They Call Us Bruce 219: They Call Us The Mash-Up Americans

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 our old friend Amy S. Choi of The Mash-Up Americans, who talks about starting her podcast/media company with a question ("Why not us?"); bringing the Mash-Up lens to the images and stories that don't get told in overly simplistic news verticals; and the latest season of their podcast, which aims to give you The Ultimate Guide to a Mash-Up Life. Also: stay tuned for a special bonus episode from The Mash-Up Americans featuring one of our favorite individuals on the planet, Randall Park.

They Call Us Bruce 218: They Call Us Mustache

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 filmmaker Imran J. Khan, writer/director of the indie coming-of-age film Mustache. He talks about facial hair, Alicia Silverstone, telling culturally-specific stories without having to simplify or over-explain for audiences, and the bizarre time traveling that happens when you make a movie about a Muslim American family and community set in the late 1990s.

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6% of Asian characters on streaming have lead roles and most have 'proximity to whiteness'
Of the top films and television shows on streaming platforms that included at least one Asian cast member in 2022, only 6% had an Asian character in a leading role, according to a new report, "A Balancing Act for Asian Representation: More Visible But Not Yet Specific." The study found 42% of AAPI characters had light skin and most female characters had a white male love interest.

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'Defining Courage' tells the story of WWII 'Nisei' soldiers
NPR speaks with David Ono about his new stage show, Defining Courage, which shares the story of Japanese American troops born in the United States but seen as the enemy by their own government.

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'We begged them': Some Monterey Park shooting survivors feel left out of donations
In the aftermath of the Monterey Park mass shooting, the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund raised over $1 million. But some survivors -- witnesses present at the massacre who saw their friends and family killed -- did not tehnically qualify to receive funds because they were not physically injured.

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Why the attacks between Ramaswamy and Haley seem so personal — and spiteful
As the playing field shrinks in the Republican presidential primary campaign, no two candidates have been at each other's throats quite like Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley.

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It’s Not Thanksgiving Without White Rice
"For many Asian American families who celebrate Thanksgiving, it's logical that rice has a seat at the dinner table."

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Filmmaker Celine Song and Musician Yaeji Compare Notes on Maid Costumes and Hotel Room Service
To mark the release of Yaeji's latest single, "easy breezy," she talks to Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song to unpack their relationships to their crafts, audiences, and identities.

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How ‘Blue Eye Samurai’s’ Exploration of Mixed Race Identity Helps It "Break All of the Boxes"
Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, co-creators of Blue Eye Samurai, discuss how various elements of the Netflix animated series' production -- including its art, music composition, setting and casting -- helped deliver their 17th century tale of revenge.

They Call Us Bruce 217: They Call Us Quiz Lady

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 Jessica Yu, director of the comedy Quiz Lady, starring Sandra Oh and Awkwafina. She talks about bringing her diverse (and Academy Award-winning) directing experience to a wacky feature comedy; assembling and working with a team of dream collaborators for Quiz Lady; and how they reworked the original script to better reflect the nuance and layers of these mismatched Asian American sisters. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Quiz Lady.

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How a Chinese restaurant in Detroit taught a queer L.A. writer everything he knows
When Curtis Chin started writing Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, it was a different memoir. But the COVID pandemic nudged the book in a different direction.

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Jeff Yang's new book is a 'cheer out loud' for the films that made Asian America
NPR speaks with authors Jeff Yang and Preeti Chhibber about The Golden Screen: The Movies that Made Asian America. The book looks at films that have shaped Asian American identities.

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Asian Americans' Political Strength and Alliances Face Test in New York
Whether they stick with Democrats or continue their shift to the right, Asian American voters will help decide competitive races on November 7.

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In Nikki, Vivek, and Kamala, Indian Americans Find Incomplete Representation
The presence of Kamala Haris, Nikke Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy as standout contenders speaks to the complexity of the politics of representation; while their ethnic backgrounds are intertwined with their political identities, they all differ in distinct ways from the average Indian American voter.

