On Chinese International Students (Or, Sorry if this comes off a little Yellow Peril)

Guest Post by erin Khuê Ninh



I have Chinese international students in my classes every quarter now, though I feel my courses do not serve them well. On the first day of class, I make noises about how this is an upper-division/college-level course in literary studies: We do reading in large quantity, in high difficulty, and then we subject the language to intense scrutiny. There is no time for problems in basic reading comprehension, or for the difference between plot summary and answering the question. Please, I want to say, would you take college-level physics without having passed algebra? All I can do is fail you.

But I deliver this spiel with less conviction lately, because they don't necessarily fail. Some do, and others turn in surprisingly polished essays, clearly tailored to the assignment, despite never having uttered a word in class. Perhaps that is proof of my internalized racism, my unjustly low opinion of the level of preparation common to international students. Or perhaps they have made use of the many 'proxy' services in test-taking and essay-writing that cater to Chinese international students on college campuses: pay someone else to write your paper and it will never show up on a search engine. I will never be able to prove it.

How Hollywood Gatekeepers Block Out Asian American Content -- and Why an FCC Proposal Could Change That

Guest Post by Mark Tseng Putterman, 18 Million Rising



We know the drill too well. Hollywood announces another big budget film with a whitewashed cast. Or talking heads use racially-charged language on cable news networks. Cue our collective outrage — op-eds, Twitter hashtags, letters to industry gatekeepers. Maybe we get a half-hearted apology. Maybe not. And eventually, the outrage dissipates... until the next offense surfaces. Then we lather, rinse, and repeat.

Where does it end? How long will we wait for mainstream media to take our issues seriously?

Asian American YA Authors Roundtable

Guest Post by Wendy Xu



I work with stories both at my day job (publishing) and night job (comics), and conversations, thinkpieces, and articles around representation in media are prevalent almost every second of my waking life. We've heard many voices on how Hollywood stifles and whitewashes (Ghost in the Shell, The Great Wall, etc) and how progress in film and television is appallingly slow. It can be a real bummer, and definitely brings to light some glaring social issues that continuously need to be addressed and corrected and held accountable.

But I think that sometimes, we need some levity and inspiration in our lives to remind us to keep fighting when the battle seems tough. And in the war against whitewashing in media, one front that keeps churning out victory after victory: the outstanding, award-winning, NYT-bestselling Asian American authors in the young adult publishing industry.

For those unfamiliar, "Young Adult" (YA) is a marketing term for stories that cater to the (roughly) 13-18 crowd, and has become a huge portion of the children's lit world in the last few years, after the phenomenal success of books like Harry Potter. It spans all genres -- fantasy, sci-fi, slice of life, horror, you name it. I grew up reading a lot of young adult fantasy, and it was actually in those books that I discovered Asian representation for the first time. Authors like Tamora Pierce and JK Rowling, flawed as they are, paved the way for me to see girls like me having magical adventures.

Mini Photoblog: Nostalgic Hong Kong

Guest Post by Jane Lui



Prologue. I've been in Hong Kong for two weeks. It's currently 90 degree, pouring rain, and absolutely beautiful. The heat is definitely more stubborn than I remembered... but maybe I'm not remembering right. It's been a long time. I don't come back often and when I do, I feel a lot -- memories, changes, what ifs, the lot. So I usually ride heavily on nostalgia, visiting every haunt and old-timer cuisine I can find to negotiate with my roots.

Strangely, Hong Kong seems to be doing the same thing.

#allysfight

Guest Post by Andrew Kim



The Background: Bone Marrow Donation vs. Asians

Every day, thousands of East Asians need life-saving bone marrow transplants. In the UK, of the 617,000 registered marrow donors, only 0.5% are East Asian. The situation is similar in the U.S. registry; and worldwide, the numbers are no different. On average, 350 out of every 10,000 people in the US are registered donors compared to just 14 out of 10,000 in China. Why is this? What is holding back Asians from donating?

I think that Asians are generous. With money, with time -- there's never any question to help our families, our friends, our villages and communities. But our bodies...? When I told my mother that I had signed up to be an organ donor for instance, it was met with...

