Read These

What Can Bruce Lee Tell Us About Our Contemporary World?
Daryl Joji Maeda on how the historical and political forces of the late 20th century made a cinematic icon.

* * *
For 'disabled oracle' Alice Wong, rest is a radical act
Alice Wong, founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, titled her memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life, as a nod to her Chinese zodiac animal sign.

* * *
A Chinatown Boy Scout troop has endured against all odds for 108 years. Can it survive today?
Founded in 1914, Troop 3, based in San Francisco's Chinatown, is believed to be the oldest Boy Scout troop west of the Mississippi.

* * *
'If You Can Make a Salad, You Can Make Kimchi'
Kimjang, the act of preparing kimchi, allows Koreans of the diaspora to keep the tradition alive -- and invites everyone to join.

* * *
'Industry' Star Ken Leung on Eric's Big Promotion and Navigating the Show's Financial Jargon
Ken Leung, who plays volatile boss Eric Tao in HBO's financial drama Industry, talks about showing a more vulnerable side to his character in Season 2, and how he wraps his brain around the show's dense finance-speak.

* * *
What Arden Cho Learned About Speaking Up: "I Was Taught Not to Rock the Boat"
How Arden Cho risked her career over her pay inequity dispute and found a role on the Netflix law firm drama Partner Track.

* * *
Shefali Shah, Tanuj Chopra On DCP Vartika’s Journey, Tackling Social Issues And Pandemic Impact In 'Delhi Crime' Season 2
"They came for the crime but stayed for the characters." The Indian crime drama Delhi Crime returns to Netflix for a second season, with Shefali Shah back as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi and U.S.-based indie filmmaker Tanuj Chopra on board as showrunner and director.

They Call Us Bruce 170: They Call Us Partner Track

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 Arden Cho, star of Partner Track, and Helen Wan, author of the original book that inspired the Netflix series. They discuss Helen's real-life career as a corporate attorney that inspired the novel, how Ingrid Yung became Ingrid Yun, and the convergence of timing and talent that finally made this adaptation possible. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

Read These

My Dad and Kurt Cobain
When Hua Hsu's father moved to Taiwan, a fax machine and a shared love of music bridged an ocean.

* * *
An L.A. mob once massacred 18 Chinese people. Now, a push to never forget the racist assault
More than 150 years after racist mob violence claimed the lives of 18 Chinese people in Los Angeles' Chinatown, city officials have put out a public call for ideas to memorialize this mostly forgotten moment in history.

* * *
How Japanese American Incarceration Was Entangled With Indigenous Dispossession
"Until recently, Japanese American incarceration and American Indian dispossession have often been treated as unrelated discussions. In reality, different oppressions reinforce and bolster one another."

* * *
Japanese American Incarceration for Children: Brandon Shimoda on Reading with His Daughter
“I did not grow up with children's books about Japanese American incarceration. There were not many."

* * *
‘Pachinko’ author Min Jin Lee on wrapping up trilogy about Korean life
A Q&A with Min Jin Lee on writing, activism and anti-Asian violence.

* * *
The Year of Michelle Yeoh
She’s been a beauty queen and an action hero, but now with the awards buzz of Everything Everywhere All at Once and that Avatar sequel on the horizon, Michelle Yeoh finds herself at the zenith of the Hollywood firmament. It’s no surprise if you've been paying attention.

* * *
Aklasan Fest, the only Filipino punk festival in the U.S., celebrates its return
Featuring 15 bands from across the country, Aklasan Festival in San Francisco is the only Filipino punk festival of its kind, prioritizing the often unheard and unseen voices of punk.

* * *
‘Easter Sunday’ Writer Ken Cheng on How He Celebrated Filipino Culture Through the Film's Comedy
Easter Sunday screenwriter Ken Cheng details how he told a culturally specific story with universal appeal and the film's wild journey to the screen.

They Call Us Bruce 169: They Call Us Free Chol Soo Lee

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 Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, directors of the documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, which tells the story of a community's landmark fight to free an innocent man. They discuss the important legacy of the case, why they were compelled to shine a light on this singular moment, the generational responsibility of unearthing our stories. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

They Call Us Bruce 168: They Call Us Wesley Chu

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 live at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, we welcome novelist Wesley Chu, author of the epic fantasy The Art of Prophecy. He talks about writing fight scenes, allowing his characters to do what they want to do, and why this wuxia-inspired novel is the story he's been wanting to tell his whole life. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

Read These

Racist and sexist disinformation is sowing divisions among Asian Americans
A new report spotlights how disinformation not only pits Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders against other marginalized groups but also sows divisions within the community itself, sometimes to intentionally diminish its collective political influence.

