immeasurable. And soon, gamers will be able to battle Bruce in the Octagon. EA Sports will pay homage to the legendary martial artist by bringing him to life as a mystery fighter in an upcoming UFC video game.

Bruce Lee is EA Sports UFC's mystery fighter

Last week, EA Sports announced that Bruce Lee, who is often called the original mixed martial artist, will appear in EA Sports UFC. Players will be able to unlock Bruce Lee in flyweight, bantam weight, featherweight and lightweight divisions by finishing the game's career mode on pro difficulty or higher.

Here's the trailer where you can get a brief glimpse of Bruce in the game:

Musician and activist Fred Ho dies at 56

Trailblazing saxophonist passes after a years-long battle with cancer.



Composer, saxophonist, writer and radical activist Fred Ho, best known for his avant-garde music, outspoken political views and iconoclastic style, died on Saturday at his home in Brooklyn. He was 56.

Fred Ho, Creative Activist and Musician, Dies at 56

Ho died after a lengthy battle with colorectal cancer, which he had been publicly "at war" with since 2006. He was an accomplished jazz musician with a dozen operas and several albums to his name, and is credited with helping to pioneer an Asian American music genre. He was also a published author, lecturer and activist.

Read These Blogs

List of Posts in Week of #Solidarity with #NotYourMascot | #AAPI #Native #NDN: Reappropriate has a comprehensive roundup of recent AAPI blog posts written in support of #NotYourMascot and the fight calling on Washinton R*dskins owner Dan Snyder to change the racist name and mascot of his NFL team.

The Mickey Rooney Role Nobody Wants to Talk Much About: Jeff Yang on the passing of actor Mickey Rooney, one of the most racist movie roles ever, and why it still matters today.

Why Asian American kids excel. It's not 'Tiger Moms.' Professors Min Zhou and Jennifer Lee offer an alternative explanation for why Asian American kids excel in academics.

'SNL' Diversity Struggles Continue, Nasim Pedrad Cast as Bobby Jindal: Nasim Pedrad played Bobby Jindal on last night's Saturday Night Live. How do we feel about that? Look to The Aerogram.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. Harvard student dies after jumping from building

2. The Adorably Awesome Adventures of Zoey and Jasper

3. Angry Reader of the Week: Arden Cho

4. Missing: 29-year-old dental student Jiwon Lee

5. These five best friends all got accepted to MIT

6. Wanna see some geishas? Fly Air France, apparently.

7. Joyce Chang named editor-in-chief of 'Self' magazine

8. Sriracha factory declared a public nuisance

9. Fund This: The Pink Sorrys, An Acid Punk Bollywood Musical

10. Nice Girls Crew Season 2 Trailer

Stay Angry, my friends.