Who will be crowned Mr. Hyphen 2014? Glory awaits.

Saturday, April 19 at Marines' Memorial Theatre



Awwww yeah. Who will be the next Mr. Hyphen? Bay Area, join Hyphen next week to find out. Five transformative Asian American men representing six transformative community organizations will compete for the coveted crown at the 8th annual community fundraiser Mr. Hyphen 2014.

The festivities will be hosted by the one and only Kristina Wong, and will feature performances by Grammy Award winner Hollis and vocal group Anak. I have the honor of serving as a judge. Good times! It's all going down Saturday, April 19 at the historic Marines' Memorial Theatre in downtown San Francisco.

Here are some more details about the night:

Angry Reader of the Week: Arden Cho

"Follow your heart and don't be afraid to fail because only through failure do you learn to succeed."



Hey everybody! You know what's up. 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 Arden Cho.

The Adorably Awesome Adventures of Zoey and Jasper

A rescue dog and her little boy



Got this adorably awesome photo series sent my way from Grace Chon, a commercial photographer specializing in animals, lifestyle images, and celebrities with their pets. Zoey and Jasper features her own 10-month-old baby Jasper and Zoey, a 7-year-old rescue mutt from Taiwan.

This is, by all measures, pretty freaking cute. Check it out:

Watch out for those sneaky Asian pitchers

"Typical Asian motion. Deception involved."



This week in sportscasters who should shut the f*ck up... Watch and listen as this asshole announcer calls out a baseball player for employing "deception"... because he happens to be Asian. Typically Asian, apparently.

Hawk Harrelson Should Probably Not Suggest "Asians" Are "Deceptive"

During the broadcast of Thursday night's Indians/White Sox game, announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson took the liberty of providing some color commentary about Cleveland pitcher Chen-Chang lee, who is from Taiwan.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lee threw a nasty slider to Alexei Ramirez. Swing and a miss. Harrelson could only describe the pitch as a "typical Asian motion. Deception involved." Gotta watch out for those Asians!

[The video has been removed from YouTube. Watch the moment here.]

Inscrutable, like a freaking sneak attack.

Kearny Street Workshop presents Dumpling Wars 2

Saturday, April 12 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center


Another one for my folks in the Bay Area... Kearny Street Workshop, the oldest multidisciplinary arts non-profit addressing Asian Pacific American issues, is hosting its second annual "Dumpling Wars" competition, bringing a night of fun, flavor and culture to Oakland. It's happening this Saturday, April 12 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Here's a funny teaser video for the event:

2014 Kollaboration Auditions

Sign up to perform at the world-famous annual talent showcase



Do you have what it takes to rock the Kollaboration stage?

The world-famous Asian American talent show competition is holding auditions for the upcoming city show season, running from April to August across the United States. Each city show winner has the chance to be one of six finalists to compete in the grand finale show Kollaboration Star in Los Angeles in November.

Here's a little video promo to get you inspired for auditions:

Chinatown community leader pleads guilty to embezzlement

Gene Lee pleaded guilty to federal charges of embezzlement and tax fraud



Asians behaving badly... Chinatown embezzlement edition! This week in Chicago, a longtime community leader and former top aide to Mayor Richard M. Daley pleaded guilty to federal charges of embezzlement and tax fraud after stealing thousands of dollars from Chinatown charities and failing to report the money on his taxes.

Ex-top aide to Daley pleads guilty to misusing charity funds

65-year-old Gene Lee was arrested last summer after federal prosecutors said he stole donated money while head of both the Chicago Chinatown Summer Fair and the Chicago Dragons Athletic Association.

Prosecutors allege Lee took more than $90,000 between 2007 and 2010. The funds were supposed to be used for basketball tournaments and cultural outreach programs, but he apparently spent the cash on himself and didn't pay taxes on it. Because, you know, he stole it.

New TV docu-series explores Asian American diaspora

'I'm Asian American and...' premieres April 23 on Myx TV



Myx TV just dropped the trailer for its latest original series, I'm Asian American and..., a new documentary series focusing the diverse Asian American diaspora, following unique and sometimes controversial individuals who don't fit the "model minority" stereotype. If this sounds familiar, I posted a casting call this series last year.

Shot in and around Los Angeles, the series consists of ten episodes, each featuring real people challenging stereotypes about Asian Americans in their everyday lives, from a lawyer who fights human trafficking to a living doll; a dog nanny, a big-time radio DJ, a triplet whose siblings have autism, and more.

The show premieres April 23 on Myx TV. Here's the trailer:

Sriracha factory declared a public nuisance

Irwindale City Council unanimously declares odor from hot sauce plant a "public nuisance."



The siege on Sriracha continues! If you've been following the saga, you know that it's been a troublesome, embattled year for Huy Fong Foods, the makers of your favorite green-tipped hot sauce.

This week, after dealing with complaints from neighbors about an alleged strong odor emanating from the Sriracha plant in Irwindale, the City Council officially declared the factory a public nuisance.

Sriracha hot sauce factory smell deemed a public nuisance by Irwindale

Oh hell no. On Wednesday night, the Irwindale City Council unanimously declared the factory a public nuisance. The declaration gives Huy Fong Foods 90 days to find a way to contain the odor, or city officials will be allowed to enter the factory and fix the problems themselves.

Fund This: Angie Across America

One woman's quest to cycle 4,233 miles in 40 days



Here's a pretty cool project that could use your crowdfunding support... Angeline Tan, who grew up in Malaysia and currently lives in California, wants to be the first Southeast Asian female to cycle 4,233 miles in 40 days -- a bike trip across the United States. Along the way, she'll search for inspirational stories and food hotspots.