* * *
The New York Times’s Interview With Yuh-Line Niou
Yuh-Line Niou is a state assemblywoman in New York's 65th District, representing parts of Lower Manhattan since 2017. She is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's newly drawn 10th district.

* * *
Yuh-Line Niou on Her Especially Personal Run for Congress
From representation to disability policy, she says there’s a common theme: Courage.

* * *
Asian American Voters Rallied for Democrats in 2020. Will They Again?
The Democratic party confronts a mood of frustration among the rising electoral force that helped vault it to power. The campaign in Georgia will test that bond.

* * *
Big projects like the Sixers’ arena plan have often threatened Philly’s Chinatown. But the AAPI community always fights for the neighborhood.
For 150 years, Philadelphia's Chinatown community has fought for its life as big development project after project has targeted the neighborhood, threatening not only its existence but its unique authenticity -- most recently with the 76ers’ proposal for a new arena in the neighborhood.

* * *
My ICU Summer: A Photo Essay
Alice Wong’s months in the ICU highlights the steep costs of medical care for disabled individuals and their families due to a broken healthcare system.

* * *
A New Documentary Sheds Light on a Pivotal Movement in Asian American History
Social justice activism in the Asian American community today owes much of its legacy to the pivotal case of Chol Soo Lee, whose heartbreaking, remarkable, and undeniably complex story is the subject of a new documentary.

* * *
The Metamorphosis of Mindy Kaling
Starting with her rise to fame on The Office to now creating some of streaming’s biggest hits, the actress, writer, and producer has transformed Hollywood. But her most fulfilling project yet is happening behind the scenes—as a mother, mentor, and mogul.

* * *
Sujata Day on Her Search For Samosas As Good As Mom’s
Director and writer Sujata Day recalls a restaurant in L.A. she yearns for the most.

They Call Us Bruce 167: They Call Us Yuh-Line Niou

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 congressional candidate Yuh-Line Niou, who is running for the House of Representatives in New York's newly drawn 10th district. She talks about truly representational politics, making the legislative process more accessible for all, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of running for congress. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

They Call Us Bruce 166: They Call Us Katherine J. Wu

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 journalist Katherine J. Wu, who covers science as staff writer for The Atlantic. She talks about joining science with storytelling, where we went wrong (and right) with our collective pandemic response, and the most erroneous assumptions we're making about COVID right now. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

Read These

What It Means to Be Asian in America
In a new Pew Research Center analysis based on dozens of focus groups, Asian American participants described the challenges of navigating their identity in a nation where the label "Asian" brings expectations about their origins, behavior and physical self.

* * *
How a tiny Chinatown bookstore became a hub for authentic Asian American stories
Yu and Me Books, the first Asian American female-owned bookstore in New York, highlights titles from immigrants and people of color, with a special focus on Asian Americans.

* * *
To 'Free Chol Soo Lee,' Asian Americans had to find their collective political voice
NPR talks to Julie Ha, co-director of the new documentary Free Chol Soo Lee, which tells the story of a 20-year-old Korean American man imprisoned for a murder he did not commit -- a case that became a pivotal moment for the Asian American community.

* * *
Jo Koy's 'Easter Sunday' puts Filipinos front and center
Comedian Jo Koy stars in Easter Sunday, the first big studio movie with an all-Filipino ensemble.

* * *
Tia Carrere in "Easter Sunday" Marks a Profound Change for Filipinos in Hollywood
Tia Carrere, who cemented herself in Hollywood three decades ago as the iconic Cassandra Wong in Wayne's World, appears in the family comedy Easter Sunday -- the first time in her prolific, 30-year-plus career that she is playing a Filipino.

* * *
Nobody wanted to make 'Squid Game.' Now it’s making history
For a very long time, no one wanted to make Squid Game. Now it has 14 Emmy nominations.