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The Man Without a Face
What if Hollywood studios had cast an actual Asian actor in the role of Charlie Chan? In fact, incredibly, they did. And it wasn't just one Asian actor, but three -- a detail that is mostly forgotten today.

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Thirsty Suitors Is a Hilarious and Refreshing Game Made for the South Asian Community
"I feel seen by this game."

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"Blue Eye Samurai" addresses multiracial shame, "to be ostracized from both sides," in Edo-era Japan
Co-creator/executive producer Amber Noizumi and director Jane Wu of the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai discuss Maya Erskine, the masks we wear and a vengeful woman masquerading as a man.

They Call Us Bruce 216: They Call Us The Clones of Bruce

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, presented in partnership with the Hawaii International Film Festival, we welcome actor/filmmaker Daniel Wu and HIFF artistic director Anderson Le -- fellow Bruce Lee superfans -- to discuss the fascinating documentary Enter the Clones of Bruce, which explores "Brucesploitation," the unique (and often bizarre) 1970s martial arts film subgenre that exploded in the wake of Bruce Lee's untimely death. They talk about Brucesploitation as a classic supply and demand scenario (powered by "all-look-same" racism), their favorite Bruce lookalikes -- Li, Le, Liang, et al -- and the wildest phases of the Bruce Multiverse. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of the Clones of Bruce.

This episode is sponsored by the Westside Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors, starring Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu. Use the discount code LSOPOD10 for $10 off tickets.

Your Halloween Costumes 2023

Our annual gallery of awesome reader-submitted Halloween costumes.

Happy Halloween! You know what that means. Every year, I put the call out for photos of your awesome costume photos for our annual Angry Asian Halloween Costume gallery -- starring you, the amazing readers and supporters of this website. It has become an extremely popular feature, and something I look forward to sharing every year (especially the adorable kid costume photos). Please keep them coming!

Check it. Here's the first round of photos, with more costumes coming...

Read These

Hasan Minhaj Addresses Embellished Stories Detailed by The New Yorker
After a New Yorker piece chronicled fabrications in Hasan Minhaj's stand up act, the comedian issued a video rebuttal, saying he thought "the lines between truth and fiction were allowed to be a bit more blurry" in his personal storytelling.

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Spilling the Tea
Growing up in his family's iconic Chinese restaurant taught Curtis Chin how to survive in 1980s Detroit -- and how to embrace his identity as a gay Asian American.

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‘The Golden Screen’ author reflects on the movies that shaped Asian America
Jeff Yang's new book The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America, serves as a kind of colorful mixtape examining the many works that have shaped our understanding of the Asian American community.

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Shannon Lee on growing up with her father Bruce and her problem with Quentin Tarantino
Shannon Lee, actress-turned-writer -- and daughter of Bruce Lee -- says she has never met Quentin Tarantino and 'doesn't know what his issues are' with her father.

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The Unholy Son
On searching for faith, freedom, and the love of a father.

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Constance Wu Talks Landing Her Dream Role in 'Little Shop of Horrors'
Constance Wu has wanted to play Audrey, the timid flower shop worker in Little Shop of Horrors, ever since she caught a community production of the musical as a kid. Shge's finally taking on her bucket list role in the Off-Broadway revival.

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Chargers super-fan goes viral after loss to Cowboys on Monday Night Football
Despite the Bolts' recent loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, one Los Angeles Chargers fan's reaction to a game-tying touchdown caught the attention of ESPN’s cameras and now, the internet.

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A Deep-Fried Pho Sparks Scandal at the State Fair of Texas
A debate over who gets credit for inventing a dish proliferates on and off the Dallas fairgrounds.

