Hollywood slowly realizing that iversity in movies attracts more viewers

Steven Yeun, one of the few Asian leading men,  stars with Kristin Stewart in 'Love Me'
that can be viewed on Netflix.

Hollywood does a better job in diversity and inclusion in streaming films than those movies released in theaters. However, despite the progress in representation, Asian American presence lags behind other minorities.

The UCLA Hollywood Diversitiy Report 2025 released this week found that streaming platforms continued to chart paths forward for diversity, with gains for people of color in all major employment categories. Women also saw more opportunities in acting roles, the report found. These increases are in sharp contrast to how films on the big screen walked back opportunities for these same groups.

“Films should reflect the realities of this country in terms of representation,” said Darnell Hunt, executive vice chancellor and provost at UCLA, who co-founded the report series. “We’re past the point where we can let the wholesale erasure of people’s identities, perspectives and experiences slide.”

        FYI: The UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report 2025

Streaming platforms continued to chart paths forward for diversity, with gains for people of color in all major employment categories. Women also saw more opportunities in acting roles, the report found. These increases are in sharp contrast to how films on the big screen walked back opportunities for these same groups.

After 2023’s historic highs for people of color in theater-bound films, after Trump's attack on DEI policies, the rollback on diversity was evident, as people of color lost ground in all key employment areas and researchers found that 80% of directors and co-directors and 91.5% of writers and co-writers were white.

Researchers found that, for the first time, half of all leads were people of color, almost double the percentage for top theatrical films. For instance, 64% of streaming films had casts that were at least 30% minority actors, compared to 57% of theatrical films.

However, the UCLA report's findings on streaming films, indicated that while representation for people of color in lead roles on streaming platforms has improved overall, Asian actors remain underrepresented.

Other key findings:

• Underrepresentation in Lead Roles: Asian actors were still underrepresented among lead streaming roles, accounting for just 2% of these roles. This contrasts with their representation in the overall U.S. population, where Asians account for 6.4%.

• Diverse Casts in Top Films: A majority of the top 20 streaming-only films released in 2024 featured diverse casts, and households identifying as Asian were among those who had a significant portion of their top 10 highest-rated films featuring such diversity.

• Driving Viewership: Like other people of color, Asian audiences drove viewership highs for streaming films, especially those with diverse casts.

• Limited Representation in Specific Roles: There were no Asian female leads in the top theatrical films in 2024, and while the streaming report focuses on streaming, it is important to note this finding from Part 1 of the report.

• South Asian Minimal Representation: South Asians were minimally represented in top films.

“Our data shows that diverse storytellers and actors draw in and engage people from every demographic,” said co-author Jade Abston, a doctoral candidate in cinema media studies. 

The report found that diversity was beneficial economically. The increased diversity behind and in front of the camera increased viewership among the streaming audience. 

“People across the country support diverse films regardless of whether it’s in a theater or from the comfort of their couch,” said Ana-Christina Ramón, co-founder of the report and director of the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at UCLA. “Streaming films are one of the few places where the stories and faces that reflect the people of this country can be found.”

Most of the top 20 streaming films by overall household ratings featured casts that included more than 30% people of color. When audiences were broken into different demographic groups, households that defined themselves as Asian, Black, Latino, white, or other race/ethnicity had at least eight, if not more, of their top 10 highest-rated films featuring casts that included such diversity.

The report also looked at film budgets, as well as the 175 film deals made in 2024 overall.

Just over 65% of the top streaming films had budgets of less than $20 million, compared to 34.6% for theatrical films. On the higher end, only 4.4% of streaming films had budgets of $100 million or more, which is almost six times less than the 26% share in top theatrical films. Men were the only streaming film directors with this level of resources.

“We’re glad to see gains for diversity with streaming films, but the gap between movie budgets for streaming and theatrical releases gets wider and wider,” said Michael Tran, a sociologist and co-author of the report. “It’s especially troubling since only a select few, specifically men, are given the chance to dip into the upper echelons of financial backing.”

While streaming has seen gains in diversity, the report also highlights the need for continued investment in diverse storytellers to remain relevant and attract new audiences.

Particularly key to the success of streaming films was the viewership of certain groups: Households of color were overrepresented for 19 of the top 20 streaming films ranked by total household ratings. Women were the majority of viewers, and audiences aged 18-49 were also overrepresented among 15 of the same top 20 films.

In summary, the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report 2025 streaming edition highlighted both positive trends in overall streaming diversity and the continued need for improvement in Asian representation, particularly in lead acting roles.

“Having diverse stories pushes the boundaries of what we know and understand. Inclusive storytelling is needed now more than ever,” Hunt said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.

Pope Leo's appointment of the first Vietnamese American bishop sends a message supporting all immigrants

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San DIego's Bishop Michael Pham is the first Vietnamese American bishop.

As one of his first acts as head of the Catholic church, Pope Leo XIV picked Bishop Michael Pham to head the Diocese of San Diego. 

Pham is the first Vietnamese American to lead an American diocese and is the seventh Bishop of San Diego. But more significantly, he is a refugee, having fled communist Vietnam as a child.

Pham's appointment may be a statement by the new Pope because Pham, as a refugee, is an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's immigration policies.

In one of his first acts as San Diego's new bishop, Pham, along with auxiliary bishops Revs. Ramon Bejarano and Felipe Pulido, sent a letter to faith leaders in the Diocese of San Diego suggesting they visit federal court buildings next week “to stand in solidarity” with immigrants making court appearances.

“We know that migrants and refugees find themselves in the difficult predicament of being called to appear, which is what the government asks of them, and then being given orders for expedited removal from our country,” the group wrote in the letter.

“This group of priests and faith leaders will simply be present during this process as it has been experienced that the presence of faith leaders makes a difference in how migrants are treated. Unfortunately, it will most likely not change the outcome.”

Not coincidentally, the day chosen for this act of support for immigrants is June 20th, is also International Refugee Day.

Pham's Mass installing him as San Diego's bishop will be held on July 17.

The new Bishop sent this letter to clergy and faith leaders in the San Diego diocese.

“With profound gratitude and blessing, I receive my appointment to be the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego. I cannot express enough how grateful I am to God for blessing me with graces to serve God’s people. I am deeply thankful to Pope Leo XIV who entrusted me with this portion of the Lord’s vineyard. It brings an added sense of awe as I am a son to this diocese. It is an honor to serve ‘my home,’ where I received my call and vocation to the priesthood more than 31 years ago," Pham said.

“‘The Good Shephed knows his sheep, and they know him.’ I find great joy and hope in these words as I assume my new role as bishop, shepherd, and brother to a wonderful community of bishops, priests, religious men and women, deacons, and lay leaders who have ministered alongside me all these years. I look forward to continuing the mission of our diocese as we embrace the call to be a synodal church where we listen, dialogue, and advance forward with a grateful heart.”

Pham fled Vietnam as a 13-year-old refugee in 1980, accompanied by his older sister and a younger brother, arriving first at a refugee camp in Malaysia, before being sponsored a year later in 1981 by an American family and relocating to Minnesota. A few months later, another sister came to live with them and in 1983 the remainder of his family – four more siblings and his parents – arrived in Minnesota. His family moved to San Diego in 1985.

He graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s and started a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering before transferring to St. Francis Seminary at the University of San Diego. He completed his seminary training at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. He was ordained a priest of the San Diego Diocese in 1999. In 2009, he completed a Master of Science in Psychology. In 2020, he completed a Licentiate in Sacred Theology.

He has been serving as diocesan administrator since mid-March, following the departure of Cardinal McElroy to the Archdiocese of Washington.

In one of his most noteworthy assignments, he served as Vicar for Ethnic and Intercultural Affairs, where he did groundbreaking work bringing together more than 20 of San Diego’s ethnic Catholic communities.

Pham's appointment is underscore's Pope Leo's sentiment against Trump's harsh policies of immigrants, citizens and those without documentation.

Pham's call to action by Catholic leaders highlights growing faith-based opposition to Trump's mass deportation policy, which has drawn criticism from religious groups and the Vatican.

Just after Pope Leo was elected in May, his brother John Prevost told the media that his sibling is "not happy with what's going on with immigration."

Since he took office, Trump has used immigrants, US citizens or undocumented,  to whip up fear and hate against those people (of color) entering the US. Last week, federal agents arrests of immigrants at their workplaces and at immigration offices sparked mass protests in Los Angeles.

The protests grew so much so fast that Trump federalized California National Guard and called up a contingent of US Marines to protect federal property and the agents from ICE and Homeland Security.

Pham's letter went on to say, that on June 20 they hope "the presence of faith leaders makes a difference in how the migrants are treated."

"The people of faith stand with immigrants and refugees," the letter said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.

Filipino American is the star witness against Sean "Diddy" Combs

Actress and singer Cassie Ventura, right, with Sean "Diddy" Combs.

If rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs is found guilty of numerous abuse allegations, it will because of the testimony of his Filipino American Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, one of his former girlfriends.

There would be no federal case against Combs without Ventura and her bombshell 2023 lawsuit accusing him of physical abuse and sexual coercion.

Spending four days on the witness stand last month, Ventura accused Combs of rape as well as physical and emotional abuse. She said over their 11-year relationship, Combs coerced her into participating in drug-fueled “freak-offs,” in which she would have sex with male escorts.

She claimed Combs filmed these alleged encounters and supposedly threatened to ruin her budding singing and acting career by releasing the footage.

Ventura's initial suit was settled one day after it was filed in November of 2023, but that didn't end Comb's troubles.

Her lawsuit created a domino effect, resulting in several additional lawsuits against Diddy and a federal investigation into the allegations. The rapper was arrested in September 2024 and indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Since then, new witnesses have emerged, including other former girlfiends and former employees, some using psuedonym, have corroborated Ventura's allegations as they recounted their own alleged abuse by Combs.

FYI: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

According to the indictment, prosecutors claim that Combs forced or coerced women into participating in "freak offs" and would allegedly leverage his power and influence to do so.

"The case rises and falls with Cassie. Especially the sex trafficking charges,” says former prosecutor Mark Chutkow. She testified last month.

Ventura, 38, is at the center of many of the charges, and other witnesses, including her friends and mother, have corroborated her testimony.

Still, Chutkow believes hotel the hotel's surveillance video from 2016, in which Combs is seen beating Ventura and kicking her while she’s on the ground, is damning to Combs' not guilty plea and overrides any single testimony. “You can’t really cross-examine videotape,” he says. “It’s like a crime scene frozen in time.”

The details of these allegations have become a central focus of both the civil lawsuits and the criminal proceedings against Combs have shed light on serious allegations of abuse and exploitation.

According to Ventura's testimony last month, Combs began physically, sexually and emotionally abusing her in 2007, around the same time the two of them began dating.

She had just recorded her biggest R&B hit, "Me & You," and was seen as an upcoming star in the recording and motion picture industry.

She signed with Combs' Bad Boy Records to a long-term contract, which in hindsight, she says, was a means of control. She nver replicated her first hit despite several

Under oath, Ventura said that during her 11-year relationship with Combs, she recorded hundreds of tracks under his direction. She now calls those efforts busywork, saying that her main job was organizing and participating in multi-day marathons of sex and drug use directed by Combs, which Ventura alleged happened "hundreds" of times over the years.

Combs' defense lawyers say her participation was entirely consensual, and Combs has pleaded not guilty to all the criminal charges against him.

The 38-year old actress/singer's husband, Alex Fine, whom she married in 2019, was in the courtroom during her testimony The couple share two daughters,  and welcomed their third child, a son, later last month.

INSTAGRAM / CASSIE VENTURA

Rod Ventura, Cassie Ventura's father, with one of her children.

While her parents have been mostly out of the spotlight, she has been vocal about their support throughout her life. During a February 2007 conversation with The New York Times, Ventura opened up about her parents' influence, saying, "My parents raised me right."

"I work hard, and I want to prove I deserve what I have. I talk to them every day,” she said, adding that they "keep (her) focused."

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guity, Combs could face life imprisonment.

Ventura was raised by her parents — an "army brat" mom and "navy brat" dad — in Connecticut, as she said during a January 2008 interview with Blackfilm.

"My Dad is Filipino and my Mom is Mexican, Black and West Indian."

"My childhood was fun," she told the outlet, adding that it was "pretty carefree."

"I tried a little of everything when I was little," Cassie said. "I tried karate, I tried ballet, I tried piano lessons and singing lessons. ... I was a pretty normal kid, for the most part."

Friday is the 23rd day of Combs' trial. Because he was denied bail, Combs remains in detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, while the trial continues.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.

L.A. protests: “Donald Trump is creating fear and terror," says governor

National Guard soldiers were ordered to 

The heavy-handed tactics used by federal immigration authorities has sparked angry  protests and a lawsuit against Donald Trump and his questionable use of the California National Guard that appears to be escalating the tension and anger in Los Angeles.

Trump's use of the National Guard to quell protests against tactics used by federal immigration agents in Los Angeles has California's Filipino American Attorney General Rob Bonta filing his 24th lawsuit against Donald Trump and his administration

Bonta and California Governor Gavin Newsom are suing Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth in response to their orders seeking to federalize the California National Guard for 60 days under 10 U.S.C. § 12406.

 In the early hours of Sunday morning, the US Department of Defense, at the direction of Donald Trump, redirected hundreds of National Guard troops from San Diego to Los Angeles, without authorization from the Governor and against the wishes of local law enforcement. In total, the Department intends to deploy 2,000 troops from across the state, an inflammatory escalation unsupported by conditions on the ground. 

Lawsuit filed against Trump

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Bonta and Newsom asks the court to hold unlawful and set aside the Trump’s order federalizing the National Guard by way of a rarely used law, arguing that such action exceeds the federal government’s authority under the law and violates the Tenth Amendment.

“President Trump’s order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive. It’s also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation’s wars,” says  Bonta. 

        RELATED: California challenges Trump's tarriffs

“Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends," says Bonta. "Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President’s authority under the law – and not one we take lightly. We’re asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.”

“Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the US Constitution and overstepping his authority. This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic,” says Newsom. 

On Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted multiple immigration raids in downtown Los Angeles; at a Home Depot and at apparel manufacturers Around 3 p.m. Friday. Crowds began gathering in shouting at the federal agents and trying to stop the federal agents' vehicles.

These raids were met with multiple protests. 

Following threats to send in the National Guard from several Trump Administration officials, on the evening of June 7, Trump issued a formal memorandum entitled “Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions,” purporting to authorize the Department of Defense to call up 2,000 California National Guard personnel into federal service for a period of 60 days. 

In implementing this directive, the Department of Defense circumvented authorization from the Governor and began deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of local law enforcement actively on the ground. Notably, by the time the National Guard arrived Sunday morning, the protests had dissipated and streets were quiet, but soon after the National Guard arrived, tensions reignited, leading to the very sort of unrest the National Guard was supposedly sent in to quell. 

Concerningly, Trump has already made clear his intention to expand the use of these National Guard troops to conduct interior civil immigration enforcement activities normally conducted by civil immigration law enforcement officers, creating fear and terror in California communities.

Trump’s unprecedented order attempts to usurp state authority and resources via 10 U.S.C. § 12406, a statute that has been invoked on its own only once before in modern history and for highly unusual circumstances — when President Richard Nixon called upon the National Guard to deliver the mail during the 1970 Postal Service Strike. This is also the first time since 1965 — when President Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators — that a president has activated a state’s National Guard without a request from the state’s governor. 

In this case, Newsom did not request that the state’s National Guard be federalized, as local authorities were managing the situation on the ground, and openly expressed concern that bringing in the National Guard could inflame the situation. After the President plowed ahead with his order, the Governor sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth requesting that the Department of Defense rescind its unlawful deployment of troops in the state and return them to his command.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Bonta and Newsom asks the court to hold that Trump's and Department of Defense’s orders federalizing the California National Guard are unlawful, arguing that:The federalization of the California National Guard deprives California of resources to protect itself and its citizens, and of critical responders in the event of a state emergency.

Newsom had filed an emergency motion with the courts Tuesday in an attempt to prevent Trump's expansion of the military in LA - a federal judge denied it and set the hearing for Newsom's lawsuit for Thursday

        FYI: A copy of the lawsuit is available here.

10 U.S.C. 12406 requires that the Governor consent to federalization of the National Guard, which Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment.

Trump’s unlawful order infringes on Newsom’s role as Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.

“State and local law enforcement have repeatedly said they have the resources necessary to handle the situation. It is completely un-American and needlessly provocative for Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Southern California," said California Rep. Ted Lieu, whose district includes part of Los Angeles. 

"So, I want to talk about the National Guard first. Their legal authority Trump is using is 10 U.S.C. Section 12406. I encourage all of you to read it. It very specifically says the only way he can do this is through the orders of the Governors of the states. Governor Newsom clearly has not given this order; the National Guard troops are following unlawful orders. I ask every National Guard person who is under this order to read the order, to see if it came from Governor Newsom and then to read the law and then decide for themselves if they are following unlawful orders," Lieu implored.

“Like millions of Americans across the country, I am deeply concerned by the administration’s use of aggressive tactics against immigrant communities. Armed agents have raided schools, workplaces, and homes—terrorizing our neighbors and ripping families apart,” said Congressmember Grace Meng (NY-06), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. 

“This is not about public safety, this is about exerting control and striking fear in immigrant communities," said Meng. "As Members of Congress, we will continue to exercise our legal authority to conduct oversight of detention centers and demand accountability from the administration, and we will fight for immigration policies that reflect our nation’s values of fairness and dignity for all—not cruelty disguised as law and order.”

Protestors take to the streets

The protests were in response to raids by ICE and Homeland Security at workplaces, schools and when immigrants arrived at their immigration check-ins which they agreed to in order to remain in the country.

“Mass raids without warrants has been what has started this whole thing,” alleges Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA., “It was started by Donald Trump.”

On Friday, June 6, the federal government, through IICE, began conducting widespread operations throughout Los Angeles without providing notification to local law enforcement. During the course of these operations, ICE officers took actions that inflamed tensions, including the arrest and detainment of children, and military-style operations that sparked panic in the community. The Department of Homeland Security reported that its enforcement activities on June 6 resulted in the arrest of 44 individuals, two of whom appear to have been minors. Only five of those arrested reportedly had any criminal history.

In response, community members began protesting to express opposition to these Gestapo-like tactics, the Trump’s heavy-handed, violent immigration agenda, and the arrest of innocent people, and to express solidarity with and concern for the individuals and families most directly impacted by the enforcement actions taking place in their community. 

Protests continued for two more days, and although some violent and illegal incidents were reported — leading to justified arrests by state and local authorities — these protests were largely nonviolent and involved citizens exercising their First Amendment right to protest. 

As the protests moved into a third day, Tuesday night L.A. Mayor Karen Bass instituted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles. Small bands of people ignored the curfew and the LAPD began making arrests.

At no point did these protests necessitate federal intervention, and local and state law enforcement remained in control of the situation. Local law enforcement, despite no communication or advanced notice from the federal government, responded quickly and did not request federal assistance.

“Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach," says Newsom. "This is beyond incompetence — this is him intentionally causing chaos, terrorizing communities, and endangering the principles of our great democracy. It is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism. We will not let this stand.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

San Antonio elects Filipino American as its mayor

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Gina Ortiz Jones, Filiipino American, is the new mayor of San Antonio, Texas.

Gina Ortiz Jones  went up against the Texas GOP machine and beat her Republican opponent to become San Antonio's first Asian American mayor and the city's first mayor who is openly queer.

The Filipino American lost two earlier bids for Congress but upset Rolando Pablos, a former Texas Secretary of State aligned with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, 54%-46% in Saturday's runoff election.

"There's a lot going on at the federal level," said Jones, who was the Air Force undersecretary in the Biden administration. "There's a lot going on at the state level. But we here in San Antonio — deep in the heart of Texas — reminded folks what San Antonio stands for, didn't we? We reminded them that our city is about compassion, and it's about leading with everybody in mind."

She also said to her supporters: "I always think about the courage that my mom had to come to this very special country, and the importance for all of us to do our part to make sure that others see just how special our country can continue to be when it's led by the right folks and when our actions match our values."

Apparently, the third time was a charm for Ortiz. She came close in 2018 in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, losing by rabout 1,000 votes to Republican Will Hurd, then lost by a larger margin in the same district two years later to Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales.

San Antonio’s mayoral race suddenly took on new significance when it came down to a runoff between Jones, a two-time Democratic congressional candidate, and Pablos, a close ally of Texas’ GOP leaders. They were the two top vote-getters in a special election held earlier. Since no one garnered more than 50% of the vote, the race was narrowed down to Jones and Pablos.

Although it is supposedly a nonpartisan contest, both Democrats and Republicans poured tons of money into the campaign and it became a high profile contest in the GOP-dominated state. However, in San Antonio, a city of about 1.5 million, Democrats outnumber Republicans allmost 2 to 1.

"I am very thankful for the opportunity to be able to serve with everybody in mind," Jones said in her victory speech immediately after the total votes were counted. "Y'all, we won tonight, we won tonight."

“It might have been Gina Ortiz Jones on the ballot, but on the ballot was decency. And kindness. And compassion,” she said at one of her victory celebrations. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Filipino Americans make history winning top Tony awards for musicals

Nicole Scherzinger gave an emotional speech while accepting her Tony.

Broadway might never see another evening like Sunday's Tony Awards where history was made when three Filipino Americans won Tony awards, Broadway's equivalent to the Oscars.

It was a big night at Radio City Music Hall for Asian American performers but especially for Filipino Amerians. 

Filipino Amercans Darren Criss and Nicole Scherzinger, each won their first-ever Tony Awards for their performances in the musicals Maybe Happy Ending and Sunset B.vd, respectively. Criss won Best Lead Actor in a Musical, while Scherzinger won Best Lead Actress in a Musical. 

Additionally, another Filipino American, Marco Paguia, won Best Orchestrations for Buena Vista Social Club.

Scherzinger, 46, won for her performance of fading Hollywood star Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd., a revival based on the 1950 film noir of the same name by Billy Wilder.

"Growing up I always felt like I didn't belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong, and I have come home at last," she sobbed while accepting the award.

"I'm so honored to be recognized alongside these exceptional warrior women in this category. I want to thank you all so much for making this little Hawaiian/ Ukrainian/ Filipino girl's dream come true. So proud to represent."

        FYI: Record number of Asian American Tony nominees

She also thanked her family, including her mom, stating she 'had me at 18 and gave everything up for me.'

Nicole wrapped up her inspiring speech, sharing, 'If there's anyone out there who feels like they don't belong, or your time hasn't come, don't give up.'

'"ust keep on giving and giving, because the world needs your love and your light now more than ever.'

'This is a testament that love always wins. Thank you so much. God Bess you," concluded Scherzinger, who started her musical journey as a member of the all-women Pussycat Dolls.

Darren Criss is the first Asian American man to win a lead role Tony.

In the Best Leading Actor in a Musical category, Criss beat out Andrew Durand for Dead Outlaw, Tom Francis for Sunset Boulevard, Jonathan Groff for Just in Time, Jeremy Jordan for Floyd Collins, and James Monroe Iglehart for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.

In his acceptance his Tony, Criss gave a shout out to his costar. "I share this with one of the best leading actresses is in a Broadway msical the season, Helen J. Shen,' he said. "I am so proud of you and your Broadway debut is for the books. This is where you belong."

Criss and Shen performed a number from their musical after being introduced by Broadway legend Lea Salonga, the first Asian woman to win a Best Actress in a Musical Tony for her role in the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon.

"The real hero for this remarkable journey is my wife, Mia," he continued, "who took a massive swing on allowing me to do this and to allow this crazy upheaval in our life to make this logistically possible, and for bearing the brunt of raising two tiny friends under three so that I could raise a singing robot at the theater eight times a week."

"I have such immense pride to get to be part of this notably diverse exquisite Broadway season this year," Criss told the star-studded audience.

It was a big night for Maybe Happy Ending which wound up with six Tony's including Best Musical and Best Direction for a Musical for director Michael Arden.

The musical's South Korean lyricist Hue Park and American composer Will Aronson took home the Tony for best original score and best book of a musical.

In addition to the Tony for Best Orchestration, Marco Paguia also won a second Tony as a musician for the Buena Vista Social Club. Besides being the show's music direcor and conductor, he is also on stage playing piano.

Another Asian American winning an award Sunday was Francis Jue, a Broaddway veteran who accepted a Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play in Yellowface, a timely revival about representation for Asian Americansin the performing arts written by David Henry Hwang. The play also earned a Tony nomination for lead actor Daniel Dae Kim.

Unknown to most of the audience, another Filipino American, Tatiana Cordoba, sang and danced Sunday in her lead role as Ana Garcia, the Mexican American teenager seeking to break away from a life as a garment worker in the musical Real Women Have Curves.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

'

Filipino American Arizona candidate is exciting Gen Z voters and shaking up the old guard

Deja Foxx speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Writing about influencer Deja Foxx in a blog might be a little old school. After all, she is running a political campaign that makes extensive use of the digital platforms to reach out to voters, especially Gen Z voters who might feel disillusioned and frustrated by the results of the 2024 election.

You might not have heard of her but that means you haven't been hanging out in the new-age communication platforms offered by the internet.

At 25, Foxx is already a veteran of political campaigns, having been the youngest member of Kamala Harris media staff at the age of 19 when Harris launched her campaign for President in 2016.

“This country, this last election, left me just as disappointed and horrified as you,” Foxx said in a recent Teen Vogue interview. 

After celebrating her 25th birthday recently, she was faced with the disappointment of the results in November 2024 and a choicce between abandoing all hope in a badly damaged political system or a dive deeper into politics to try and right the flaws and widening gap. She chose the latter by running for Congress.

Fate stepped in when Democrat Congressman Raúl Grijalva of Arizona's 7th district died in March from complications of his cancer treatment. His death created a scenario of a special election to replace him. The Special Primary Election will be held on July 15, 2025, and the Special General Election will be held on September 23, 2025.

“This country, this last election, left me just as disappointed and horrified as you,” Foxx said in a recent Teen Vogue interview. “It was crashout or Congress — and I chose Congress.”

Foxx, a Filipino American, faces four other formidable candidates for the July 15 primary for the largely Hispanic disctrict. Besides Foxx, the candidates include Adelita Grijalva, a former Pima County Supervisor and daughter of the late Congressman; Daniel Hernandez, Jr., a former state lawmaker; Patrick Harris, Sr., a businessman; and José Malvido, Jr., an Indigenous scholar. All are better funded and more experienced than Foxx.

Foxx announced her candidacy April 2, a week before she turned 25, the minimum age for a seat in Congress. If she wins, she would become the youngest member of Congress and she'd join Rep. Bobby Scott, D-VA, as only the second Filipino American in the current Congress.

In May, Filipino American Deja Foxx, center, posted this on Instagram.

Raised in Tucson, Foxx was only 15 when she left home because of her mother’s struggles with substance abuse. 

“You can imagine what it's like to be a teenage girl in high school — the last thing you want to do is tell all your peers that you’re homeless,” Foxx recalls in an interview with Campaign US.

“I wasn't the typical definition of homelessness, when most people think of being on the street,” Deja says. “Instead, I just was housing insecure -- I was without a home of my own.”

She balanced high school classes with long nights working at the gas station and found her fight advocating for better sex education in her school district. Organizing a campaign of student storytellers, she delivered a win for tens of thousands of her peers who until then had been learning a curriculum last updated in the 1980s and worked firsthand in clinics around Tucson to provide support to young people seeking reproductive care.

Foxx went toe-to-toe with Republicans who voted in favor of the Trump Administration decision to defund Planned Parenthood. Still in high school, she made national headlines as, overnight, millions of views poured in on a video of her fiery exchange with Arizona's former Republican Senator Jeff Flake. After he voted to strip her and millions of other women of their access to essential birth control funding that empowered them to control their bodies and their futures, at a town hall she asked him pointedly: 

“So I’m a young woman, and you’re a middle aged man. I’m a person of color, and you’re white. I come from poverty and I didn’t always have parents to guide me through life. You come from privilege. So I’m wondering, as a Planned Parenthood patient and someone who relies on Title X, who you are clearly not, why is your right to take away my right to choose…,” she said as the audience began cheering making it difficult to hear the rest of her question.

“Why would you deny me the American dream?” she asked.

Looking back at that viral moment.  she said, "Because of people like us, Republicans like him didn’t stand a chance."

        VIDEO: Deja Foxx announces her candidacy for Congress.

Foxx knows firsthand that good policies lift people up—because she’s lived it. As a first-generation American living in Section 8 housing on SNAP benefits and Medicaid. Investing in public education, defending reproductive rights, protecting social services, and creating affordable housing aren’t just talking points.

Those Democratic policies made it possible for her to walk across the stage as the first in her family to graduate college. A graduate of Columbia University, she made history as one of the youngest presidential campaign staffers, leading Influencer Strategy for Kamala Harris at just 19-years old. 

As of this week, Foxx has more than 342,000 followers on TikTok, 164,000 followers on Instagram, 19.2 thousands on Thread and she is also on older platforms of Facebook and X.

In 2024, she used her platforms as a speaker at the Democratic National Convention to shine a light on the ways the rising cost of living, restrictions on reproductive rights, and student debt affect her generation. She spoke in front of TV cameras and to the delegates about reproductive rights being 'the issue of this election'.

She continued: "Particularly in some swing states like Arizona. It isn't just about winning the electoral battle. When we see a combination of race and gender-based attacks, it's about winning the narrative battle because little girls are listening to see what is possible.

        FYI: Donate to Deja Foxx's campaign.

"So content creators, like the ones you see here, have the opportunity to shape a generation's political understanding in this election cycle."

As a teenager she once unabashedly stated that she wanted to become President of the US. She was already eyeing the District 7 race in 2026 when Raúl Grijalva's passing speeded up her plans.

While speaking to all voters, it is clear that her greatest appeal is among young people and her campaign is leaning into that demographic who are more prone to respond to a DM than to pick up a phone call from an unknown phone number.

"I think about all of those young people we lost in 2024 who didn't turn out to vote. I had to take a hard look in the mirror as someone who has worked behind the scenes for causes and candidates to create content publicly asking young people to take action, to share their stories, to organize, to vote," she tells Teen Vogue. 

"I came to the personal feeling that I couldn't ask them to keep doing that if I couldn't give them something to really get excited about after this hard loss. That influenced my decision to get into this race…. Every election, people ask me, How do we get young people involved? And the answer is, we need to get young people on the ballot."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Jessica Sanchez returning to 'America's Got Talent'

Jessica Sanchez returning to 'Amrica's Got Talent."

Remember Jessica Sanchez? The Filipino American singer is back on television.

I remember cheering and voting for the her in American Idol when she was 16 years old. She almost won, coming up short in the final, losing to a guitar-playiing white guy. In my mind, she should have won.In America's Got Talent's first show this season, the May 27 show featured a teaser about Sanchez's upcoming appearance.

This time, she's on America's Got Talent, for which she first auditioned 20 years ago on the reality competition' first season. In AGT'sfirst show this season, the May 27 show featured a teaser about Sanchez's upcoming appearance.

As a 10-year old on AGT, Sanchez became a wildcard act but did not advance to the grand finals.

"Being 10 years old on AGT played such a massive role in me believing in something bigger for myself, for my voice," the singer posted on social media.

After American Idol, she sang at several events, including the Democratic National Convention in 2016 where she performed the theme song for Hillary Clinton's campaign.  She put out  a couple of recordings but her career never really took off and has several appearances in the Philippines as well as the US.

In 2021, she married Rickie Gallardo in 2021. Gallardo is not in the music industry but his support has been vital in Sanchez's  rocky career.

FYI: The AGT trailer did not say when Jessica Sanchez will perform on the reality show so keep an eye on your local listings. AGT airs Tuesdays, 8 p.m. on ABC.

"I’m more of a perfectionist," she said in an interview with PhilStar. "And I kind of tend to put myself down a lot when I’m not at this standard that I’m trying to reach. With everybody around me, with my mom, my friends, my family, but most importantly, my partner, he’s always there pushing me, supporting me, telling me, ‘You got this,’ in my super low moments, when I really doubt myself."

But she hopes she can give her career a boost by returning to AGT.

"What a huge blessing it is to be able to come back and chase after my dreams again after 20 years. Can’t wait to see what God has in store for me ❤️," she added on Instagram.

Since Amrican Idol, her journey has been rocky, she admits. She also encountered discrimination and “people telling me I can’t do that, I can’t do this because I’m Asian.” She has released a power ballad about it, titled Us, which she also co-wrote and features fellow Asian American artists Apl.De.Ap., Patrick Starr and AJ Rafael.

During tough times in her career, her Filipino mom acted as a morale booster and support system. “From a young age, because of my mom, because she has such a strong personality, she’s always told me and taught me like, you know, don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t do something no matter your circumstance or your race or anything like that, or because you’re a woman or anything like that. That really stuck with me and I carry that throughout my whole career,” she said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Filipino American actress marries Buffalo Bills quarterback

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Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen tie the knot in California.

Filipino American actress Hailee Steinfeld walked down the aisle and married osh Allen, quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.

Steinfeld, who garnered an Oscar nomination at the age of 14, married Allen in a garden setting in California last Saturday, May 31.

Allen, just signed a six-year contract with the Bills reportedly worth $30 million and Stenfeld, best known for her roles in the Pitch Perfect franchise and as Kate Bishop, a super archer, in the Marvel franchise have publicly been a couple for almost two years.

He proposed to her in the middle of the National Football League season as the Buffalo Bills were in pursuit of a championship, in  November, 2024 in Malibu, California.

Steinfeld, 28, is the daughter of a Jewish father and a Filipino American mother. Her maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African American. 

In her latest roled as role as the multi-racial Mary in the film Sinners, Steinfeld was able to more deeply explore her family history and her Filipino roots, leading to deeper connections with her mother and grandfather. She has also spoken about the importance of Filipino food and culture in her life.

“It's not often necessarily about yourself all the time. It's about the character,” she tells Refinery29. “But with Sinners, I was constantly thinking about my situation, my family, my ancestors, my grandfather in each [scene] we were in and talking about.”

Steinfeld says she spent hours speaking with her mom, learning about their family history, particularly her maternal grandfather’s racial identity as half Filipino and half African American. 

During this process, it wasn’t just his identity that she uncovered; it was also his upbringing, his parents, and the broader lineage of her ancestors. It was a process she hadn’t realized she needed — one that helped her make sense of things in her own life.

“This role has brought me closer to myself, to my family, and my family history,” she says in the Refinery29 interview.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.