* * *
Paper Girls Star Ali Wong on Comics, Erin's Journey, and Her Childhood Dreams
Ali Wong, who stars as adult Erin in the series Paper Girls, talks about her relationship with the Paper Girls comic book, the dynamic between the two Erins, and her childhood dreams.

* * *
88Rising's NIKI is Owning Her PAST - and Taking a Cue from Taylor Swift
Filled with reproduced and never-before-heard music, NIKI's second album is an exploration of her start in the industry -- and a taste of where she wants to go from here.

They Call Us Bruce 165: They Call Us Jo Koy

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 special bonus episode, Jeff talks to Jo Koy, comedian and star of the movie Easter Sunday. He talks about the execs who told him his Filipino American story was "too specific," getting the backing of none other than Steven Spielberg, and doing it for the culture. For the culture!

They Call Us Bruce 164: They Call Us Lou Diamond Phillips

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 man, the myth, the legend: actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who appears in the new movie Easter Sunday. They discuss how Filipino Americans are having a moment, LDP as LDP, achieving "icon" status, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being ambiguously Filipino. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov.

They Call Us Bruce 163: They Call Us Simran Jeet Singh

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 Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and author of the book The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform You Life. He talks about his journey of faith, dad jokes, his refusal to give in to negativity, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being Sikh.

Read These

How a skid row store faces the tensions in Black-Korean history — by discussing its bleakest chapters
Danny Park, owner of Skid Row People's Market in Los Angeles, wants his store to be more than its inventory. On a given shift, employees might serve as therapists, social workers, confidants or mediators.

* * *
Food Is Identity. For Korean Chefs Who Were Adopted, It's Complicated.
Raised in the U.S., Korean American adoptee chefs are exploring a heritage they didn't grow up with through restaurant cooking -- and finding both fulfillment and criticism.

* * *
For Asian American cooks, ties with Italy run deep
They may not share a common origin, but evidence suggests that these starchy foods developed concurrently for hundreds of years, with China coming first.

* * *
Why Wearing a Mask Makes Me Feel Powerful
"Over the years, my constant poker face hardened to such a point that it could cut diamonds and became so natural that it took little effort to maintain. People often told me—unsolicited, of course—that I looked unhappy, or bored, or even contemptuous."

* * *
The Biggest Boba Fan in the World
Nataraj Das is an audio-visual engineer and drinks 200 boba beverages a year.

* * *
East West Players: Asian American Visibility, Also Sustainability
How the historic theater company East West Players has stabilized both its mission and its finances.

* * *
Pop iconoclast Rina Sawayama: 'Drag is turning trauma into entertainment. That's what I'm doing'
British-Japanese pop star Rina Sawayama's genre-mashing second album is the product of her hard-won self-knowledge. She talks about reckoning with her Asian identity, forgiving her mother and her determination to be happy.

* * *
Why Brandon Perea's 'Nope' Audition Made Jordan Peele Cry
Breakout ator Brandon Perea's unexpected take on Angel, the Fry's worker, so won over Nope director Jordan Peele that he decided during their meeting to rewrite the script.

All The Asians On Star Trek 28: Eric Bauza

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 28, we welcome voice over artist Eric Bauza. He played the role of "Cerritos Conn Officer" and other characters on several episodes of the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. Outside of Star Trek, he's a prolific voice over artist with dozens of credits, having provided voices for some of animation's most iconic characters -- including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety most recently in Bugs Bunny Builders. He talks about getting his breaks as a voice actor, almost getting cast as another Lower Decks character, and making merchandise from obscure Canadian kids TV shows.

They Call Us Bruce 162: They Call Us Love and Noraebang

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 key creatives behind the k-drama/telenovela-inspired narrative podcast rom-com Love and Noraebang: co-director Amy S. Choi, co-writer Quincy Cho, and actress Julia Cho. They discuss telling stories with joy and authenticity, and why Randall Park is the perfect voice of Los Angeles.

All The Asians On Star Trek 27: Away Mission with Andrew Ahn

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 27, we embark on another Away Mission, in which we invite fellow Asian American fans of Star Trek to do a deep dive into an episode of their choosing. For this edition of the Away Mission, we welcome filmmaker Andrew Ahn (Fire Island, Driveways, Spa Night) to discuss "Timeless" from season five of Star Trek: Voyager -- a perennial series favorite. We discuss, among other things, why Deanna Troi is a gay icon, how survivor's guilt over faulty phase variance data can really age you, and Andrew's big ol' crush on Ensign Harry Kim.

In 'Quantum Leap,' Time Travel is Not Just For White People

Raymond Lee stars in the new 'Quantum Leap' reboot as Dr. Ben Seong.


I cannot express how I excited I am for NBC's upcoming restart of Quantum Leap. Not only was a huge fan of the hit 1990s time travel drama, I'm pretty psyched to see Raymond Lee in the starring role as the titular leaper.

The original show centered Dr. Samuel Beckett, who unwillingly finds himself "leaping" through space and time into the identities of individuals, helping history along the way before leaping into the next life. In the update, Lee stars as quantum physicist Dr. Ben Seong, who sets the reboot in motion when he makes an unauthorized leap into the past. His team begins searching for answers, scrambling to bring him home before he gets in too deep."

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive preview on the new show, including some insightful background information on Dr. Seong from Lee and the showrunners:

Described as a spiritual scientist, quantum physicist Dr. Seong has a specific approach to time travel. "He is compelled over and over again to make the right decision, even if his own life is at stake, so he is a much better person than I am in real life. He's something to strive for," Lee says. Dr. Seong immigrated from Korea with his mother, which will be integral to the story Quantum Leap is telling. "We're telling an immigrant story at its core, and it is how Ben is experiencing life moving forward," Lilien explains.

More here: Quantum Leap bosses preview thrilling new chapter

Read These

She's running for Congress, despite the anti-Asian attacks against her
Yuh-Line Niou is campaigning to represent New York's 10th District, which now includes two Chinatowns.

* * *
Kristi Yamaguchi Is Remembered as the Perfect Olympics Hero. It Wasn't Always That Way.
The figure skater won a gold medal, but to many, she still had to prove she was American.

* * *
Brazen robbery of $60,000 Rolex in 99 Ranch parking lot shocks Asian Americans
A shocking robbery in the parking lot of a 99 Ranch has shocked the Chinese community in San Gabriel Valley.

* * *
Constance Wu Doesn't Need To Apologize
Constance Wu revealed that vicious community backlash over her tweets -- yes, those tweets expressing frustration over Fresh Off The Boat's renewal -- made her suicidal.

* * *
Watching my son watch 'Ms. Marvel' feels like a game-changing event
Ms. Marvel is an important step forward for Muslim American representation on screen.

* * *
My hot, rowdy Indian summers at Hindu youth camp
Actor and filmmaker Sujata Day remembers how over several summers attending Hindu camp as a camper, then a counselor, she overcame bears, a serial killer and the wrath of the gods.

* * *
Discovering the Modern South Asian Ritual of Making Chai
Sujata Day is obsessed with her homemade chai and doesn't go a day without it.

* * *
Panda Express' orange chicken changed the game for American Chinese food 35 years ago
Panda Express' orange chicken, the quintessential American Chinese invention that helped bolster a nationwide craze for Chinese takeout, turned 35 on Friday.

* * *
John Cho Has Entered His DILF Era
"I have found myself speaking about issues of race -- often against my will -- it seems like for all my career," says John Cho. But his latest film, Don’t Make Me Go, cares less about identity than everything else.

* * *
Henry Golding and His Powers of Persuasion
Jane Austen wrote William Elliot as one of literature's most memorable cads. In a buzzy new Netflix adaptation of Persuasion, Hollywood's nicest guy proves it's a role he was born to play.

They Call Us Bruce 161c: They Call Us Live From New York - Part 3

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 live at The Greene Space at WNYC, we welcome tech entrepreneur/thinkers Anil Dash and Ben Sun to talk about Asian American impact on the tech industry (and get nostalgic about Asian Avenue). Part 3 of the in-studio "RISE Conversations" in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month and inspired by RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. Produced with the generous support of UBS.

They Call Us Bruce 161b: They Call Us Live From New York - Part 2

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 live at The Greene Space at WNYC, we welcome writer/comedian Karen Chee and costume designer Minji Kim to talk about Asian American visibility in fashion and entertainment. Part 2 of the in-studio "RISE Conversations" in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month and inspired by RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. Produced with the generous support of UBS.