They Call Us Bruce 215: They Call Us Albert Pyun King of Cult Movies

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, presented in partnership with the Hawaii International Film Festival, we welcome Lisa D'Apolito, director of the forthcoming documentary Albert Pyun King of Cult Movies, and Anderson Le, Artistic Director of the Hawaii International Film Festival, to talk about the life and career of prolific cult filmmaker Albert Pyun. They discuss Pyun's passion for movie-making by any means necessary, from chasing early cinema dreams in Hawaii, to breakout success with The Sword and the Sorcerer, to his ridiculously extensive 50+ movie resume stuffed with direct-to-video titles like Nemesis, Dollman and Crazy Six. Also, believe it or not: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of the films of Albert Pyun.

This episode is sponsored by the Westside Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors, starring Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu. Use the discount code LSOPOD10 for $10 off tickets.

They Call Us Bruce 214: They Call Us Kishi Bashi

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 singer, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi, whose latest project is the album and "songfilm" Omoiyari, a musical journey to understand World War II-era Japanese American incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today. He talks about exploring empathy and compassion through music, drawing parallels between incarceration camps and contemporary treatment of migrants and Muslims, and finding better understanding of his own bi-cultural identity in the process.

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'Korea is hiding our past’: the adoptees searching for their families – and the truth
Amid allegations of a corrupt adoption system in Seoul that falsified children’s records, those sent to Denmark as youngsters are desperate to find out their real stories.

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I Was Told My Parents Were Dead. 38 Years Later, I Got An Email That Changed Everything.
In 2011, Cat Powell-Hoffmann opened an email from an adoption agency that changed her life.

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The Pink-Haired Secret Weapon Behind Blue Eye Samurai
Animation director Jane Wu used to hate who she was. Her new Netflix series Blue Eyed Samurai explores a warrior who also hides to fit in.

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Alice Wu's Saving Face Told a Queer Asian Story When It Was Far From the Mainstream
"Wu's trailblazing film made space for me to simply imagine a world where I could tell intersectional stories."

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The Miami Marlins' Kim Ng is the first female GM to lead an MLB team to the playoffs
The Miami Marlins' Kim Ng is the first female general manager in MLB history to lead her team to the playoffs.

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Fumi Abe Will Not Be Handing Out Business Cards
Fumi Abe is on Vulture's annual list of "The Comedians You Should and Will Know."

They Call Us Bruce 2013: They Call Us Here Lies Love

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 Arielle Jacobs and Jose Llana, the stars of the revolutionary new Broadway musical Here Lies Love, an immersive roof-raising disco musical that tells the story of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos. They discuss the unique thrill of performing in this groundbreaking, form-busting theatre experience, their immense pride in being a part of Broadway's first ever all-Filipino cast, and the complicated responsibility of narrativizing this very real history of the Philippines -- The Good, The Bad, and The WTF.

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The Parents Trying to Pass Down a Language They Hardly Speak
"Losing your family's language can feel like an inevitable side effect of immigration -- but it’s one I want to prevent."

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Saving Chinatown, While Also Making It Their Own
A younger generation of Asian Americans are fighting to keep the history and culture of the Manhattan neighborhood alive — and for the very idea of what an ethnic enclave can be.

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Former enslaved Calif. sweatshop worker recalls captivity, honored by Labor Dept.
Last week in Washington DC, 81 Thai garment workers were inducted into the Department of Labor's Hall of Honor for exposing their former employer's abusive practices in 1995 -- a landmark case that was considered the first recognized case of modern-day slavery.

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As Haley and Ramaswamy Rise, Some Indian Americans Have Mixed Feelings
For the first time in the nation's history, two Indian Americans -- Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy -- are serious presidential contenders who regularly invoke their parents' immigrant roots. But their deeply conservative views make it difficult for some Indian American voters to fully celebrate the moment.

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Facing eviction, a beloved Little Tokyo cafe charts its survival in a gentrifying city
After more than half a century serving Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, an eviction lawsuit has forced family-run Japanese restaurant Suehiro Cafe to relocate, spurring community discussions over the future of legacy businesses in the historic Japanese American neighborhood.

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Mitski says she doesn't feel either fully Asian or American, and fans say they identify with that
Some Asian American fans say they recognize themselves in the lyrics of Mitski's latest album.

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Sung Kang's Lightsabers Are Cooler Than Yours
Sung Kang, who makes his feature film directorial debut with the indie horror flick Shaky Shivers, talks about how starring in Obi-Wan Kenobi sparked a new passion.

They Call Us Bruce 212: They Call Us Magnificent Jerk

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 Maya Lin Sugarman and James Kim, producers behind the podcast Magnificent Jerk, "the true story -- of a fake story -- about a real life." They talk about the fascinating life and career of Maya's late uncle Galen Yuen, and the box of his belongings that sent Maya on mission to discover her family’s biggest secrets -- including the truth behind the possibly autobiographical screenplay that eventually became a bad B-movie starring.... Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, and Ice-T. Also: The Good, The Bad and The WTF of making Magnificent Jerk.

Wing Luke Museum Windows Smashed in Hate Crime

Seattle museum targeted by man with a sledgehammer who said "the Chinese ruined my life."

Seattle's Wing Luke Museum was targeted in a hate crime last week when a man smashed the outside windows of the museum with a sledgehammer. The suspect later apparently told police, "the Chinese ruined my life."

Link: Shattered windows and nerves, Seattle's Wing Luke Museum targeted in alleged hate crime

According to the police report, 76-year-old Craig Milne used a sledgehammer to break the windows of the museum along Canton Alley South on Thursday evening, as dozens of patrons were inside touring an exhibit.

After the attack, Milne apparently remained outside the building, and was heard saying he had come to the Chinatown International District to cause damage because, ahem, "the Chinese ruined my life."

You fucking fool, you ruined your own life. And the good people at this museum didn't do shit to you.

The True Story of a Fake Story About a Real Life

New podcast 'Magnificent Jerk' explores the eccentric life and career of actor/writer Galen Yuen.



The way most people probably remembered Galen Yuen -- if they knew or knew of him at all -- was as a working actor with a few dozen minor movie and TV roles, playing characters like "Yakuza Member," "Smuggler" or "Low Life #1." He also had a sprinkle of screenwriting credits, including an episode of the short-lived TV series Vanishing Son, and a direct-to-video movie called Crazy Six. Yuen died in 2015 at 63.

Fast forward a few years later, when journalist Maya Lin Sugarman finds a box of forgotten screenplays -- written by her late uncle, Galen -- that sets her on a journey to uncover the truth about his tumultuous life. She discovers, among other shocking things that may or may not be true, that Galen was a leader of a Chinese gang, that he went to jail, and, in a final twist, that he poured his life story into a screenplay that was turned into a 1990s Hollywood action movie... starring Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, and Ice-T.

Maya shares her journey to discover the truth about Galen in the new podcast Magnificent Jerk, "the true story -- of a fake story -- about a real life." Listen to the trailer:

Read These

Engineering student run over by Seattle police remembered as 'brilliant' and 'full of hope'
Indian American leaders are calling for justice after a Seattle police officer said 23-year-old Jaanhavi Kandula, a student at Northeastern University, had "limited value."

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Asian American U.S.-born children of immigrants are most likely to have hidden part of their heritage
Fear of ridicule and a desire to fit in are common reasons they give for doing this, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

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World's Largest 'Baby Exporter' Confronts Its Painful Past
South Korean adoptees have been returning to the country to hold the government accountable for what they call a corrupt adoption system that went largely unchanged until recent decades.

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How big-name concerts became unlikely places for immigrant parents and kids to bond
From Taylor Swift to Beyoncé to the Spice Girls, many children of immigrants say these big acts have helped bridge divides across generations.

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Hasan Minhaj's "Emotional Truths"
In his standup specials, the former Patriot Act host often recounts harrowing experiences he's faced as an Asian American and Muslim American. Does it matter that much of it never happened to him?

