Music Video: "Write It In the Sky" by Kina Grannis (Ken Loi Remix)

By Wong Fu Productions, featuring Arden Cho and Ryan Potter



The good folks over at Wong Fu Productions recently dropped this awesome music video for "Write It In the Sky" by Kina Grannis, remixed by electronic producer Ken Loi. The video, which has this supercool sci-fi future vibe going on, stars Arden Cho of MTV's Teen Wolf and Ryan Potter, who supplies the voice of Hiro in Disney's Big Hero 6.

Check it out:

Body of missing tech worker found in San Francisco Bay

26-year-old iOS developer Dan Ha had been missing since Halloween.



Some tragic news out of the Bay Area... The body of missing 26-year-old tech worker Dan Ha, who had been missing for nearly two weeks, was found in the San Francisco Bay on Tuesday morning.

Family of Missing San Francisco Tech Worker Says His Body Was Found in SF Bay

Ha's family confirmed that his body was identified by his clothing and identification found with him. They don't believe he committed suicide, but they have no other theories on how he ended up in the water.

Coast Guard and fire crews pulled the body from the bay on Tuesday morning after police responded to a report of a body in the water near the Golden Gate Bridge.

'9-Man': A Streetball Battle in the Heart of Chinatown

Ursula Liang's feature documentary is an inside look at a unique Chinese American sport.



I recently had the chance to re-watch the 9-Man, and I'm compelled to implore you to check out this film if you get the chance. The independent feature documentary, directed by Ursula Liang, is an awesome inside look at a gritty Chinese American streetball game that's been played in Chinatowns since 1930s.

Ursula examines the history of the game and its significance for the changing Chinatown community, following a diverse cast of athletes who work hard, play hard, and fight to keep the legacy of the sport alive. The film is insightful, thrilling, and well worth catching during its current film festival run.

Here's the trailer:

Steven Yeun explores food porn and fan death, Korean style.

'The Walking Dead' actor and 2NE1's Sandara Park star in the hilarious webseries 'What's Eating Steven Yeun?'



Steven Yeun is packing up and moving to the motherland. Sort of. What if your favorite Walking Dead star just left it all behind to pursue a career in Korea? In the comedic new webseries "What's Eating Steven Yeun?" from BeFunny Studios, Steven leaves his life and love -- Sandara Park of 2NE1 -- to go to the Land of the Morning Calm and make something of himself. It does not go very smoothly.

Can Steven make it as a mokbang superstar? Can he learn the secrets of fan death? And most importantly, if you've ever wondered what Steven looks like rocking eyeliner, this is for you. Check it out:

Home invasions targeting Indian community in Middlesex County

Rash of robberies hit homes in Old Bridge, South Plainfield and Edison



This week in New Jersey, law enforcement officials held a forum to address public concern about a rash of home invasion robberies that have targeted Middlesex County's Indian American community.

Quiet Middlesex communities on edge as police say home invasions were crimes of opportunity

In the last month there have two home invasions in Old Bridge, one in South Plainfield and one in Edison. At least two people were injured, and all of the homes targeted were from the Indian community. However, investigators are not yet ready to categorize the robberies as "bias crimes."

Some basic facts about the home invasions:

PAAFF'14: Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

November 12-22, 2014



Film lovers of Philadelphia! I would be remiss if I did not help spread the word about this year's edition of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, running November 12-22 at the International House of Philadelphia in University City and Asian Arts Initiative in Chinatown North. The 7th annual PAAFF includes 16 features, 5 free shorts programs and a host of new peripheral programming.

Here's the festival trailer:

Asian woman strikes back in new "White Fetish" video

In episode two, they go back to his apartment. And things get really awkward.



Last time we checked in with Joy Regullano, she was turning the tables on the whole "you're-so-exotic" thing with her funny video "White Fetish." Well, she's back! The White Fetish saga continues. In episode two, she goes back to his apartment and discovers the reality of dating a white guy, then tries some "sexy" role play...

American students released after being put on trial in Russia

Four attendees of an international leadership conference were detained, interrogated and put on trial.



Four American students who went to Russia for a youth conference are safe back home in the Bay Area after they were detained, interrogated and put on trial for allegedly having "the wrong visas."

Bay Area Students Return After Being Interrogated, Put On Trial In Russia

The four students -- Liana Randazzo, 27, Quyen Ngo, 24, Jennifer Phan, 21, and Sterling Winter, 18 -- were supposed to be in Russia for two weeks for an international leadership conference, as representatives of the California Association of Student Councils. They were attending a closed-session meeting in St. Peterburg when Russian police and immigration officials barged in and demanded to see their visas.

Serve the People Institute presents "Voices From the Movement: Then, Now and Forever"

Featuring Charlie Chin and Jumakae, November 16 at Tateuchi Democracy Forum



The Serve the People Institute (SPI) is a community-driven organization that aims to share the stories of the Asian American Movement in Los Angeles. On Sunday, November 16, SPI presents "Voices from the Movement: Then, Now and Forever," a fall concert fundraiser featuring musician Charlie Chin and spoken word artist Jumakae. It's all going down at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum.

Here are some more details about the event:

First look at the coming-of-age teen comedy 'Seoul Searching'

Benson Lee's latest indie feature is set in a 1980s Korean summer camp.



The upcoming indie feature film Seoul Searching is a coming-of-age teen comedy written and directed by Benson Lee. Set in the 1980s, the film is based on Benson's personal experiences in 1986 at a government-sponsored summer camp for Koreans from around the world to learn about their heritage. It turned out to be one of the craziest summers of his life. And now it's the inspiration for this film.

Seoul Searching, starring Justin Chon and Jessika Van, was shot in Korea over the summer and is currently in post-production. Here's a little preview that gives you some of the flavor of the film.

Help identify the Japanese American soldiers in this photo

Taken December 1944 at the Military Intelligence Service Language School in Minnesota.



I recently heard from a reader named Scott Kagawa, who found this photograph while he was cleaning out his late aunt and uncle's house. The photo was taken in December 1944 while his uncle, Wakamatsu "Fred" Nakagiri, was training at the Military Intelligence Service Language School in Minnesota.

Most of these Japanese American soldiers came out of the internment camps during World War II and went on to serve in the Pacific theater, all receiving the Congressional Gold Medal a few years ago.

Scott is hoping to put names to these faces, and is trying to get the word out to all the relatives out there in internetland who might have fathers, uncles and grandpas in this photo.

Okaeri: A Nikkei LGBTQ Gathering

Saturday, November 15 at the Japanese American National Museum



OKAERI, meaning "Welcome Home" in Japanese, is a one-day gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning individuals, family and allies. It will be a day of connecting, education and storytelling in workshops and plenary sessions open to all LGBTQ persons and allies. It's happening Saturday, November 15 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

Here are some more details about the event:

Read These Blogs

Pizza, prayer and family: Kenneth Bae's first days of freedom following imprisonment in North Korea: After years of imprisonment in North Korea, Kenneth Bae was released and arrived back in the U.S. on Saturday. He had just one stipulation for his first meal back home: No Korean food. They feasted on late-night pizza.

Driver Kills 3-Year-Old In Queens, DMV Voids His Tickets: In New York, the driver who struck and killed 3-year-old Allison Liao last year was not criminally charged, and the now Department of Motor Vehicles has voided both of the traffic tickets he was issued in the fatal accident.

Why "Selfie's" cancellation is a massive shame: This was the most promising interracial couple on TV: "Selfie' cancellation is a blow for the movement of Getting John Cho Laid On-Screen -- the superficial arm of the larger organization titled Hey TV, Not Everyone Is White, In Case You Hadn't Noticed."

All-American Girl at 20: The Evolution of Asian Americans on TV: A look back, twenty years later, at All-American Girl, network television's first Asian American family sitcom.

Why Corporate Executives Talk About 'Opening Their Kimonos': In business speak, to disclose information about the inner workings of a company is to "open the kimono." Whaaaat? NPR's Code Switch investigates the origins of the phrase.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.



1. They assumed their adopted son was Chinese. They were wrong.

2. ABC cancels 'Selfie'

3. Does Sephora have an Asian problem?

4. John Cho. In a Power Ranger costume. Dancing. Yes.

5. Your Halloween Costumes, Part Three

6. Beware, Los Angeles. The "Chinese Blessing" scam is back.

7. MISSING: Dan Ha, last seen October 31 in San Francisco

8. Rady Mom wins state representative seat in Massachusetts

9. You have the Hand of Power!

10. Is your family in this lost home movie footage?

Stay Angry, folks.

Kollaboration Star 2014

Saturday, November 15 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles



Los Angeles! Make some plans. The world-famous Asian American talent show Kollaboration celebrates 15 years of Asian American entertainment and community, returns to its roots and closes out the year with the Kollaboration Star 2014. The show, hosted by Jenny Yang and Jimmy O. Yang, will feature six talented up-and-coming artists from around the country, as well as guest performances from Alfa, Dan AKA Dan, Kaba Modern, Nancy Lee and Run River North. It's happening Saturday, November 15 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

Here are some more details about the show:

Angry Reader of the Week: Brian Hu

"I'm inspired by the arts, especially that which surprises, unnerves, and challenges."



All right. You know what's up. 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 Brian Hu.

ABC cancels 'Selfie'

Well, that was fun while it lasted.



Shiiiiiiiiiit. ABC has canceled Selfie. According to EW, the network will not be ordering any more episodes of the comedy series, which had been suffering in the ratings, beyond its initial order of thirteen.

'Selfie' canceled by ABC

Selfie stars John Cho and Karen Gillan in a contemporary re-imagining of My Fair Lady, in which a self-obsessed social media personality attempt to "rebrand" herslef.. The show is significant, as many have noted, because it features an Asian American leading man front and center in the Henry Higgins role.

Well, that was fun to see while it lasted.

Does Sephora have an Asian problem?

Customers with Asian names and/or Asian-origin email addresses say their accounts were blocked.



Thanks to the makeup savvy readers who sent this my way... This week, cosmetics megachain Sephora held a big sale for the top-tier customers of its loyalty program. Unfortunately, many reported that they were locked out of their accounts due to technical difficulties. But some Asian customers claim they were blocked from making purchases. Because they are Asian. Wait, what?

Big Sephora Sale Marred by Tech Issues, Accusations of Racism

The sale was only open to Sephora's "VIB" and "VIB Rouge" customers, who received 20% off and access to certain exclusive items. But according to this Reddit thread, the majority of people who reported getting blocked from making purchases were people with Asian names and/or Asian-origin email addresses.

MISSING: Dan Ha, last seen October 31 in San Francisco

26-year-old iOS developer has been missing since Halloween



In San Francisco, friends and family members are asking for the public's help locating Dan Ha, a 26-year-old engineer who has been missing for nearly a week. He was last seen on Halloween.

Dan Ha: Young iOS Developer Disappears in San Francisco

Ha, an iOS developer at a local startup called Metromile, was last seen by his roommate rushing out of the house in the SOMA district (around 4th and Brannan) on Friday night, October 31, at 8:00pm. He was supposed to be at a work event over the weekend and didn't show up.

His co-workers filed a missing persons report with the SFPD on Wednesday.

Fund This: Sandra Oh lends her voice to 'Window Horses'

Indie animated feature from award-winning writer/director Anne Marie Fleming



So how's Sandra Oh been keeping busy since leaving Grey's Anatomy? Among other things, she's producing and lending her voice to this incredible-looking animated feature Window Horses, written and directed by award-winning Canadian filmmaker Anne Marie Fleming. They recently launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise the funds to make this unique cross-cultural, cross-generational coming-of-age story.

The film centers on Rosie Ming, a young Canadian poet of Chinese-Persian heritage who travels to Iran to perform at a poetry festival. On her trip, Rosie begins an unexpected journey of forgiveness, reconciliation and understanding, as she is forced to confront her past and the Iranian father she assumed abandoned her.

Ms. Oh supplies the voice of Rosie Ming. The film's amazing cast also includes Nancy Kwan, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Camyar Chaichian, Navid Neghaban and Omid Abtahi.

Here's a video with more information on the project: