Read These

This movie's Asian American metaphor is a message to the not-so-United States
"Everything Everywhere All at Once is absurd, exhilarating, and enrapturing. And it's a startlingly perfect metaphor for this thing we call Asian America, a culture and identity."

* * *
A Daring Dream and a Lifelong Love, Dashed in a Moment of Violence
GuiYing Ma built a modest life of service in New York until a shocking attack tore her from her devoted husband.

* * *
'The fear is very real': how Asian Americans are fighting rising hate crime
As the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the United States, Asian Americans are finally in a position to do more than stock up on pepper spray and hope for the best.

* * *
"Multiple Things Can Be True": Understanding the Roots of Anti-Asian Violence
A conversation with public defender Jason Wu, who says if we do not learn from history, we risk misdiagnosing the problems -- and applying remedies that will continue to fail us.

* * *
The art gallery where Christina Yuna Lee once worked honors her life and legacy
Christina Yuna Lee was brutally murdered two months ago. The art gallery she once worked at opened an exhibition in her memory.

* * *
I'm Jeff Yang, not Jeff Chang! The everyday horror of having to say 'Sorry, wrong Asian'
Jeff Yang asks Asian Americans to share their funny-not-funny stories of being mistaken for other people.

* * *
Asian Men Needed a Movie Like Everything Everywhere All at Once
It took a reality-transcending action dramedy to create more realistic representation.

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"Everything" star Stephanie Hsu on playing all-powerful: "We would just unleash ultimate chaos"
Stephanie Hsu, who plays both Joy and Jobu Tupaki in Everything Everywhere All at Once, talks about learning to punch Michelle Yeoh, and the wisdom of Jamie Lee Curtis and rocks.

* * *
Ronny Chieng Will Use His Platform However He Sees Fit, Thank You
In conversation about his new Netflix special, The Daily Show tenure, and the current "moment" in Asian Hollywood, comedian Ronny Chieng reflects on his comedian duty toward provocation.

They Call Us Bruce 158: They Call Us Marvelous and the Black Hole

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome writer/director Kate Tsang and actress Miya Cech to talk about their film Marvelous and the Black Hole. They discuss making a different kind of Asian American coming-of-age movie, working with the inimitable Rhea Perlman, and mastering the secrets of sleight of hand.

Read These

How 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Helps to Heal Generational Trauma
The film Everything Everywhere All at Once addresses how the effects of trauma are passed down between generations -- especially for Asian American women -- and gives a glimpse on ways to heal.

* * *
The Daniels on the ADHD theory of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," paper cuts and butts
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, aka Daniels -- the directing duo behind Everything Everywhere All at Once -- spoke to Salon about how their film embraces the profound and profane.

* * *
So You Want To Teach Asian American History? These Educators Are Here To Help
Around the country, thousands of K-12 teachers are signing up for training on the struggles and contributions of Asians Americans.

* * *
Traveling to a newly reopened Asia allowed me to be myself again
"After attacks and racism against Asian Americans like myself at home, I found relief on the other side of the world."

* * *
Ali Wong announces divorce from her husband — but media got the #WrongAsian
The news of Ali Wong's divorce from her husband Justin Hakuta was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that news outlets ran incorrect photos -- of Randall Park -- with their reporting.

* * *
Marvel turned Mandarin into 'gibberish.' Even one of its stars called it out
Viewers of Marvel's Moon Knight are calling out a scene in which a character purportedly speaks Mandarin, but apparently butchers the language into gibberish. Even Shang-Chi himself, Simu Liu, had words.

* * *
You Can Finally Watch the Long-Lost Indie That Showed Denzel Washington at Peak Hotness
Mira Nair on directing the actor at his most romantic in Mississippi Masala.

They Call Us Bruce 157: They Call Us Michelle Yeoh

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome the legendary, incomparable Michelle Yeoh, star of Everything Everywhere All at Once. She talks about being the center of the multiverse, embracing absurdity, and playing a role unlike anything she's done before: the fantastically mediocre Evelyn Wang.

They Call Us Bruce 156: They Call Us Daniel Kwan and Stephanie Hsu

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome writer/director Daniel Kwan (one-half of Daniels) and actress Stephanie Hsu to talk about everybody's new favorite film Everything Everywhere All at Once. They discuss meaningful pelvic thrusting, why Stephanie is actually a witch, and the exclusive secret origin of "Jobu Tapaki."

Read These

One Garment's Journey Through History
The evolution of the traditional Korean hanbok is a lens into the history of the country, which is now being traced in the series Pachinko.

* * *
Asian Americans are having 'the talk' about racism for the first time - with their parents
The rise in anti-Asian hate, fueled by misconceptions about the pandemic's origins, has exposed generational divides in how Asian Americans view racism.

* * *
Asian American wrongfully accused of spying recounts damage of racial profiling
"My lifetime of outstanding scientific work was destroyed. And my entire life was shattered."

* * *
Experts: Asian population overcount masks community nuances
Advocates and academics believe the overcounting of the Asian population by 2.6% in the 2020 Census likely masks great variation in who was counted among different Asian communities in the U.S., and could signal that biracial and multiracial residents identified as Asian in larger numbers than in the past.

* * *
The Mysterious Man Who Built (and Then Lost) Little Tokyo
The remarkable hidden history of Tony Yoshida, who transformed a single block in New York City, helped start the cocktail revolution -- and inspired John Belushi to become a samurai.

* * *
Kim’s Video Survives at Alamo Drafthouse
Youngman Kim explains to IndieWire his strange journey from growing up on an Air Force base in Korea to becoming the proprietor of a legendary movie collection.

* * *
'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Gives Us The Asian Woman Hero We Need
"In this time of elevated anti-Asian hate, we need the fully human -- and badass Evelyn Wang to uplift Asian women in the diaspora and help all audiences identify and empathize with Asian women."

* * *
Ke Huy Quan: From Short Round to Romantic Lead in Just Four Long Decades
A child star in the 1980s, Ke Huy Quan hit a dry patch and turned to stunt work in the 2000s. Now he has returned to acting in a part that blends his action and drama chops.

* * *
The one role out of more than 500 that's stuck with James Hong
93-year-old Hollywood legend James Hong, who appears in Everything Everywhere All At Once, talks about just how far Asian American representation has come.

* * *
Meet the self-trained martial artists who fought their way from YouTube to Everything Everywhere...
Why Hollywood filmmakers are battling to employ brothers Andy and Brian Le.

* * *
Next Big Thing: 'Pachinko' Star Minha Kim on Bringing History to Life
The relative newcomer Minha Kim drew on her grandmother's memories to play a Korean woman living under Japanese imperialism in Apple TV+'s epic new series Pachinko.

* * *
How Sandra Oh found common ground in the moms of 'Turning Red’ and ‘Umma’
Sandra Oh talks about the common mother-daughter themes that drew her to take on two very different projects, the horror drama Umma and Disney/Pixar's animated feature Turning Red.

They Call Us Bruce 155: They Call Us Ke Huy Quan

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome a generational icon: Ke Huy Quan, who stars in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. He talks about his humble beginnings as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, how Crazy Rich Asians inspired his triumphant return to acting, and how to kick ass with a fanny pack (but not on the first take).

They Call Us Bruce 154: They Call Us Everything Everywhere All at Once

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome back our old friends Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of Diaspora to discuss our new favorite movie, Daniels' multiverse masterpiece Everything Everywhere All at Once. From Ke Huy Quan to butt plugs to hot dog hands, this film has it all and then some.

Read These

This Southeast Asian Artist Uses Iconic Pink Doughnut Boxes as a Canvas for Storytelling
Phung Huynh expands on the refugee narrative by centering Khmer voices in her exhibition Donut Whole

* * *
Do Your AAPI Employees Feel Safe Coming Back to Work?
Because of an increase in racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes targeted specifically against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, many members are scared to come to work because they don't feel safe.

* * *
The Establishment of Emma Eun-joo Choi
NPR's newest—and youngest—podcast host Emma Eun-joo Choi considers the weight of her voice.

* * *
The Grammys Interview: Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner Has Had Quite a Year
The best-selling author and frontwoman of Japanese Breakfast—who's up for two Grammys this weekend—reflects on her whirlwind literary and musical breakthrough.

* * *
Grieving His Mother's Death, Ocean Vuong Learned to Write for Himself
Ocean Vuong worked on his new poetry collection Time Is a Mother while mourning, in a world consumed by the advancing pandemic.

* * *
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a love story between parents in a strange land and a daughter they're doing their best to rescue from alienation and depression. A review by Walter Chaw.

* * *
Five years ago, Ghost in the Shell accidentally destroyed a racist Hollywood tradition
The much-maligned Hollywood adaptation of the anime classic Ghost in the Shell inspired sweeping changes across the entertainment industry that are still felt today.

* * *
The Quiet Ascent of Justin H. Min
He found fame playing a ghost in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy. Now he's an android in After Yang, holding his own opposite Colin Farrell. In the human realm, though, he's simply Justin: an actor of rare and sensitive gifts, with deep and wide-ranging ambition, working hard to ready himself for his moment.

They Call Us Bruce 153: They Call Us Turning Red

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome Shirley Li (The Atlantic) and Anita Li (The Green Line) to talk about Meilin Lee and Disney/Pixar's animated feature Turning Red. They discuss the incredible specificity of this Chinese Canadian story, what makes a film "relatable" and why it's so meaningful to let your teen girl characters go "AWOOGA!"

Silent River Speaks: Getting into the Present with Chris Chan Lee

Guest Post by Jacqueline (Jae) Kim



It's September 2021, year two of the Coronavirus pandemic -- and the world premiere of Silent River at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (otherwise known as 'VC'). Among many of my friends, I haven't seen the director, Chris Chan Lee, in quite a while. After the film, I avoid the crowd and slip out but send Chris an email asking if he'd like to talk about his latest work via Zoom? I feel pretty sure the conversation will be something to document. Five months later, the film has been gaining critical momentum, earning its recent award at the Paris International Film Festival. Here's an excerpt:

Jae: Okay, so -- when I started getting involved with making my own films and eventually my own art projects, I started to see the processes and the results as self-diagnosis.

Chris Chan Lee: Mm.

Jae: How does that sit with you with regards to Silent River?

CCL: Well, you know, when I sit down to write, I never first think about the thematic content. I just think about, like telling the story, right? But I definitely notice a pattern with everything that I do that's not necessarily intentional: it's always about dealing with past and like regret and stuff like that. So that's always inherent in my work.

Read These

What White Men Say in Our Absence
"I wonder if the men who attacked and killed us are the same men on the Internet who argue that we make better wives because we don't talk or fight back and that we make for easy sex because we are, after all, such easy prey."

* * *
Asian American Women Fight Back
At a self-defense class in New York after the latest anti-Asian attack, one student said, "I feel like I have an army of sisters."

* * *
Sisters Remember Growing Up In Their Parents' Hollywood Laundry Business
For StoryCorps, sisters Suzi and Donna Wong share stories of what it was like growing up just minutes from all the big movie studios in Hollywood, California... but a world away.

* * *
Ke Huy Quan on How 'Crazy Rich Asians' Gave Him FOMO
After a twenty-year hiatus due to limited roles for Asian actors, Ke Huy Quan returns to acting with a role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

* * *
The Daniels see Everything Everywhere All at Once as a story about generational love
Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert open up about crafting cinematic love letters.

* * *
Critics be warned: Turning Red is defiantly Asian and female – and there's more to come
Some commentators belonging to the Prime Demographic find they're unable to appreciate Turning Red's non-male, non-white protagonists.

* * *
'Licorice Pizza' made Asians a 'punchline.' And the fallout is bigger than the Oscars
Licorice Pizza's '70s coming-of-age dramedy includes some pretty cringe-worthy depictions of Japanese people.

Read These

Asian Americans Have Always Lived With Fear
"For some, deep down, my ordinary Korean face — small, shallow-set eyes, round nose, high cheekbones, straight dark hair — reminds them of lost wars, prostitutes, spies, refugees, poverty, disease, cheap labor, academic competition, cheaters, sexual competition, oligarchs, toxic parenting, industrialization or a sex or pornography addiction."

* * *
How the Atlanta Spa Shootings—the Victims, the Survivors—Tell a Story of America
The rampage killed eight people, including six Asian women. But the ripple effects go far, to other countries, continents, and immigrant histories.

* * *
How 'hiya,' 'kapwa' and other cultural values play a role in Filipino American mental health
A deep understanding of cultural values could help Filipino Americans receive mental health support.

* * *
"We're just trying to protect you."
A 20-year-old died of a GHB overdose in an older man's home. For two years, his family has called on police to reopen their investigation.

* * *
Michelle Yeoh Finally Loses Her Cool: "What Have I Got to Lose?"
The ballerina who became a beauty queen who became a Hong Kong martial arts star lets loose onscreen and gets the Hollywood top billing she's long deserved in the madcap metaphysical romp 'Everything Everywhere All at Once.'

* * *
What Turning Red means to me as an AAPI parent
For Clarissa Cruz, eeing a proudly nerdy Chinese Canadian 13-year-old with traditional parents and and supporting friends at the center of a Pixar movie was moving and important.

* * *
"Turning Red" Made Me Feel Understood As a Chinese American Teen
In this review of Pixar's Turning Red, 14-year-old film critic Tabitha Yuen explores how the new animated film accurately represents young Asian girls.

They Call Us Bruce 152: They Call Us Iris K. Shim

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome Iris K. Shim, writer/director of the feature film Umma. She talks about working with the one and only Sandra Oh, incorporating traditional Korean cultural elements into a horror story, and whether or not her own umma will watch her movie.

All The Asians On Star Trek 24: Jacqueline Kim

The Podcast In Which We Interview All The Asians On Star Trek.



All The Asians On Star Trek is the podcast in which we interview all the Asians on Star Trek. In Episode 24, we welcome actress Jacqueline Kim. She played the role of Ensign Demora Sulu -- daughter of Hikaru Sulu -- in the 1994 feature film Star Trek: Generations. Her other acting credits include Volcano, Disclosure, Xena: Warrior Princess, ER, The West Wing, Charlotte Sometimes and Advantageous, which she also co-wrote and produced. We discuss her brief stint at the helm of the Enterprise-B, her forays into domestic science fiction, and her evolution as a multi-disciplinary artist, including her recent work as a musician and composer.

Read These

I'm Done Being Your Model Minority
Author Patricia Park rejects the model minority myth, especially during a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.

* * *
She's Combating a Wave of Anti-Asian Hate
Cynthia Choi, an activist in San Francisco, anticipated the pandemic would lead to more attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She and others are documenting the surge.

* * *
How Did This Many Deaths Become Normal?
The U.S. is nearing 1 million recorded COVID-19 deaths without the social reckoning that such a tragedy should provoke. Why?

* * *
What therapist Christine Catipon tells her Filipino American clients
Clinical psychologist Christine Catipon knows it can be challenging for Filipino Americans to find therapists who come from the same cultural background.

* * *
In Another Life, Ke Huy Quan Was a Star
For his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, '80s icon Ke Huy Quan called on his past selves.

* * *
With ‘Turning Red,' a Big Red Panda Helps Break a Glass Ceiling
Domee Shi is the first woman filmmaker with sole directing credit on a Pixar feature.

* * *
With Turning Red, Domee Shi Explores Uncharted Animated Waters
The director of Pixar's latest on the joys—and weight—of being a trailblazer.

* * *
The Difficulty of Being a Perfect Asian American
A book and a documentary examine how Asian Americans internalize the myth of the model minority.

* * *
Punk Rock's New Hope: The Ferocious, Joyful Linda Lindas
Fueled by punk conviction (and snacks), this all-girl, school-age band is ready to release its debut album, Growing Up, nearly a year after its song "Racist, Sexist Boy" went viral.

* * *
Shannon Dang "Lives Vicariously" Through Her Kung Fu Character's Wardrobe Shannon Dang, who stars as Althea on the hit CW show Kung Fu, is back for season two. And this time around, the acute attention to cultural details have been elevated even further.

* * *
Long Live the King
Writer Stephanie Foo proves all egg rolls are not created equally.

* * *
'I think I can take that spot'
Davidson's Hyunjung Lee wants to make history in the NBA.

They Call Us Bruce 151: They Call Us Domee Shi

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, we welcome Oscar-winning filmmaker Domee Shi, writer/director of the Pixar animated feature Turning Red. They discuss making an unapologetically Asian Canadian story, intergenerational drama, releasing the beast within, and accepting your whole self -- even your whole self is a giant red panda.

Read These

'No longer completely invisible': New book explores Asian American pop history from '90s till today
"A nearly 500-page collage of comics, essays and interviews, RISE is a homage to the seminal moments in sports, politics and entertainment that came to define contemporary Asian American culture."

* * *
From 'The Joy Luck Club' to 'Crazy Rich Asians,' a new book hopes to 'fill in the blanks'
"So much of the way that Asians are perceived is because someone else has been writing the rules of what it means to be Asian American and Asian in this country. We wanted to create our own narrative where we have some agency in the way that it's told."

* * *
Bay Area natives’ new book, a wide-ranging cultural tapestry, charts Asian Americans' long rise
For the record, while Philip and I hail from the Bay Area, Jeff is a born and bred New Yorker.

* * *
Can a Restaurant Become a Second Home?
Years after filmmaker Bao Nguyen left his suburban home for college in New York City, he's begun to search local restaurants for a taste of home.

* * *
Meet Emma Eun-joo Choi, NPR's newest (and youngest) host
Emma Eun-joo Choi is the host of Everyone & Their Mom, an off-shoot of her work on NPR's long standing Wait Wait Don't Tell Me news and comedy program.

* * *
Patti Harrison Means It (Except When She Doesn't)
The rising star of comedy discusses I Think You Should Leave, corporatized wokeness, A.D.H.D., and humor that swerves between sarcasm and sincerity.

* * *
After Yang Asks: "What Makes Someone Asian?"
In his stunning new film After Yang, Kogonada dissects identity through a thoughtful sci-fi story.

They Call Us Bruce 150: They Call Us RISE

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. (Almost) 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.

In this episode, recorded on the eve of our long-anticipated book release, we welcome co-author Philip Wang and project manager Jes Vu, our co-conspirators on RISE: A Pop History of Asian America From the Nineties to Now. We discuss some exclusive behind-the-scenes details on the making of the book, including The Good, The Bad and The WTF.

Read These

Whatever happened to Short Round? Ke Huy Quan returns to the big screen
Ke Huy Quan was of the '80s' most recognizable child stars thanks to his roles as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies. So why did he quit acting? And what lured him back in front of the camera after 35 years away?

* * *
Michelle Yeoh goes on a mind-bending trip in Everything Everywhere All at Once
Actress Michelle Yeoh who has broken boundaries and bones across her genre-spanning career, takes on her most ambitious project yet: saving the multiverse.

* * *
How Do I Talk to My Daughter About Violence Against Asian Women?
"Should I tell you that I don't want you to walk through the world afraid, even though I have sometimes walked through the world afraid?"

* * *
Stephanie Foo on Gaining Agency From C-PTSD
Stephanie Foo's memoir, What My Bones Know, details her painful experiences with childhood abuse, and the long, indirect path she took to healing as an adult.

* * *
The Nostalgic Glory of the '90s Chinese Buffet
The all-you-can-eat restaurants of Naureen Khan's childhood -- the China Gardens, Super Buffets, and King Woks -- are dying out.

* * *
J. Kenji López-Alt Says You’re Cooking Just Fine
Ahead of the release of his new book, The Wok, food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt reflects on kitchen-bro culture, who gets credit for recipes, and how not to be an asshole.

* * *
John Cho’s young adult novel about the L.A. riots wants us to look beyond 'rooftop Koreans'
Troublemaker. John Cho's new young adult novel about the 1992 Los Angeles riots, is a sincere attempt to make sense of an event that we are still trying to understand.

* * *
An Actor Who Cedes the Spotlight While Quietly Commanding It
Daniel K. Isaac, a theater actor with a steady gig on the series Billions is appearing at the Public in Lloyd Suh’s play The Chinese Lady.