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The Bold, 96-Minute Episode That Defines Lulu Wang's Approach to Expats
Debuting at the Toronto Film Festival, the TV series Expats gained controversy for centering on wealthy expats in Hong Kong. But creator Lulu Wang aims to tell a much more impactful story.

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Clarissa Wei Knows All Too Well That Food Is Political
In her debut cookbook, Made in Taiwan, journalist Clarissa Wei uses recipes to tell the story of the island's people, and take a stand on its sovereignty.

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Bruce Lee's "Warrior," and the Politics of Kung Fu
The Max series Warrior makes a radical argument for what constitutes American history.

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Fighting kung fu
From chopsocky films to disco earworms, Asian caricatures have proliferated since the 1970s. Can Hollywood kick the habit?

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Hollywood Chinese Actor Had an Unknown Past as a San Francisco Gangster
Late actor Galen Yuen, who played minor roles in movies and occasionally wrote screenplays, also had a largely unknown past as a Chinatown gangster. His niece, journalistmMaya Lin Sugarman, has launched a new seven-episode podcast about her uncle, entitled Magnificent Jerk.

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Let's Be Neurotic Together: A Conversation with Cathy Park Hong
Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings, talks about the interrelations between activism and grief, how best to combat burnout, and what it meant for her to be designated "the liberal pundit of Asian Americans."

They Call Us Bruce 211: They Call Us Liquor Store Dreams

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 So Yun Um, director of the feature documentary Liquor Store Dreams, an intimate portrait of two Korean American children of Los Angeles liquor store owners. She talks about confronting popular media depictions of Korean American store owners, turning the camera on herself to tell this deeply personal story, and hitting record during some very tough, heated conversations with her family members. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Liquor Store Dreams.

They Call Us Bruce 210: They Call Us Dear Alana

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 Simon Kent Fung, creator and host of the podcast Dear Alana, an eight-part limited series that tells the story of aspiring nun Alana Chen, who tragically ended her life at the age of 24 after seven years in conversion therapy. Simon talks about telling this gripping, intimate story through the dozens of journals Alana left behind, his own shockingly similar parallel experience with conversion therapy, and The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of being open about who you are. Also: stay tuned for the first episode of Dear Alana from Tenderfoot TV.

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UNC police got the wrong Asian while searching for suspect, intensifying fears of racial profiling'
For many students of Asian descent, the initial confusion in identifying and apprehending the wrong person in last week's fatal shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dredged up ever-present fears of racial profiling.

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The History of Asian American Labor Activism Is Essential for Today's Students'
Despite centuries of racially discriminatory laws, Asian immigrants and Asian Americans have consistently engaged in labor resistance.

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My grandma in Wuhan is philosophical about COVID, life and her favorite topic: death'
In 2020, graphic artist and memoirist Laura Gao wrote about a trip she had planned to her birthplace in Wuhan, China to see her beloved grandparents. COVID caused her to cancel the trip. How are her grandparents now faring today? She checked in her with her grandma via WeChat.

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A Chinese grocery store opening in West Los Angeles represents a cultural shift'
Chinese food and groceries are so rare on the west side of Los Angeles that it's become something of an urban legend. But a 99 Ranch Market is coming to Westwood.

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‘Made in Taiwan' is the cookbook that couldn't have existed 20 years ago'
When Clarissa Wei moved to Hong Kong from the U.S. and began covering more Chinese cuisine and, occasionally, politics, it dawned on her that Taiwanese and Chinese foods were distinct from each other.

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TV writer talks "Breaking Bad," writers strike and the toxicity of the "auteur genius showrunner"'
Patty Lin, author of the new memoir End Credits: How I Broke Up with Hollywood, praises writing on Freaks and Geeks and reveals why she loves that a show like Beef finally exists.

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Wong Kar Wai's In The Mood For Love'
Wong Kar Wai's 2000 masterwork In the Mood for Love has influenced filmmakers ranging from Barry Jenkins to Sofia Coppola -- and innumerable teens on TikTok.