Riz Ahmed is the first Asian actor to win an Emmy

Other notable winners include Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari for 'Master of None.'



On Sunday at the 69th annual Emmy Awards, Riz Ahmed won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his starring role as an accused murderer in HBO's limited series crime drama The Night Of.

That makes Ahmed the first man of Asian descent to take home a trophy at the Emmys, and only the second Asian performer ever to win, following Archie Panjabi's win for The Good Wife in 2010.

The Night Of is an eight-part miniseries that follows the intricate story of a murder case in New York City. Ahmed received critical praise for his star-making turn as Nasir "Naz" Khan, a Pakistani American college student accused in the grisly murder of a mysterious young woman after a night gone wrong.

"Wow. This is a tremendous honor to be recognized along so many actors who I've watched for so long." Ahmed said in his acceptance speech. "If this show has shone a light on some of the prejudice in our society, Islamophobia, some of the injustice in our justice system, then maybe that's something."

The Pakistani British actor and emcee also specifically credited the organizations South Asian Youth Action and The Innocence Project for helping him prepare for the role.

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Lessons From the World War II Experiences of Japanese Americans for Today's Muslim Americans: "Our political leaders should listen to Americans of Japanese ancestry who have personal experience with the dangers of racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. Our family stories contain profound lessons that must be retold to safeguard the constitutional liberties of all Americans."

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Just Like My Mother: How We Inherit Our Parents' Traits and Tragedies: My-Linh Le is discovering the ways in which she has inherited and manifested some of her refugee parents' spoken and unspoken traumas.

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A lot of white supremacists seem to have a weird Asian fetish: From David Duke to Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, a lot of white supremacists seem to have an unlikely Asian fetish. What gives?

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Two Asian-Americans On Growing Up In The Midwest vs. Chinatown: What it's like being one of a few Asian-Americans in school, contrasted with having a whole community you relate to.

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Remembering Betty Ong: On September 11, 2001, flight attendant Betty Ann Ong heroically notified the American Airlines ground crew of the hijacking situation on board Flight 11, relaying vital information until the plane crashed into the World Trade Center.

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We Need More Filmmakers Like Justin Lin to Explore Asian-Americana: Justin Lin is going back to his Asian American underdog roots with his new Chinatown bank prosecution picture.

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"I've Always Been Political": Celeste Ng and Nicole Chung in Conversation: On transracial adoption, social media and Ng's new novel Little Fires Everywhere.

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Michelle Yeoh Sheds Light on Captain Georgiou, Discovery: Michelle Yeoh, who plays Captain Phillippa Georgiou of the U.S.S. Shenzhou, talks about taking on the captain's chair on Star Trek: Discovery.

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TOKiMONSTA Lost Speaking and Musical Abilities After Brain Surgery. This Is How She Regained Them.: Last year, Jennifer Lee, AKA TOKiMONSTA, had two brain surgeries that left her temporarily unable to comprehend language, walk, and -- worst of all to her -- understand music.

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Marjorie Liu on the Road to Making Monstress: Acclaimed comic book writer Marjorie Liu discusses working for Marvel, the loneliness of novel-writing, and why her epic-fantasy series Monstress is mostly populated by women and characters of color.

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Dream Casting: The All-Asian New Super-Man: Syfy's "Dream Casting" imagines who they'd like to see starring in a hypothetical movie version of Gene Luen Yang's New Super-Man, aka the "Chinese Superman."

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 22: They Call Us #ExpressiveAsians

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



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

This week, we talk TV and #ExpressiveAsians with Nancy Wang Yuen, author of the book Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, and co-author of "Tokens on the Small Screen," a comprehensive new study on the state of AAPI representation on television.

The Great Failed Spam Heist of Ewa Beach

Thieves thwarted while attempting to steal 18 cases of Spam from a Hawaii drug store.



It wasn't exactly a fool-proof plan, but you have to appreciate the audacity of these thieves, just a little bit. This week in Hawaii, three women were thwarted while trying to steal 18 cases of Spam.

3 women attempt to steal 18 cases of Spam at Ewa Beach Longs

According to KITV, the attempted Spam heist occurred at a Longs Drugs store in Ewa Beach, where a trio of shoplifters tried to roll off with 18 cases -- that's 216 cans -- of everybody's favorite canned cooked meat.

The thieves were thwarted when a watchful customer noticed the shopping cart full of Spam while hanging out in cereal aisle. He got suspicious and staked out the store's exit to see what was up.

"I didn't say anything. I just stood by the door and the person that was trying to steal all the Spam just pushed the wagon and said 'Here!'" Kurt Fevella told KITV.

Angry Reader of the Week: Lena Khan

"I'm all about trying. I don't know if everything succeeds, but I try a lot."



Greetings, good people of the internet. It is time to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Lena Khan.

Breaking Stereotypes When It Matters Most

Heroes from Houston's restaurant industry step up during Hurricane Harvey. Guest Post by Thomas Nguyen.



Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on August 25, 2017, and is likely to be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Harvey dumped more than 50 inches of rainfall in Houston, Texas, causing catastrophic flooding and damage to over 200,000 homes and businesses.

With over 12,000 restaurants that include everything from Ethiopian, Pakistani, barbeque, Viet-Cajun, Tex-Mex, to South African, Houston has unofficially become the most diverse city in America. But what makes Houston unique isn't just the diversity of cultures and people, it is seeing everyone come together in times of tragedy, catastrophe and chaos. Among the overwhelming number of inspirational and heroic stories during Harvey these past few weeks were chefs, owners and volunteers from Houston's burgeoning restaurant industry.

A handful of these stories involving Asian Americans stood out to me. Not because they were more significant than any others, but because they demonstrated traits that went against typical Asian American stereotypes. These individuals were not weak, silent or passive. They were leaders, they were compassionate, and they wholeheartedly contributed to those who needed help.

George Takei to guest star on 'Fresh Off The Boat'

Iconic 'Star Trek' actor will play "a charming ESL instructor."



Sooner or later, it had to happen, right? Sulu, meet the Huangs. Legendary Star Trek actor George Takei will guest star on an upcoming fourth season episode of the ABC comedy Fresh Off The Boat.

George Takei to Guest Star on 'Fresh Off the Boat'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the iconic actor and activist will play Bernard, "a charming ESL instructor for whom Grandma Huang (Lucille Soong) has a sweet spot." Love it. Ah, Uncle George, always the charmer.

You can get a life-size cardboard Rose from 'Star Wars'

If that's your thing.



Hey, superfans. I just thought everyone would want to know that right now on Amazon, you can order a life-sized cardboard standup of Kelly Marie Tran as Rose from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. If that's your thing.

Rose Tico is described as "a gearhead, a greasemonkey, a behind-the-scenes jack-of-all-trades" in the Resistance who gets pulled into an adventure with Finn. Based on all the information and marketing that's been released so far, she's apparently Episode VIII's biggest new character -- and worthy of a cardboard cutout.

The Tokens, The Invisible and The Stereotyped: AAPIs on TV!

Comprehensive new report details the state of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on television.



If you've watched any amount of television, I don't think you really needed a study to figure this one out, but it certainly helps to back it up with the numbers. A new study, Tokens on the Small Screen, reports on the ongoing representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on prime time television and streaming television. The report concludes that while AAPI actors have increasing opportunities today, AAPIs are still underrepresented on television and their characters remain marginalized and tokenized on screen.

"With successful shows like Master of None and Fresh Off The Boat on the air, it may seem like Asian Americans are making greater strides on television," says report co-author Christina B. Chin, Assistant Professor at CSU Fullerton. "Yet, when we take a deeper look at the larger TV landscape, we start to see that these shows are the exception rather than the rule; Asian American and Pacific Islander actors and their stories are still tokenized or missing."

Following up and expanding on their 2005 and 2006 studies of AAPIs in prime time television, scholars from six California universities painstakingly evaluated broadcast, cable and streaming televising scripted shows airing between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2016. (That is a lot of television.) In the most comprehensive report on this topic to date, the authors detail how AAPI series regulars fare in numbers settings, screen time, relationships, stereotypes and storylines.

Here are some key findings of the report:

Korean Drama Podcast - Boys Over Flowers #15

A K-Drama re-watch podcast by (and for) people who don't watch Korean dramas.



Are you a fan of Korean dramas? Then this podcast is probably not for you. The Korean Drama Podcast is the K-Drama rewatch podcast by (and for) people who don't watch Korean dramas.

In season one, host Will Choi (founder of Asian AF) and I -- both self-professed Korean drama beginners -- with help and hand-holding by our resident K-Drama expert Joanna Lee, attempt to watch and discuss the 2009 megahit drama Boys Over Flowers in its entirety, episode by episode.

In this episode, our heroes wrap up their adventures in Macau and return to birthday parties, new jobs, and ... MORE DRAMA! We struggle between rooting for the relationships the show wants us to root for and the relationships we actually want to root for. Also: a (very) in-depth discussion on public restrooms.

The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival 2017

Family Reunion Storytelling: All Stars (September 21) & Disoriented AF (September 23)



If you're in Los Angeles and looking for some laughs, do not miss the The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival 2017. Scaled back from previous years, this mini-festival features two fun shows: a special "All-Star" edition of Disoriented Comedy's storytelling show Family Reunion and the variety comedy show Disoriented AF, with standup, improv, sketch and special guest storyteller Kelly Marie Tran.

It's going to be fun! Family Reunion is going down on Thursday, September 21 at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe, while you can catch Disoriented AF on Saturday, September 23 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo. Here are some more details:

Daniel Dae Kim to replace Ed Skrein in 'Hellboy'

Former 'Hawaii Five-0' actor in talks to play Ben Daimio in 'Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen.'



What. Are you telling me that an Asian American character will be played by an actual Asian American actor? That's wild! Daniel Dae Kim will reportedly star as Major Ben Daimio in the upcoming Hellboy movie reboot.

Daniel Dae Kim in Talks to Replace Ed Skrein in 'Hellboy' Reboot (Exclusive)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kim is talks to step into the role of Ben Daimio in Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen. Ed Skrein, who was originally signed on to play Daimio, dropped out of the project after an outcry over his casting -- yet another Asian character gets the Hollywood whitewash! In Mike Mignola's original Hellboy comic books, Daimio is Japanese American. Ed Skrein is... not.

This is more like it. Kim, who recently made headlines with his very public exit from Hawaii Five-0 after seven seasons, will play the severely scarred former marine officer who works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. Due to supernatural encounter in the field, Daimio has the ability to transform into a monstrous, jaguar-like creature under extreme stress.

Damn, Daniel!

Autopsy: Tommy Le Shot Twice in Back by Police for Holding a Pen | #JusticeforTommyLe

By Jenn Fang. Cross-Posted from Reappropriate.



On June 14th, twenty-year-old Tommy Le was shot and killed just outside of Seattle, Washington by King County Sheriff’s deputy Cesar Molina. After the shooting, Molina insisted that Le was shot for approaching police aggressively while wielding an object that appeared to be a knife, and that Le further refused to comply with officer orders to drop the weapon.

That version of events is now in serious doubt after an investigation revealed that Le was actually holding a pen, not a knife, when he was shot and killed; and now, an autopsy of Le’s body further shows that Le was actually shot twice in the back, and a third time in the back of the hand. Those findings are incompatible with Molina’s insistence that Le was approaching police when he was killed.

Finally, toxicology reports show that Le was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. Although it remains possible that Le was suffering a mental health crisis at the time of his killing, Le’s family say that he had no history of mental illness.

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A casting director said Asian people weren't expressive and the response was amazing: Howw the hashtag #ExpressiveAsians took off over the weekend.

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The Scrutable West: Industry Bias, Whitewashing and the Invisible Asian in Hollywood: Excuses upon excuses. In 2017, Asian actors still haven't taken center stage in Hollywood.

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'Hellboy' Whitewashing Backlash May Signal Tipping Point for Hollywood Casting: Ed Skrein's move to exit Lionsgate's reboot could put actors and producers on notice about racial authenticity in film and TV, but "no one knows where the line is," says one publicity head.

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Jagmeet Singh Explains Why He Didn't Tell That Heckler He's Sikh, Not Muslim: Canadian NDP leadership contender Jagmeet Singh has opened up about what was going through his mind when a heckler spewed ugly remarks at him during a campaign event last week.

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'Dreamers' Put Their Trust in DACA. What Now? "It wasn't your choice to come to America. But once you realize you're here illegally, it becomes your choice to figure out who gets to know that."

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You feel invisible': How America's fastest-growing immigrant group is being left out of the DACA conversation: Anthony Ng came to the U.S. from the Philippines at age 12 and now lobbies elected officials on policies to protect immigrant rights. Ng shares his thoughts on Trump's decision to end DACA.

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When You're Queer And Undocumented, The DACA Stakes Are Higher: "For a lot of us, going back to our home countries isn't an option because of our queerness."

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Philly Driver Shouts 'This Is America' To The Wrong Asian-American: "I know America in ways that you probably don’t and never will." Nydia Han responds to the driver who told her "This is America!"

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San Jose Giants apologize for tone deaf' Japanese Heritage Night tweet: The San Jose Giants recently celebrated "Japanese Heritage Night" by tweeting out a photo of three team members in stereotypical garb and acting like idiots.

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Homeless Man Broadcasts Live Daily from East Oakland Encampment: For the last month Derrick Soo has been streaming live segments from the East Oakland homeless encampment where he has lived since 2014 to document his journey to find permanent housing through a myriad of East Bay agencies.

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How a Chinatown-by-the-Sea Popped Up on the Jersey Shore: A tuberculosis epidemic, a church, and one lucky break sent Chinese Manhattanites to Bradley Beach.

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The Search for Madame Liu-Tsong: In 1951, Anna May Wong was TV's first Asian-American leading actor. And then her groundbreaking show disappeared.

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An Illustrated Guide to Escaping the Vietnam War and Making it in America: Thi Bui's graphic novel The Best We Could Do is a devastating -- and wholly human -- exploration of the wounds of war.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 21: They Call Us Dreamers

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



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

This week, we welcome Esther Yu-Hsi Lee, immigration reporter for ThinkProgress and a Dreamer herself, to discuss the personal and community impact of immigration policy on the heels of the Trump administration's decision to eliminate DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

Angry Reader of the Week: Travis Atreo

"Pretty much, if you're a person that has stopped learning then you make me angry."



Hey, everybody! You know what time it is. It is 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 Travis Atreo.

All of the Asian Star Wars Action Figures

A geeky portrait of every Asian action figure from the Star Wars saga.



Do you like Star Wars? Do you like Star Wars action figures? Our friend David Yeh really likes Star Wars action figures. He recently shared this awesome (and incredibly geeky) photo highlighting his collection of all the Asian characters -- yes, there have been a handful, major and laughably minor -- from across the entire Star Wars saga that have been produced over the years as action figures (including the recently released figures for Rose and Paige from the upcoming Last Jedi). There are only about a dozen, which, considering the massive number of Star Wars toys that have been produced in the last four decades, is not a lot.

Roll call, from left to right, with character and figure details:

How To Pick Up Asian Chicks

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"No whitewashing allowed": 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' is getting a movie adaptation

Jamie Ford's bestselling debut novel is being developed into a film, executive produced by George Takei.



Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the best-selling debut novel by Jamie Ford, is being developed into a feature film, with none other than actor/activist George Takei serving as executive producer.

George Takei To Exec Produce 'Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet'; Diane Quon & Joseph Craig Acquire Rights

The acclaimed 2009 novel follows Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy in Seattle who falls in love with Keiko, a Japanese American girl, as she is sent to an internment camp during World War II. Decades later, when the belongings of Japanese Americans families are discovered in the basement of an old hotel in Japantown, Henry must reconcile the past and the present, and confront the choices he made many years ago.

According to Deadline, producer Diane Quon has acquired the film rights with Joseph Craig of StemEnt. The film is scheduled to start production in 2018 with Ford co-writing the script.

More Drama With Perm Boy's Mama: Korean Drama Podcast - Boys Over Flowers #14

A K-Drama re-watch podcast by (and for) people who don't watch Korean dramas.



Are you a fan of Korean dramas? Then this podcast is probably not for you. The Korean Drama Podcast is the K-Drama rewatch podcast by (and for) people who don't watch Korean dramas.

In season one, host Will Choi (founder of Asian AF) and I -- both self-professed Korean drama beginners -- with help and hand-holding by our resident K-Drama expert Joanna Lee, attempt to watch and discuss the 2009 megahit drama Boys Over Flowers in its entirety, episode by episode.

In this episode, more fun in Macau (including masks and gondola karaoke) and more drama with Perm Boy's mama! We discuss if it's possible to have a sudden change of heart. We also discuss where the Boys Over Flowers actors are now and imagine an alternate Korean drama following Pottery Boy and Ringo's action detective adventures.