"You mean they'll take your eyes and heart? Can't you do something else instead?"

My mother has spent countless hours volunteering at schools, the inner city, on mission trips to other countries. But here, there was hesitation... Fear. There is something about our bodies, our sacred temples, and giving pieces away.

I am not trying to dismiss people's beliefs and ideals. But in bone marrow donation, the reality is that a small act, can have a tremendous affect. It can save a life. 90% of all bone marrow donation is just giving blood. Blood is taken from one arm, filtered in a machine to capture valuable marrow stem cells, and the rest is pumped back into the other arm. Getting tested is even easier. All you need to do is swab the inside of your mouth with a Q-tip and send it off to a lab.

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In Our Own Words: Reflections on the 15th Anniversary of 9/11: Muslim, Arab, South Asian and Sikh activists and allies recall where they were on September 11, 2001 and how that day has shaped their movements and resistance today.

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Not all Asians are the same -- here's why thinking that way hurts them: Disaggregating data on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders could do a lot of good for access to education, for one.

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The lasting impact of white teachers who mispronounce minority student names: Did you grow up having your name mispronounced constantly? According to recent studies, it turns out that this has a lasting impact on minority students.

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Don't take your right to vote for granted. Immigrants like me wait years to have the chance. You may not like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton much. That's no reason to skip the election.

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The Pleasures of Protest: Taking on Gentrification in Chinatown: Working as a tenant organizer in New York's Chinatown opened Esther Wang's eyes to the ugly -- and complicated -- realities of gentrification.

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How Bruce Lee's Daughter Is Sharing His Philosophies With the Digital Generation: Shannon Lee founded Bruce Lee Enterprises in order to continue her father's legacy and share his philosophies.

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50 Years Later, Bruce Lee Still Makes 'The Green Hornet' Kick Ass: Last week marked the 50th anniversary of The Green Hornet, which introduced TV audiences to the masked crimefighter Kato -- played by Bruce Lee.

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Bruce Lee and Freddie Mercury are best friends on this Japanese Twitter account: As far as we know, Bruce Lee and Freddie Mercury never actually met in real life. But thanks to this toy and game-themed Japanese Twitter account, their action figures are now best friends.

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Arthur Dong's Films Spotlight Asian American And Queer History: Arthur Dong's 2008 documentary Hollywood Chinese offers not only a glimpse into the history of Chinese Americans in Hollywood, but also a history of queer performers.

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Gene Luen Yang reflects on 10th anniversary of American Born Chinese: Ten years ago, graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang released American Born Chinese, which follows the story of a boy named Jin Wang, who struggles with his identity after moving from San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood to a mostly white suburb.

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He makes white privilege a punch line. Will America get the joke? With his latest album Mainstream American Comic, standup comedian Hari Kondabolu is winning a broader audience.

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Steve Aoki on how his Asian-American identity shaped his career in music: Electronic music superstar Steve Aoki spoke with CBS News about the new Netflix documentary I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and why it's important to him to speak out about issues facing the Asian American community.

To Nontraditional Asian American Families

Guest Post by Vanessa Teck & David To



This past June, we had the privilege of celebrating the beginning of our new adventures together - twice! Surrounded by adoring family and friends, we had the honor of tying the knot in a chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada (David’s hometown) and a Cambodian ceremony in Denver, Colorado (Vanessa’s hometown).

In the weeks preceding and following our wedding, we began to realize how constrained the traditional views on marriage are. From the invitation list, the procession order, the name changes, and incessant questions about kids, our happy union was being viewed through a lens of outdated practices. In Asian American families, weddings serve as a celebratory time for not just the couple, but also our communities. Oh and saving face.

But what happens when you come from a nontraditional Asian American family?

When My Moms Met

Guest Post by Dan Matthews



Everything's come full circle.

Three years ago I was surprised and delighted to find out that I was going to meet my biological family for the very first time, including an identical twin brother that I never knew about. As a Korean adoptee we're often put in the mindset from the very start that making any type of reunion is near impossible (for many complicated reasons that I won't go into now). So, I knew going into this situation, and coming out of it, that it was a moment in my life that I shouldn't take lightly.

I really needed to be there mentally to take in what this meant (although as most know, a very difficult mindset for me to have). I was overjoyed to have been able to experience this, and I'm grateful to say that three years later I'm still continuing my journey to get to know them. Every day is a struggle, and communication and language barriers continue to be an issue -- but it IS happening.

Angry Reader of the Week: Harry Shum Jr.

"Trying to be more human everyday."

What's up, internet? Let's get into it. 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 Harry Shum Jr.

Good Morning

Guest Post by Alton Wang



No single person has had a greater impact on my life than my Grandmother. Although she passed over ten years ago, to this day I still feel her by my side, guiding me. Protecting me.

Almost every day before I turned 8, my Grandmother would peek into my room when it was time for me to wake up and quietly say, "Good morning." She would then walk into the room, sit down next to me, and repeat, "Good morning," until I became fully conscious. These words are some of the few in my memory I can still hear her say to me.

My Grandmother was my third parent, who instilled in me the values and morals that still guide me today. She also mended my wounds when they appeared -- under her care, my wounds always closed, even if she had to stitch me back together.

Yet my Grandmother's life story is centered around insecurity, uncertainty, and risk. No sense of security protected her -- or her family -- until her later years.

This is why I know I felt so safe growing up, feeling protected by those words of "Good morning." Safety is a privilege -- a privilege endowed with a certainty of yesterday, a certainty of tomorrow, and a certainty of now that is not afforded to all of us.

I didn't recognize the depth of this privilege until my own sense of safety was shattered completely for the first time, as a college student interning in DC. But this time, I had to stitch my wounds back together myself.

How I Became a Pretend Expert on Hot Asian American Men

Guest Post by Ada Tseng



A few years ago, I convinced my editors at Audrey Magazine that it'd be funny to ask actor/model Godfrey Gao to exchange mediocre poetry with me about his hotness.

(Hey, hey. Eyes down here, OK? I know you're trying to figure out who that is in the photo above, and where you've seen his muscles before, but stay with me. There will be more pictures of that guy at the end of this post, I promise.)

Back to poetry. I had just been told that my upcoming interview with Godfrey would be conducted through email, and, as a serious journalist, I knew it'd be hard to experience the full extent of his hotness through email. So I was trying to think of a creative way to do the interview in which the answers I received from him through the written word would potentially be better than the verbal responses I'd get from him in person. Haiku seemed to be the most accessible form of poetry for two non-poets. I figured I could also get away with asking him ridiculous questions about his swooning fangirls, beauty regimen, and tips for modeling Louis Vuitton man purses -- inquiries that would be much less charming without the syllable constraints of 5-7-5.

He probably had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he answered in haiku, and the series Haikus With Hotties was born. For each issue after that, I just kept convincing other people that this was a good idea. Folks like Freddie Wong, Dante Basco, Randall Park, and Christopher Dinh. On one hand, these are creatives working in the entertainment industry who have been directly affected by mainstream Hollywood's lack of imagination when it comes to stereotypical portrayals of Asian American men. But on the other hand, they're also just funny people who very quickly made me realize that the fact that they don't take themselves too seriously is actually the hottest quality of all.

At the time, I didn't have a grand vision of what #HaikusWithHotties would become. But last summer, we successfully launched a Kickstarter to turn the series into a 2016 calendar, including a video where I introduced myself as a "Professor of Hotness" presenting my ground-breaking research. And we hopefully gave our supporters a reason to smile at the first of every month, when it was time to turn the calendar page and unveil their next hottie.

Asian Americans, We Cannot Be Silent on the Dakota Access Pipeline | #NoDAPL

By Jenn Fang. Cross-Posted from Reappropriate


Protesters demonstrate on August 11, 2016 against the start of construction for the Dakota Access Pipeline Project. (Photo credit: Tom Stromme / Associated Press)

A war is being waged right now to defend Native lands and people from fresh exploitation by the United States government, and yet it rages to virtually no mainstream coverage.

This week, protesters entered their fifth month of peaceful protest against the proposed $3.8 billion dollar, multi-state oil pipeline that would when completed transport crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The Dakota Access Pipeline is being constructed by private developers, and will intersect through ancestral lands once held by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as well as running under the Mississippi River and within half a mile of current reservation land borders. Earlier this year, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sued the US Army Corp of Engineers denouncing the Corp's fast-tracked approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline plans, saying that the Pipeline's construction will threaten sacred sites and risk contamination of the Tribe's water supply.

The Tribe further argues that the Corp ignored its own policies requiring it to consider the impact of construction projects on the environment and on Native lands in order to “meet the pipeline's aggressive construction schedule.” Dave Archambault II, leader of the Standing Rock Sioux, added:

An Asian American Mixtape to Get Out and Vote

Guest Post by Tanzila 'Taz' Ahmed



I grew up in an age of mixtape. And by "mixtape" I mean quite literally those plastic cassette tapes that you'd keep in your dual deck boombox and to which you would race over to press record as soon as the radio station started playing the song you wanted to record next on your perfect mixtape. There was no blending, sometimes you'd miss the beginning of the song, and often, you'd get the radio DJ voice. But these mixtapes -- when you were able to put the tracks in an inspiring order, have a theme, and then, if really courageous, you'd be able to give it to your CRUSH.

Well Angry Asian America -- I have a crush on you. And we at 18MillionRising really want you to get out and vote on November 8th. So we made you a mixtape.

Tiger Style! at La Jolla Playhouse: An Interview with Playwright Mike Lew and Director Jaime Castañeda

Guest Post by Raymond J. Lee



Tiger Style! is a new comedy premiering this month at the La Jolla Playhouse. Actor Raymond J. Lee, who appears in the play as Albert, interviewed playwright Mike Lew and director Jaime Castañeda.


Raymond Lee: I would love to get some history on Tiger Style! and how it came into fruition and how it came to La Jolla. Mike how was this show birthed?

Mike Lew:: This show was a really long time coming because throughout my early theater education, I kept on getting these suggestions that I should write about my family or I should write about my culture. It kept coming up and I thought, "What does that mean?" And then I figured out I should write an Asian immigrant story, but I don't have that because I'm third generation Chinese and I don't have access to those stories. So for a long time I wrote any other story I could. At a certain point with all the kind of backlash around the concept of Asian tiger parenting I realized that there were a lot of people coming out saying that it's a terrible way to raise your kids and I realized that I grew up like this. I was expected to be a high achieving kid and I have a tight relationship with my parents and I realized I could write a story specifically about that.

This Is My Country

By Kathy Khang. Cross-Posted from kathykhang.com.



The older man walked up to the closed register next to me and looked at the wretched KFC/Pizza Hut menu at the travel oasis/rest stop near Elkhart, Indiana. He asked about the fried chicken hiding behind the greasy cough-guard. I wondered if he was going to do what I thought it looked like he was going to do, and I wrestled with what I would do if he tried to cut in front of the line. He stands with a curve in his back, pants hemmed too short and hair disheveled. He is older, if not elderly, with white, thinning hair. I can’t take the Korean out of me. We respect our elders. Should I just let him go? I just want to feed my sons terrible fast food, get back on the road and get home.

But he goes on, putting in his order and pulling out some money, and the cashier tells him there is line that he will have to join. The line is now about 8 people deep, not including me and my two teenage sons.

The older man, let’s call him Gerald, looks back at the line, looks at me and asks, "What do you need food for?"

I;m hoping he is joking, though he isn't cracking a smile, so I respond as kindly as I can with a smile (I have now listened to Hamilton five times on this road trip and I can't stop thinking "talk less, smile more"), "I need food to eat, just like you do."

Gerald looks at me and my sons and says, "You don't need food. Go back to your country and eat the food there."

By the way, Gerald is white. I am not.

Oh, FFS.

Wings, Guns and Magic! Preview Greg Pak's KINGSWAY WEST #2

Guest Post by Greg Pak



I grew up as a biracial Korean American kid in Texas who always loved Westerns. So when I learned about the actual history of the Chinese in the Old West, my head popped off, and for over two decades, I've been obsessed with writing a story about a Chinese gunslinger in the Old West.

Last Wednesday, my dreams came true when the first issue of my Dark Horse comic book series Kingsway West hit stores. Kingsway West tells the story of a Chinese gunslinger searching for his wife in an Old West overrun with magic, and I've been pretty much blown away by the response of readers and reviewers. I'm particularly grateful to Angry Asian Man and all the readers right here on this blog who supported the book from the minute it was announced way back in July 2015. So I'm thrilled to bring you a six page lettered preview of issue #2, written by yours truly, drawn by the great Mirko Colak, colored by the brilliant Wil Quintana, and lettered by the awesome Simon Bowland!

Kingsway West #1 is in comic stores right now -- pick it up at your local shop or buy it digitally at Comixology. Kingsway West #2 comes out on September 21 -- please feel free to ask your local shop to hold a copy for you!

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These Simple yet Stylish Portraits Celebrate American Sikhs: The Sikh Coalition has partnered with British photographers Amit Amin and Naroop Jhooti for The Sikh Project, a landmark portrait exhibition highlighting the stories and identities of 38 Sikh American men and women.

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The Hidden Scars All Refugees Carry: "I am not an immigrant. I am a refugee who, like many others, has never ceased being a refugee in some corner of my mind."

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They grew up as American citizens, then learned that they weren't Today, children who are adopted from abroad by U.S. citizens generally receive automatic citizenship, thanks to better protections and regulations from adoption agencies. Even still, some transnational adoptees are left without U.S. citizenship.

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In Vietnamese American community, the stigma of mental illness runs deep: Stigma within the community and lack of culturally competent resources have been a barrier for Vietnamese Americans to address mental health issues -- especially for women. But in Orange County, California, people are trying to change that.

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#DocsSoWhite: A Personal Reflection: Filmmaker Renee Tajima-Pena reflects on diversity and independent filmmaking, what lessons can be learned from the past, and the realities filmmakers of color live with today.

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Weekend volleyball tournament was a lifeline for early Chinese immigrants: As Asian American volleyball players gear up for the 72nd North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament, many remember its legacy in the era of anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S.

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Robin Ha's New Cookbook Mixes Korean Cuisine With Comics: Korean-American artist Robin Ha's first cookbook is filled with recipes she learned from her mother. And appropriately, it's a comic book.

Taiwan is Doing Cars Better Than Us

A Very Short Photo Essay About The Weird and Wonderful Cars of Taiwan. Guest Post by Sanjay Shah



I was in Taiwan earlier this month to help shoot the upcoming season premiere of Fresh Off The Boat. I am also so obsessed with cars that I dropped out of college to work on them. Here are some of the cars that I saw on the streets of Taiwan:

7 Ways Asian Americans will TROLL the ART WORLD on September 8

Performances by Tilda Swinton, Shia LeBeouf and Marina Abramovic get Asian American makeovers next week during Kristina Wong's TAKEOVER of the Asian Art Museum. Guest Post by Kristina Wong.



I have a love-hate relationship with the Art World. I love the inventive ideas you don't see on television. I hate how colonial the museum space is with artists of color notoriously underrepresented in major art institutions.

I always thought the most "famous" works of performance art would read COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY (and be way more interesting) if performed by people of color. So when the Asian Art Museum invited me to TAKEOVER their giant four story museum for a night, I knew I had a rare opportunity to subvert the white institutional gaze of the Art World HEAD ON and make for very funny and layered results.

On September 8, my favorite artists (and the San Francisco Public Defender) give these famous performance pieces the mockery/ re-interpretation/ homage they really deserve. Check out seven highlights from Takeover: Kristina Wong!

Angry Reader of the Week: Tina Tchen

"I'm all about giving people spaces where they can learn to grow and succeed."



Hey, everybody! It's that time again. Gather 'round, because 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 Tina Tchen.