First look at Kelly Marie Tran as a Star Wars action figure

Leaked photos reveal latest line of 'Last Jedi' toys.



Like we've said before, one of our obsessive preoccupations from now until the release of The Last Jedi will be any and all info and prom material pertaining to Rose Tico, one of the major new characters introduced in the new Star Wars movie, played by Kelly Marie Tran. And for action figure geeks like myself, this is a big one.

Thanks to Instagram user "swrogue507," the internet just got an early look at some toys from Episode VIII, reportedly found at a department store in Panama. These appear to be the first wave of Last Jedi 3.75-inch action figures from Hasbro, and may have accidentally hit the shelf about a month early at this particular store.

And so, we've got a look at the Hasbro 3.75" Rose figure:

How to Ruin a Bon Jovi Concert

"You don't belong in this country."



One of the hard truths about being Asian in America is regularly being made to feel like we don't belong in our own country. In Ohio, a Columbus woman went to a Bon Jovi concert to celebrate her birthday. Toward the end of the show, another concertgoer turned to her and said, "You don't belong in this country."

Karina Brown, an administrator at Columbus State Community College, attended the Bon Jovi show at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 18. It was supposed to be a fun way to celebrate her 45th birthday. Instead, probably somewhere around "Livin' on a Prayer," she gets a reality check from a racist Bon Jovi fan.

But perhaps more alarming than the remark itself, was how several people she told about the incident tried to justify it, or told her she was exaggerating its impact. After one too many people tried to convince her what happened was "okay," she decided to report her story to Documenting Hate, an online database that aims to track and spread awareness of discrimination across the country.

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5 years ago a white supremacist killed six Sikhs. Today, Sikhs still don't feel safe. Five years since a white supremacist entered a Sikh gurdwara and went on a fatal shooting rampage, what's changed? For Sikhs, not much.

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Mai Khanh Tran Has Been a Janitor, a Wall Street Hot Shot, and a Pediatrician. Next Up? Congresswoman. Mai Khanh Tran is a badass pediatrician who's beaten cancer twice. And now, seeing that millions are at risk of losing access to healthcare, she's running for Congress.

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He Fled Cambodia's Genocide. Now He's Fighting To Save His Ceramics Tradition In Lowell: Cambodian potter Yary Livan has spent his life struggling to preserve his country's ancient traditions and culture, as one of the only master ceramicists still at work after surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide in his homeland.

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My Dad Invented the Extra Value Meal Angela Dimayuga of Mission Chinese Food discovers that her father, a former manager at McDonald's, unwittingly changed the fast food landscape forever.

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Eggs, Rice, & Spam Recently, Noelle Marie Falcis made a bowl of eggs, rice, and spam -- and it brought back a lot of memories.

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Jessica Chou Teaches Girls How to Fix Cars on Her YouTube Channel After college, Jessica Chou bought a car on Craigslist that needed a lot of repair. Tired of not knowing what to do, she decided to learn how to fix her car. Now, she shares her knowledge on YouTube.

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In Her Book Sour Heart, Jenny Zhang Arrives as a Chinese-American Voice We Haven't Heard Yet Jenny Zhang's debut fiction collection, Sour Heart, explores the narratives of the daughters of Chinese immigrants coming of age in New York circa the '90s.

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Inside Kero & Azure's Old-School, New-Blueprint, Trans-Pacific Vision Of Indie Rap How easy is it being an independent artist in 2017? Bay Area Korean American Indie rappers Kero and Azure weigh in.

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Things People Who Were Raised By An Asian Mom Can Relate To: Another fun one from BuzzFeed.

Angry Reader of the Week: Tanuj Chopra

"On the 101 halfway between LA and the Bay."


Photo Credit: Raafi Rivero
Greetings, internet friends. 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 Tanuj Chopra, whose feature film Chee and T will be released on August 1.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 17: They Call Us Brian Yang and Evan Jackson Leong

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 actor/producer Brian Yang and director Evan Jackson Leong, who talk about the hustle of independent filmmaking, that time they found themselves in the smack in the middle of "Linsanity" and making their latest project, the human smuggling crime drama Snakehead.

Hari Kondabolu explores 'The Problem With Apu'

Comedian's documentary confronts the controversial 'Simpsons' character.



Hari Kondabolu has strong feelings about Apu. That's Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the "Indian" cartoon character on the perennial animated series The Simpsons. The comedian has such strong feelings about Apu -- his 28-year "nemesis" -- he made a feature length documentary about the character, The Problem With Apu.

The Simpsons' Indian convenience store owner has been regularly criticized over the years as a racist, broadly offensive stereotype, and yet Apu, voiced by Hank Azaria, is arguably the most recognizable Indian character on American television -- much to the dismay and torment of South Asian folks everywhere.

Apu, as Hari puts it, sounds like "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father."

In The Problem With Apu, Hari sets out to explore the impact of casual racism in The Simpsons and the negative effect that the Apu caricature has had on the Indian American community. And if you ask around, you'll find that a lot of brown folks also have some pretty strong feelings about Apu.

Here's the trailer, in which Hari interviews the likes of Kal Penn, Hasan Minhaj, Sheetal Sheth, Aparna Nancherla, Samrat Chakrabarti, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aasif Mandvi, Maulik Pancholy, Sakina Jaffrey and more.

Korean Drama Podcast - Boys Over Flowers #8

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.

This week's episode has it all -- a long and complicated con, robot grudges, custom hockey jerseys, and creepy sleepovers! We also learn about our childhood hairstyles, including the fact that one of us had a child perm (but not as glorious as Jun Pyo's, obviously).

They didn't look like they wanted to shake his hand anyway.

Trump ignores two little Asian girls, but the white boys get a handshake.



Some keen-eyed news watchers caught this awkward, possibly racist moment just before Donald Trump delivered a statement on health care from the White House Blue Room on Monday, while joined by families who described themselves as "victims of Obamacare."

If you were watching closely, Trump preceded his remarks by going down the line to shake a little white boy's hand, then skipped the two little bewildered Asian girls like they're not standing directly in front of him, then reached out to shake the hands of two more little white boys. And everybody's smiling.

86-year-old Chinatown shopkeeper fights off armed intruder

Elderly store owner used a bamboo stick to beat back a knife-wielding assailant.



File under badass... In San Francisco, an 86-year-old Chinatown store owner successfully fought off an armed intruder, using a bamboo stick to beat back a man who tried to attack him with a knife.

SF Chinatown shopkeeper, 86, fends off intruder with bamboo stick

According to the San Francisco Police Department, 49-year-old Thomas Baker was creating a disturbance inside a Chinatown store on Sunday afternoon. When the shopkeeper tried to get him to leave, Baker responded by punching the elderly man repeatedly in the back of the head.

Then he noticed Baker had a knife in his hand.

40th Asian American International Film Festival

Presented by Asian CineVision, July 25 - August 5



New Yooooork! New York film fans, this one's for you. The 40th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision, is going down this week! As the nation's first and longest running Asian-interest film festival, AAIFF40 will present 20 feature films and 63 short films representing 18 countries. Screenings will be held at Cinema Village East and Asia Society in Manhattan, July 26 - August 5.

Here's this year's AAIFF trailer:

Help director Evan Jackson Leong finish his passion project

'Snakehead' tells the story of Sister Tse, one of the notorious human smugglers in FBI history.



Here's a feature film project that could use your help.... Our friend, writer/director Evan Jackson Leong has been hard at work on his passion project Snakehead, an indie crime drama exploring the underworld of international human smuggling, starring Shuya Chang, Sung Kang and Jade Wu. Inspired by true events and based in New York City's Chinatown, Snakehead follows Sister Tse, a Chinese immigrant who rises to become one of the most sought after human smugglers in FBI history.

Here's a very cool-looking teaser trailer:

Michelle Yeoh looks damn good in the captain's chair

Watch the new trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery.'



In case missed it, fellow Trekkies, here's the newest trailer for Star Trek: Discovery, straight outta San Diego Comic-Con. The latest foray into the final frontier takes place ten years before The Original Series, following the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms. The new trailer includes several shots of Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou looking badass, doing badass stuff.

Take a look:

Another new look at Kelly Marie Tran in 'Star Wars'

New promotional image features Finn, Rey and Rose in 'The Last Jedi'



We're still more than four months out from the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so we're basically pouncing on every little bit of information and promotional material that trickles out. So, behold! A new image of Finn, Rey and Rose that was released over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.

"Tommy deserves justice and closure."

Donate to the family of Tommy Le, who was killed by police while holding a pen.


Photo Credit: seattlepi.com
In Washington state, 20-year-old Tommy Le was shot and killed by King County Sheriff's deputies on June 13 -- the day before he was supposed to graduate from an alternative high school program. Officers were responding to a call about a man armed with what they thought was a knife. He turned out to be holding a pen.

'My baby is kind': Family tries to make sense of young man's killing by deputies in Burien

It's been over a month since the shooting, but Le's family and the local Vietnamese American community still don't have satisfactory answers about what transpired on the night he died. Last week, community members held a public forum to seek answers from the sheriff's office and other elected officials about Le's death.

Many in attendance at the forum questioned King County Sheriff John Urquhart on the details of shooting, pointing out inconsistencies in the deputies' account. Others urged for increased de-escalation training and accountability for police in cases of deadly force.

Urquhart said that the Sheriff's Office will ask the FBI to take over investigation of the shooting.

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A White Person Wrote 'Why Anyone Can Be Chinese,' And It's A Checklist In Privilege: A white scholar's recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal suggests he might need some lessons on his own privilege.

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A Case of Mistaken Identity Spurs Hateful Messages for a Sikh Professor: Campus Reform incorrectly identified Simran Jeet Singh, a Sikh professor of religion at Trinity U. in San Antonio, as the man in a photo raising both middle fingers in front of Trump Tower. It was his brother.

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Here's How NOT to Apologize After Being Racist on the Internet: "Look, I know that Asian beauty is so mysterious and exotic and special because people literally like to tell me that shit to my face as if I wasn't aware that I was Asian. But it is goddamn 2017 and y'all need to cut it out with this racist exoticism bullshit."

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For Vietnamese Community, Tommy Le's Death Could Create a 'New Paradigm' of Activism: The killing of Tommy Le by a King County Sheriff's Deputy has left Seattle's Vietnamese community grappling with how best to communicate their concerns about the case.

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Magic Can Be Normal: "Why seek out examples of representation in art and culture for my kids as if their lives and identities depend on it? Because I'm convinced they might." Nicole Chung on political parenting, representation, and finding magic."

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Kenzo Designer Humberto Leon Pens an Open Letter About Identity Politics: In this op-ed, Humberto Leon -- co-founder of Opening Ceremony and co-creative director of Kenzo -- shares his experience as a gay man and first generation Asian American in Donald Trump's America.

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Why Whites and Asians Have Different Views on Personal Success: A new study explores why the latter are far more likely to opt for an elite college where they'd struggle than a so-so one where they'd excel.

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Law schools are filled with Asian Americans. So why aren't there more Asian judges? Asians are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S. but underrepresented in the leadership of the legal profession.

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What to say when you're Asian American and someone calls you 'exotic': Calling someone "exotic" is racism thiny veiled as a compliment. What is the harm, and how can you respond?

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Asian American Voices in Response to Madame Butterfly: Seattle Opera recently hosted a panel discussion inviting Asian arts leaders to respond to Madame Butterfly.

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This photo book addresses the fetishisation of Asian women: Using mimicry to subvert the stereotypes imposed on Asian women and their bodies, Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee's photo book project XING enlists a roster of photographers to explore identity and 'Othering.'

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The Poet Bao Phi, On Creating A 'Guidebook' For Young Asian-Americans: Bao Phi hopes his poetry book Thousand Star Hotel and his children's book A Different Pond can fill the hole in Asian-American literature that he saw when he was a kid.

Angry Reader of the Week: Sujata Day

"My entire life is a series of decisions where I always chose art over money."



Hey, everybody! You know what's up. It is time 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 Sujata Day.

Lana Condor to star in 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'

Teen romantic comedy, based on the popular novel by Jenny Han, has started shooting.



Lana Condor, last seen as Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse, is starring in the teen romantic comedy To All the Boys I've Loved Before, based on the novel by bestselling author Jenny Han.

Lana Condor to Star in 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Movie Based on Jenny Han Novel

Condor plays Lara Jean Covey, a romance novel buff who starts her junior year content to spend lunch in the library reading. Her love life goes from imaginary to out of control when her secret box of love letters is unexpectedly delivered to the various boys she's had crushes on throughout her life. To avoid confronting them, Lara Jean fakes a relationship with one of them -- but starts to realize that she may not be pretending.

The film, directed by Susan Johnson with a screenplay by Sofia Alvarez, has begun production in Vancouver.

John Corbett stars as Lara Jean's father, a single dad trying to raise three daughters on his own. Janel Parrish and Anna Cathcart will play Lara Jean's sisters. The cast also includes Noah Centineo, Israel Broussard and Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor.

Queens couple plead guilty to keeping children as slaves

Sook Yeong Park and Jeong Taek Lee held two Korean kids as slaves in their home for several years.



This week in New York, a Flushing couple admitted to holding two Korean children as slaves in their home for several years, forcing them to work long hours and withholding contact with their parents.

Couple Who Kept Korean Teens as 'Slaves' at Flushing Home Plead Guilty

50-year-old Sook Yeong Park pleaded guilty to two counts of labor trafficking. Park was sentenced to six months in prison followed by five years probation, after taking a plea deal. The 60-count indictment against her included grand larceny, forcible touching and assault for her treatment of the two children. Her husband, 54-year-old Jeong Taek Lee, was sentenced to five years probation.

The two victims, a 9-year-old brother and 11-year-old sister from Korea, were brought to stay with the couple in January 2010. Shortly afterwards, Park confiscated their passports and effectively enslaved them.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 16: They Call Us George Takei

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, in an episode recorded live in Little Tokyo as part of Asian American ComiCon, we talk to legendary actor, activist and icon George Takei. Uncle George discusses art, aging, politics and love, and plays along with a very special edition of The Good, The Bad and The "OH MY."

The F4 Olympics: Korean Drama Podcast - Boys Over Flowers #7

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 week's episode, we learn that sports can solve all of life's problems -- specifically horse riding, car racing, and swimming. We also meet some new characters, including an older sister and the first adult figure at the school (who turns out to be useless). Also, some Fast and Furious talk.