White Actor to Play Spider-Man's Asian Best Friend, Sort Of

Michael Barbieri cast in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' as character based on Ganke Lee.



More whitewashing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? 14-year-old actor Michael Barbieri has reportedly been cast in Marvel's upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming as one of Peter Parker's best friends. The part appears to be based on a character named Ganke Lee... who is Asian American in the comic books.

Michael Barbieri Joins SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Are you really doing this again, Marvel? After all the negative press around the casting of a very white, you're-not-fooling-anybody Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, the studio appears to be doubling down on whitewashing the MCU's supporting characters of Asian descent.

Man, forget Asian superheroes -- we can't barely even see Asians as supporting characters in this universe.

20 Weeks: A Romantic Drama About Love, Science and Prenatal Genetic Testing

Leena Pendharkar's film follows a couple faced with some tough decisions after their 20 week scan.



Here's an upcoming indie feature film project that would use your crowdfunding support... 20 Weeks is a romantic drama about love, science and how prenatal and genetic testing impact every day people.

Based on writer/director Leena Pendharkar's own experiences, the film centers on a couple who must decide on how to move forward when their baby is diagnosed with a serious health condition in utero. The cast includes Anna Margaret Hollyman, Amir Arison, Sujata Day and Michelle Krusiec.

20 Weeks is currently raising production funds through Indiegogo. Here's a video with more details:

"Damn, Daniel (Dae Kim)."

"Back at it again with the red robe."



It was only a matter of time before actor Daniel Dae Kim got the proper "Damn, Daniel" treatment.

The Hawaii Five-0 star is currently taking the stage as the King of Siam in the Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I. Co-star Ashley Park, who appears in the show as Tuptim, recently blessed the internet with her own hilarious backstage version of the "Damn, Daniel" meme.

Uninvited candidate interrupts mayoral debate on live TV

Tulsa mayoral candidate Paul Tay will not "step off," calls out "Matt Damon."



Don't be telling me local politics are boring. Last week in Oklahoma, things got heated during a mayoral candidate debate in Tulsa when an uninvited candidate crashed the proceedings on live television.

On Wednesday night, perennial Tulsa mayoral candidate Paul Tay interrupted a live public television broadcast debate between incumbent Dewey Bartlett and challenger G.T. Bynum at Rogers State University. As closing statements were about to begin, Tay stepped in front of TV cameras, introduced himself as also a candidate and said that "other voices" were being silenced. He was then asked to step off the stage.

"I will not step off. I WILL NOT STEP OFF!" he said. "You have blocked me one too many times. You have blocked me. You have blocked other candidates one too many times. I'm tired of it."

The outburst quickly devolved into an unintentional comedy sketch featuring an Asian man in a cowboy hat, the mayor calling 911 on his cell phone and, um, Matt Damon, sort of, entering the fray.

Here's the video:

Judge Lu: We Demand You #FreeJasmine

Cross-Posted from 18 Million Rising.


Pasadena Black Lives Matter chapter leader Jasmine "Abdullah" Richards was just wrongfully convicted of "felony lynching," and faces up to four years in prison. This takes the targeting of BLM leaders to a whole new level.

On Tuesday, June 7, Judge Elaine Lu will determine Richards' sentencing. As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, we need to make sure Judge Lu hears our demand to #FreeJasmine and stop the political persecution of Black Lives Matter activists.

Tell Judge Lu: AAPIs back the calls of ColorofChange.org and Black Lives Matter International Network and demand no jail time for Jasmine Richards.

Jasmine was arrested and charged for "lynching" last September after she attempted to shield a Black woman from what she deemed to be an unlawful detainment by Pasadena police after a Peace March she and the chapter organized. Although the peaceful march was made up of twenty-some children, mothers, and community members, the prosecutor claimed it was a "riot" in order to pursue the "lynching" charge.

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Muhammad Ali, Vietnam and the Asiatic Black Man: After famously rejecting his Vietnam War draft and being banned from boxing, Muhammad Ali's reemergence to the sport was indeed a media sensation. And while Ali's defiance against the war captured headlines, little attention was paid to how the Black icon's steadfast beliefs that made him an unlikely advocate for Asians both in the U.S. and abroad.

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Detergent ad controversy: Is China less racist than the West? Chances are, you have seen the anti-black Chinese detergent ad. Jeff Yang contemplates the context of its production.

Angry Reader of the Week: Shefali Kulkarni

"I'm all about making sure that we don't move backwards."



Hello, everyone. 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 Shefali Kulkarni.

Suspect in UCLA murder-suicide identified

Former doctoral student Mainak Sarkar had a "kill list"; linked to second victim in Minnesota.



The gunman who shot and killed a UCLA professor Wednesday in an apparent murder-suicide has been identified as Mainak Sarkar, a former doctoral student who had a "personal conflict" with the professor. Sarkar is also linked to the shooting death of another victim in Minnesota.

Police Identify UCLA Shooter in Murder-Suicide as Mainak Sarkar

Sarkar, a resident of Minnesota, used a 9mm semi-automatic pistol to kill 39-year-old engineering professor William Scott Klug in a small office in UCLA Engineering Building 4, before turning the gun on himself.

Based on a note found at the crime scene, authorities performed a follow-up investigation at Sarkar's residence in Minnesota, where they found an alleged "kill list" with multiple names on it, including Professor Klug's and another UCLA professor, whose name was not disclosed.

There also appears to be another victim in Minnesota. A woman's name was also on Sarkar's list, prompting investigators to go to her home. The unidentified victim was found shot dead at the residence.

According to authorities, Sarkar drove from Minnesota to the Los Angeles area with two handguns, multiple rounds of ammunition and several magazines in a backpack. Investigators are still looking for the vehicle.

As for a possible motive for the UCLA shooting, police say it was tied to a "dispute over intellectual property where Sarkar felt that he had information released by the professor that harmed him."

Yuna visualizes heartbreak in reverse in "Lanes"

Malaysian singer/songwriter's '90s R&B-inspired single from her new album 'Chapters'



One of my absolute favorite artists, Malaysian singer/songwriter Yuna just released this gorgeous, mesmerizing new music video for "Lanes," a '90s R&B-inspired single from her new album Chapters. Filmed in reverse (in what looks like parts of Los Angeles' Chinatown), it tells a sad story of love and betrayal.

Check it out:

40 civil rights groups demand accountability in Texas profiling case

Daljeet Singh was profiled and falsely arrested while traveling aboard a Greyhound bus.



A coalition of 40 civil rights organizations are demanding accountability after two brown-skinned men were profiled, falsely arrested and mistreated by authorities in Texas while traveling aboard a Greyhound bus.

In February, the two men -- Mr. Daljeet Singh and Mr. Mohammed Chotri, asylum applicants from India and Pakistan respectively -- were falsely accused of terrorism, harshly interrogated and arrested at gunpoint by authorities in Potter County, Texas. More than one month after the Sikh Coalition filed a complaint demanding an investigation into the profiling of the Sikh passenger, authorities have failed to address the case.

Daljeet Singh, who wears a turban and beard in observance of his Sikh faith, was a passenger on a Greyhound bus traveling through Amarillo on February 21, 2016 when he was falsely accused by a fellow passenger of making a terroristic threat.

"I was arrested at gunpoint and wrongfully detained for nearly 30 hours without question, but nobody seems to care that this was the wrong thing to do," said Mr. Singh. "My hope is that something like this never happens to another innocent person."

"You have altered the American Story today by becoming part of it. And we are all the better for it."

New U.S. citizens welcomed in a naturalization ceremony at Manzanar National Historic Site.


Photo Credit: USCIS
Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalized fourteen new U.S. citizens during a ceremony held at the Manzanar National Historic Site, the former site of one of ten camps used by the government to detain over 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

USCIS chose the location in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Manzanar National Historic Site, located six miles south of Independence, California, now stands to preserve and interpret the legacy of Japanese American incarceration in the Unted States. The ceremony, held on May 25, also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, which oversees the site.

Honorable Paul M. Igasaki, Chair and Chief Judge of the Administrative Review Board at the U.S. Department of Labor -- whose own family members were incarcerated during World War II -- served as the ceremony's keynote speaker. Here is a transcript of his remarks:

George Takei and John Cho want you to vote!

New Get-Out-The-Vote PSA urges AANHPI community to vote in this important election year.



George Takei and John Cho want you to vote! Just in time to close out AAPI Heritage Month, the two Sulus have come together for a new video PSA from Asian Americans Advancing Justice and APIAVote urging Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) to go vote in this important election year.

The video also features the likes of Constance Wu, Vincent Rodriguez III, Sonal Shah and Joey "Q" Quenga, and highlights both the historic injustices that AANHPIs have faced in the United States, as well as the some of the many contributions our communities have made to this country.

Check it out:

Official Premiere: Awkwafina x Margaret Cho - "Green Tea"

Rapper and comedian collaborate for a NSFW anthem in celebration of womanhood and AAPI Heritage Month.



Hold up. May ain't done yet. Margaret Cho and Awkwafina have got something fierce for your ass in celebration of womanhood and AAPI Heritage Month. The veteran comedian and new-school rapper have joined forces to drop this wicked fun, be-all-you-wanna-be, stereotype-flippin' rap track and music video, "Green Tea."

Check it out. NSFW, people:

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "Bruce Lee"?

New digital series "Jubilee Project: Voices" gathers Asian Americans to answer a single question.



Jubilee Project: Voices is a five-episode digital series collaboration between The Jubilee Project and NBC Asian America. In each installment, they gather Asian Americans -- including myself -- to answer a single question, with the hopes of sparking conversation and encouraging others to share their stories too.

This last episode is a fun one, in which we talk about the legendary Bruce Lee:

Woman sues police for roughing her up in church parking lot

62-year-old Ok Jin Jun has filed a lawsuit against the LAPD, the city of Los Angeles and two police officers.



In Los Angeles, a 62-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against police officers who she says roughed her up during an early morning encounter last month in a Koreatown church parking lot.

Woman, 62, Sues LAPD For Allegedly Roughing Her Up In Church Parking Lot

Ok Jin Jun is suing the Los Angeles Police Department, the city of Los Angeles and two police officers.

The altercation was captured on surveillance video. Footage shows an LAPD SUV following Mrs. Jun's car as she pulled into her church's parking lot for early morning prayer service on April 14. Mrs. Jun says the officers followed her after she honked her horn at them because they were blocking the church driveway.

But this was not a traffic stop, and Mrs. Jun was not being pulled over.

Throwback comedy 'Seoul Searching' hits theaters in June

Benson Lee's coming-of-age comedy opens in New York City on June 17 and Los Angeles on June 24.



At long last, after crowd-pleasing hit festival run -- including a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival -- the indie coming-of-age comedy Seoul Searching hits theaters in limited release next month.

Based on writer/director Benson Lee's own experiences as a teenager, Seoul Searching tells the story of a group of teens from all over the world who converge in Seoul during the summer of 1986 to participate in a government-sponsored program to help them connect with their heritage.

Starring an international all-Asian cast of fresh faces and seasoned performers, the film pays homage to the classic John Hughes dramedies of the eighties, while putting a fresh Asian American spin on the genre with nostalgia, hilarity and heart. This is the movie my generation wished we could have seen while growing up.

Here's the recently released theatrical trailer on iTunes:

Man thwarted while trying drug and rape his dinner date

Michael Hsu was arrested after three watchful women caught him slipping something into his date's drink.



By now you may have seen the viral meme -- DON'T ROOFIE SOMEONE ON OUR WATCH -- about the trio of friends who thwarted a potential sexual assault when they saw a man attempt to drug his date's drink at a Southern California restaurant last week. The suspect has been identified as 25-year-old Michael Hsu. Ugh.

Suspect ID'd in alleged date-drugging attempt detailed in viral meme

Sonia Ulrich, Marla Saltzer and Monica Kenyon were out for happy hour at the Fig restaurant in Santa Monica on Thursday when Kenyon noticed Hsu at another table acting strangely. After his date had excused herself, he appeared to be fumbling with her drink, then dropped something in the glass.

That's when the friends took action. One of them followed the woman into the bathroom to let her know what she and her friends had seen: her friend just tried to roofie her. Meanwhile, one of the other friends alerted the restaurant staff, who called the cops. Later, they found out that the restaurant's security footage had captured the incident and corroborated their suspicions. The would-be date rapist was busted.

Ulrich, Saltzer and Kenyon detailed the incident in a Facebook post that quickly went viral, proclaiming "GUESS WHO STOPPED A RAPE LAST NIGHT?! THESE GALS!"

A photographic mystery unfolds in 'We Were Young Once Too'

A young woman embarks on a journey of discovery in Lawrence Chen's latest short film.



I'm a big fan of filmmaker Lawrence Chen, whose work I've featured here quite a few times over the years.

In his latest short film We Were Young Once Too, a young woman receives a cryptic Polaroid photo in the mail addressed to the former tenants of her apartment, and embarks on a journey to discover both her past and the mysterious destination in the photographs.

Check it out:

This new 'Star Trek' poster is legit #StarringJohnCho

New 'Star Trek Beyond' character banner features John Cho as Sulu.



Marketing for the new Star Trek movie is now upon us in full force. Here's one of the newly unveiled character posters for Star Trek Beyond, featuring the one and only John Cho as Hikaru Sulu. Make no mistake: this movie is legitimately #StarringJohnCho -- no need to Photoshop his head into this poster.

Take a look:

Arizona woman assaults students for speaking Mandarin

22-year-old Kalie Rutledge punched Xiaolin Shi for speaking Chinese on the light rail.



The hell? People apparently can't even speak Chinese in public in Arizona without the threat of violence. In Tempe, a woman was arrested for assaulting two students after she heard them speak Mandarin on the light rail.

Asian Couple assaulted in Tempe for speaking Mandarin on light rail, Kalie Rutledge arrested

Police say 22-year-old Kalie Rutledge was riding on the Metro Light Rail on May 20 when she heard Arizona State University student Xiaolin Shi speaking to a friend in Mandarin. She apparently took issue with this.

Rutledge reportedly told them, "I don't speak Chinese, shut the fuck up!" and "Bitch, go f---ing back to China."