2.07.2016

Read These Blogs

Yellow Fever Archive: Do you ever feel misunderstood or silenced down? Do you feel like you've been otherized, sexualized, objectified or patronized? And do those feelings have anything to do with your Asian-ness? Racism is not only about throwing rocks at people and telling them to go back to their own country. This website invites you to submit your writing, photos, artwork, etc. Because your story matters.

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Cleared after stabbing, former UW student wants his life back: Jarred Ha was arrested and kicked out of the University of Washington last year after a fight that began over a parking dispute between neighbors and ended with a 19-year-old stabbed. Ha, 22, was acquitted last month, with jurors ruling he acted in self-defense.

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Concerns Raised Over Reported Rise in Crime Against Asian Americans in NYC: Members of New York's congressional delegation sent a letter to the New York Police Department expressing concern over what they say is a rise in crime against Asian Americans and urging the department to hire more Asian police officers.

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Coldplay's eat-pray-love India: Their Beyoncé collaboration is even more insidious than cultural appropriation - and it's not the band's first time: For Paula Young Lee, "Hymn for the Weekend" is Orientalism, just like "Princess of China," -- a white guy's fantasy Asia, repackaged & sold

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What Asian Americans Are Bringing to Campus Movements for Racial Justice: "In the context of higher education, where conservative rhetoric often places Asian Americans in opposition to policies like affirmative action (despite consistent polls indicating otherwise), the status of Asian Americans is even more ambiguous."

2.05.2016

AALDEF's 2016 Lunar New Year Gala & Justice in Action Awards

Thursday, February 16 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers



The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund invites you their annual Lunar New Year Gala and Justice in Action Awards Ceremony. I am incredibly humbled and honored to be one of the recipients of the 2016 Justice in Action Award alongside Heidi C. Chen, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Zoetis; and Eric H. Holder Jr., former Attorney General of the United States and partner at Covington & Burling LLP. It's happening Tuesday, February 16 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

Here are some more details about the event:

Casting Call: East West Players presents 'La Cage Aux Folles'

Seeking Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian legit musical theater performers for upcoming production.



East West Players, the longest running theater of color in the United States, is seeking Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian musical theater performers for their upcoming Los Angeles production of La Cage Aux Folles.

This Tony Award winning musical, which inspired the film The Birdcage, is about a gay couple; Georges, a suave owner of a glitzy drag club, and Albin, his high-strung star performer, whose charmed lives turn upside down when George's son, Jean-Michel, turns up with his fiancée, Anne. Cultures collide as Georges and Albin are introduced to Anne and her parents, members of the conservative Traditional Family Values Coalition.

Les Cage Aux Folles is scheduled to begin previews on May 12, with rehearsals beginning in April.

Angry Reader of the Week: Chris Lam

"I think I'm just your run-of-the-mill dream chaser. And every Asian parent's nightmare."



Hey! 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 Chris Lam.

2.04.2016

It's a 'Community' reunion on 'Dr. Ken'

Episode 116: "Dave's Valentine" airs Friday, February 5 at 8:30pm on ABC



On this week's Dr. Ken, Joel McHale and Danny Pudi guest star -- it's a Community reunion!

Inspired by executive producer/star Ken Jeong's real life and career as a medical doctor, the multi-camera comedy Dr. Ken follows Dr. Ken Park, a physician with bad bedside manner trying to juggle medicine and being a family man to his wife and kids -- and not quite succeeding on either front.

Dr. Ken also stars the awesome Suzy Nakamura as Ken's wife Allison, Krista Marie Yu as daughter Molly, and Albert Tsai as his son Dave. They're all great. The cast is rounded out by Tisha Campbell-Martin as Damona, Jonathan Slavin as Clark, Kate Simses as Julie and Dave Foley as Pat.

Here's some more info about this week's episode, "Dave's Valentine":

This White Guy can't handle the Racist Sexist Improv Class

"A sword collection? Really? Your yellow fever is getting out of control, man."



People of color doing the Hollywood hustle know the struggle. If you've attended an improv class, or an acting workshop, or sketch comedy thing or whatever, it's likely you've encountered a fair share of racist and/or sexist bullshit, as well as some ridiculously dismissive weak-ass excuses for why it's not racist and/or sexist bullshit -- usually from a room of mostly white dudes. In this amazing YouTube sketch, Anna Akana flips the tables.

This is ferociously brilliant. Take a look:

Jeremy Lin drops 24 points on the Cavaliers

Lin helps the Hornets claim victory over Eastern Conference leaders, 106-97.



On the eve of our 4-year Linsanniversary, Jeremy Lin reminded everybody what that business was all about, scoring 24 points and helping the Charlotte Hornets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-97.

Charlotte Hornets top East-leading Cleveland Cavs; Jeremy Lin nets 24

On Wednesday night, with starting point guard Kemba Walker out with a sore knee, Jeremy scored 24 points on 7-for-13 shooting, with eight assists and five rebounds against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.

He scored 11 points in the third quarter, helping Charlotte overcome a nine-point halftime deficit, grab the lead and ultimately snap a four-game losing streak against Cleveland.

Here's the supercut video of Jeremy's highlights from Wednesday's game:

2.03.2016

Sacramento Kings cancel "Year of the Monkey" shirt giveaway after player complaint

Someone was clearly not paying attention to the unintended implications of this promotion.



This week, the Sacramento Kings scrapped a commemorative Lunar New Year t-shirt giveaway celebrating the Year of the Monkey after a player noted the shirts could be deemed offensive during Black History Month.

Sacramento Kings Pull 'Year of the Monkey' Shirts From Seats

Player DeMarcus Cousins took issue with the shirt design, which depicted a monkey in Kings colors. The shirts were supposed to be given out to fans on Monday night during Sacramento's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but were pulled at the last minute after Cousins raised the issue with team management.

2.02.2016

White House to nominate Lucy Koh to federal appeals court

Koh is expected to be nominated to fill a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.



San Jose-based U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, one of the most influential federal judges in Silicon Valley, is expected to soon be nominated by the White House to the nation's largest federal appeals court.

White House expected to nominate high-profile Silicon Valley-based Judge Lucy Koh to federal appeals court

According to layers and judges familiar with the Obama administration's vetting process, Koh is expected to be nominated to fill a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later this month.

Koh, who has served nearly six years on the Bay Area's federal bench, is best known for presiding over the smartphone patent feud over between Apple and Samsung, as well as antitrust litigation over hiring practices at some of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies.

Constance Wu to star in 'You and Me Both'

Indie drama from writer/director Jennifer Cho Suhr begins production this summer.



Looks like Constance Wu's made some summer plans. Wu, who stars as Jessica Huang on ABC's Fresh Off The Boat, will play a struggling addict in the independent drama You and Me Both.

Contance Wu Starring in 'You and Me Both' (EXCLUSIVE)

You and Me Both, the debut feature from writer/director Jennifer Cho Suhr, follows two estranged adoptee sisters who embark on a road trip from Iowa to Alaska in search of their birth mother.

Randall Park drops some rhymes on 'The Late Late Show'

The star of ABC's 'Fresh Off The Boat' was the former front man of a rap band.



Randall Park was a guest on The Late Late Show last night, where host James Corden got the Fresh Off The Boat star to talk about his former life as a rapper. Yes, Randall Park was once known as "Randruff," front man for the Los Angeles indie hip hop band Ill Again. "We were kind of like The Roots," Randall says.

Corden even gets Randall to drop a few bars. Check it:

2.01.2016

Asians Wear Clothes on the Internet

Thursday, February 11 at the Asian American Writers' Workshop



If you're in New York City, join the Asian American Writers' Workshop for a discussion featuring some of your favorite Asian fashion thinkers. Minh-Ha T. Pham's new book Asians Wear Clothes on the Internet explores the rise of elite Asian fashion bloggers. Join Pham, NYU Professor Thuy Linh Tu, and beauty and fashion politics writer Arabelle Sicardi as they talk "Asian taste," racialized eliteness, and the digital fashion economy.

Here are some more details about the event:

Apply to be a 2016 Summer Intern with APIAVote

Seeking student leaders for the APIAVote Internship Program.



Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is looking for energetic and motivated interns who are passionate about civic engagement to join their team in Washington, DC this summer.

APIAVote encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in electoral and political participation at the national, state and local levels. APIAVote envisions a society in which all AANHPIs fully participate in and have access to the democratic process.

The APIAVote Internship Program strives to encourage and cultivate young student leaders to explore a career in the public sector or the political arena. The program will provide hands on experience and training on how to organize and implement voter activities to increase the participation of AAPIs in the electoral process.

For the summer of 2016, APIAVote is offering both paid and unpaid internships:

New Music: 'Young Love' by The Blazing Rays of the Sun

First record from the super-friendly Los Angeles-based rock band.


Yes! At long last, new music from The Blazing Rays of the Sun. The Los Angeles-based rock band (formerly Andrew Figueroa Chiang and the Blazing Rays of the Sun; don't worry -- Andrew's still there) recently released their first record Young Love kinda outta nowhere. And damn, these boys are kicking something groovy.

Take a listen:

Did you audition for the Asian kid in 'Temple of Doom'?

'Short Round Up' is an epic search to find all the Asian guys who auditioned Short Round in 'Indiana Jones.'



Back in 1983, dozens (hundreds?) of young Asian boys from around North America lined up to audition for the role "Short Round" in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The part of Indy's scrappy sidekick eventually went to Jonathan Ke Quan, squashing dreams of stardom and Spielberg for a lot of hopeful kids.

One of those boys was filmmaker Nobu Adilman, who auditioned for the role of Short Round when he was 11 years old. Long story short: he didn't get the part. "I tanked.. hard," he says.

Fast-forward three decades. Now all grown up, Nobu recently launched Short Round Up, an epic search to find all the Asian guys who also auditioned to play Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Spielberg and Co. held open auditions in major cities across the U.S. and Canada. Nobu auditioned in Toronto, which had a huge turnout. Did you audition for Short Round back in 1983? Nobu wants to hear from you:

Celebrate Chinese New Year with 'Fresh Off The Boat'

Episode 213: "Year of the Rat" airs Tuesday, February 2, 8:00pm on ABC.



ABC's hit Asian American family sitcom Fresh Off The Boat returns this week, settling back into the 8:00pm time slot. The comedy, inspired by the memoir of chef Eddie Huang, tells the story of the Huang family, a Taiwanese American family getting their immigrant hustle on in suburban Orlando, in pursuit of the American dream. If you missed this season's episodes, they're available for viewing on the ABC website.

Fresh Off The Boat stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery, Ian Chen as Evan and Chelsey Crisp as Honey. With special guest assist from Lucille Soong as Grandma Huang. This week, the Huangs celebrate Chinese New Year!

Here's a preview of episode 213, "Year of the Rat":

Joe Seo wins Sundance Special Jury Award for 'Spa Night'

Actor wins award for Breakthrough Performance in writer/director Andrew Ahn's feature debut.



Over the weekend, the 2016 Sundance Film Festival wrapped up ten days of premieres and deals by handing out awards for the festival's top films. Huge congratulations go to actor Joe Seo, who won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance in Spa Night.

Seo plays 18-year-old David Cho, the closeted son of immigrants parents living and working in Los Angeles' Koreatown. As his parents struggle to make ends meet, David grapples with his awakening independence, sexuality and Korean American identity in writer/director Andrew Ahn's quiet, confident feature film debut.

Joe wasn't even at Saturday night's Closing Awards Ceremony, but Andrew was on hand to accept the award on his behalf. Here's video of Andrew collecting the trophy:

Snowboarder Chloe Kim wins second straight X Games gold

Kim is the first X Games athlete to win two gold medals before turning 16.


Photo Credit: @GoPro

Awwwwww yeah! On Sunday in Colorado, badass 15-year-old snowboarder Chloe Kim successfully defended her women's snowboard superpipe gold in the final event at Winter X Games Aspen 2016.

Chloe Kim ups her X Games gold count with another halfpipe win

Last year, Chloe made history by becoming the youngest Winter X Games medalist ever at just 14 years old. Sunday's win makes her the the first winter athlete to win two X Games gold medals before turning 16.

Two remaining jail escapees captured in San Francisco

Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu were apprehended after their van was spotted in a Whole Foods parking lot.



All three of the inmates who broke out of an Orange County jail more than a week ago, launching a statewide manhunt, are back in custody. One of the men turned himself in on Friday, while the other two escapees were apprehended in San Francisco on Saturday after a citizen who recognized their vehicle tipped off police.

Man tipped police to jail escapees' stolen van in S.F. parking lot near Whole Foods

37-year-old Hossein Nayeri and 20-year-old Jonathan Tieu were captured on Saturday morning after a citizen in San Francisco alerted police officers about a suspicious person and a vehicle, matching the description of a stolen white van associated with the fugitives, in a Whole Foods Market parking lot.

1.31.2016

Read These Blogs



100 times a white actor played someone who wasn't white: Hollywood has moved on from blackface, but it remains terrible at casting people of color. Despite decades of protests over racially inappropriate casting and the recent complaints over the lack of diversity among the Oscar nominees, filmmakers continue to cast white actors as minority characters.

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Working in Hollywood When You're Not White: Three Players Reveal All: Dear White People writer/director Justin Simien, veteran producer Stephanie Allain, and Master of None showrunner Alan Yang talk about being a person of color in Hollywood -- and why the word "minority" is "the worst word."

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Essay: Why I Asked GOP Candidates About Promoting Tolerance: "I asked this question for the girls who have been harassed for wearing the hijab, for the members of the mosques and temples that have been defaced and targeted by arsonists, for the hardworking business owners who have been attacked for their beliefs." Lifestyle vlogger Nabela Noor on why she asked the GOP candidates about promoting tolerance.

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The Brave Sikh Man Who Stood Up to Trump's Muslim Bashing: Arish Singh knew what he was in store for when he decided to attend a Trump rally in Iowa. But he's glad he did it -- and he'd do it again.

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America's Quiet Crackdown On Indian Immigrants: The U.S. government has moved quietly and aggressively to prevent undocumented Indians from entering the United States, many of whom are Sikhs fleeing political repression or economic collapse at home.

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