In less than two months from now, she'll embark on a cycling trip across America -- riding over 100 miles every day -- to film a documentary featuring the bike ride, the stunning American landscape, and the interesting people, stories and gastronomic delights she hopes to encounter along the way.

Watch this video for more information about her trip:

These five best friends all got accepted to MIT

Awesome Southern California seniors are headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology



Some cool news out of Southern California... where a crew of five high school best friends have all been accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. You can call them the MIT 5.

Five Best Friends From Polytechnic High School Accepted to MIT

Raymundo Cano, Andrew Koh, Kevin Escobar Rodriguez, GiMin Choi and William Lopez-Cordero -- all seniors at Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley -- are all Boston-bound, headed to one of the nation's most prestigious and competitive institutions for science and technology.

Apply to the 2014 Sikh Advocate Academy

All expenses paid, experiential learning course, June 8-14 in Washington, DC



The Sikh Coalition is accepting applications for its fourth Sikh Advocate Academy, an innovative week-long all-expenses-paid advocacy training program happening June 8-14, 2014 in Washington DC. If you're interested in taking part, you have to act quick -- the deadline to apply is April 13.

Successful applicants will take a deep dive into the practical aspects of human rights advocacy -- including government engagement, media engagement, and community engagement -- and pledge to become social justice leaders in their local communities. Sounds like a pretty awesome opportunity.

Here are some more details about the program:

Listen to Adam WarRock's "Marvelous" ode to your new favorite superhero

Free track inspired by Marvel Comics' Pakistani American teenage superhero



NICE. Our friend Eugene Ahn, aka geek emcee extraordinaire Adam WarRock, raps about comic books, television shows, and other pop culture goodness. This week, he's releasing a handful of free tracks inspired by All-New Marvel NOW! titles, and they're some of the best songs he's done in a long time.

In addition to tracks about The Silver Surfer and Moon Knight (whaaa?), day three is dedicated to one of my favorite comic books of the moment, Ms. Marvel. "Marvelous" is Adam WarRock's ode to Pakistani American teenage superhero Kamala Khan, who is just plain awesome. Check it out:

A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America

Calling photographers and filmmakers far and wide to document a global experience.



This May, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center collaborates with Flickr to capture the vast and nuanced universe of experiences that embody Asian Pacific America. You're invited to capture snapshots and take part in A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America, happening May 10, 2014.

Sign up to take part! #Life2014 is an open call. Capture your content sometime between 12am and 11:59pm on May 10, 2014 (respective to whichever timezone you're in that day) and upload it to the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center's Flickr group. They'll curate their top picks to create a digital exhibition.

Here's some more information:

Nice Girls Crew Season 2 Trailer

Second season premieres online April 28



They're baaaaaack! 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, taking the mirth and mayhem to new heights. All five episodes of season two will be available online on April 28.

In season two, your favorite book club moves their shenanigans to Sophie's house where we meet Geraldine's mom (the legendary Tsai Chin), and find out who Leena's new love interest is! It's pretty hot.

Here's the season two trailer:

18 Mighty Mountain Warriors in San Diego

April 18-20 at Mission Valley UltraStar Cinemas



Hey, San Diego! Catch a live multi-media performance by the award-winning sketch comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, presented by Pacific Arts Movement in partnership with Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company. It's happening April 18-20 at Mission Valley UltraStar Cinemas. Kim Jong Un? Lorde's Asian boyfriend? Katy Perry performing as a Geisha? Nothing is too sacred for 18MMW. Here's more info:

SIS Productions presents Impenetrable

April 11 - May 3 at West of Lenin Theatre in Seattle



Seattle, what is your definition of beauty? Impenetrable, which runs from April 11 - May 3 at West of Lenin Theatre, is a play that explores society's obsession with looks. It starts with a billboard ad of a bikini-clad woman with arrows pointing to "problem areas" that outrages the local community. Here's more info, including some special events during the play's run:

Research Study: Second Generation Parents and Education

Seeking second generation Chinese and Korean American parents

Here's an interesting research study that could use your help...

I recently heard from my friend Julie Park, assistant professor of education at the University of Maryland, who is looking for research participants in the DC/Maryland/Virginia or Los Angeles/Orange County area to participate in a study on second generation Korean and Chinese American parents and their approach to education and child-rearing for their "third gen" children.

Here are some more details on the study and who is eligible to participate:

Harvard student dies after jumping from building

20-year-old Andrew Sun's fall from a downtown building has been ruled a suicide



Tragic news out of Boston, where a Harvard University student was critically injured and died after falling seven stories from a off-campus building early Sunday morning. The death appears to be a suicide.

Pfoho Resident Dies after Jumping from an Off-Campus Building Early Sunday Morning

20-year-old Andrew Sun, a sophomore from New Jersey studying economics, died at the hospital early Monday morning from injuries sustained after falling from a building in downtown Boston.

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

This is the acid punk Bollywood revenge musical we've been waiting for.



I must see this film get made! The Pink Sorrys is described as a highly stylized acid punk Bollywood music about the real gangs of Indian women who enact vigilante justice against rapists. Whaaaaaat. Hell yeah. I honestly don't need any more information than that. The project is winding down the final hours of its Kickstarter campaign, and could use your help to meet its funding goal.

Writer/director team Ben Stoddard and Anam Syed are out to make a bold film that seeks to address the sensitive issue of rape in South Asia in a "stylized, kickass fashion." The Pink Sorrys is a blend of imagery from their favorite gangster films and Bollywod musicals. Watch this video for more details: