In the year of the dual pandemics of the coronavirus and hate, Biden proclaims Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2021

The year of hate directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was noted in this year's Presidential Proclamation making May as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which was issued today (April 30, 2021).

Besides extolling the contributions of the AAPI community have made and continuing to make in this country, the proclamation was couched in the context of trying to undo the ignorance and misdirection of the previous administration that fertilized the latent bias so embedded in our institutions and culture that it is not recognized as such.

"In spite of the strength shown and successes achieved, the American dream remains out of reach for far too many AANHPI families. AANHPI communities face systemic barriers to economic justice, health equity, educational attainment, and personal safety.  These challenges are compounded by stark gaps in Federal data, which too often fails to reflect the diversity of AANHPI communities and the particular barriers that Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian, and South Asian communities in the United States continue to face," reads the proclamation

Biden continues, "My Administration also recognizes the heightened fear felt by many Asian American communities in the wake of increasing rates of anti-Asian harassment and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasingly observable layers of hate now directed toward women and elders of Asian descent in particular.  Our Nation continues to grieve the senseless killings of six women of Asian descent in Atlanta, and the unconscionable acts of violence victimizing our beloved Asian American seniors in cities across the country.

Biden repeated a statement that he has said several times since he took office 100 days ago. "Acts of anti-Asian bias are wrong, they are un-American, and they must stop."

Recognizing that the current surge of hate crimes against AANHPI is not a recent phenomenon, the proclamation continued: 

"Present-day inequities faced by AANHPI communities are rooted in our Nation’s history of exclusion, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia against Asian Americans.  Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have endured a long history of injustice — including the Page Act of 1875, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the incarceration of Japanese American citizens during World War II, the murder of Vincent Chin, the mass shooting of Southeast Asian refugee children in 1989, and the targeting of South Asian Americans, especially those who are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, after the national tragedy of 9/11.  

Addressing the erasure of Asian Americans in U.S. history and the acceptance of the discrimination that has faced the community for centuries, Biden said: "It is long past time for Federal leadership to advance inclusion, belonging, and acceptance for all AANHPI communities.  My Administration is committed to a whole-of-government effort to advance equity, root out racial injustices in our Federal institutions, and finally deliver the promise of America for all Americans."

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

The President began the proclamation by pointing out his historic decision to make Kamala Harris his Vice President.

"During this year’s Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, our Nation celebrates the achievements of Vice President Harris, the first person of South Asian descent to hold the Office of the Vice President," the proclamation says. "Vice President Harris has blazed a trail and set an example for young people across the country to aspire to follow, including members of AANHPI communities and AANHPI women in particular. "

The proclamation makes particular note the role AANHPI healthcare workers are playing in battling the coronavirus pandemic, a disease that will go down in the history books as one of the deadliest and the impact it had on the entire country affecting almost every aspect of life.

"We also celebrate and honor the invaluable contributions the AANHPI communities have made to our Nation’s culture and the arts, law, science and technology, sports and public service — including the courageous AANHPIs who have served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as health care providers, first responders, teachers, and other essential workers," the proclamation says.

 

This May, during Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we recognize the history and achievements of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) across our Nation.  In the midst of a difficult year of pain and fear, we reflect on the tradition of leadership, resilience, and courage shown by AANHPI communities, and recommit to the struggle for AANHPI equity.

Asian Americans, and Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders make our Nation more vibrant through diversity of cultures, languages, and religions.  There is no single story of the AANHPI experience, but rather a diversity of contributions that enrich America’s culture and society and strengthen the United States’ role as a global leader.  The American story as we know it would be impossible without the strength, contributions, and legacies of AANHPIs who have helped build and unite this country in each successive generation.  From laying railroad tracks, tilling fields, and starting businesses, to caring for our loved ones and honorably serving our Nation in uniform, AANHPI communities are deeply rooted in the history of the United States.

We also celebrate and honor the invaluable contributions the AANHPI communities have made to our Nation’s culture and the arts, law, science and technology, sports and public service — including the courageous AANHPIs who have served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as health care providers, first responders, teachers, and other essential workers.

During this year’s Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, our Nation celebrates the achievements of Vice President Harris, the first person of South Asian descent to hold the Office of the Vice President.  Vice President Harris has blazed a trail and set an example for young people across the country to aspire to follow, including members of AANHPI communities and AANHPI women in particular. 

In spite of the strength shown and successes achieved, the American dream remains out of reach for far too many AANHPI families. AANHPI communities face systemic barriers to economic justice, health equity, educational attainment, and personal safety.  These challenges are compounded by stark gaps in Federal data, which too often fails to reflect the diversity of AANHPI communities and the particular barriers that Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian, and South Asian communities in the United States continue to face.

My Administration also recognizes the heightened fear felt by many Asian American communities in the wake of increasing rates of anti-Asian harassment and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasingly observable layers of hate now directed toward women and elders of Asian descent in particular.  Our Nation continues to grieve the senseless killings of six women of Asian descent in Atlanta, and the unconscionable acts of violence victimizing our beloved Asian American seniors in cities across the country.

Acts of anti-Asian bias are wrong, they are un-American, and they must stop.  My Administration will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with AANHPI communities in condemning, denouncing, and preventing these acts of violence.  We will continue to look for opportunities to heal together and fight against the racism and xenophobia that still exists in this country.

Present-day inequities faced by AANHPI communities are rooted in our Nation’s history of exclusion, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia against Asian Americans.  Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have endured a long history of injustice — including the Page Act of 1875, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the incarceration of Japanese American citizens during World War II, the murder of Vincent Chin, the mass shooting of Southeast Asian refugee children in 1989, and the targeting of South Asian Americans, especially those who are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, after the national tragedy of 9/11.  It is long past time for Federal leadership to advance inclusion, belonging, and acceptance for all AANHPI communities.  My Administration is committed to a whole-of-government effort to advance equity, root out racial injustices in our Federal institutions, and finally deliver the promise of America for all Americans.

Vice President Harris and I affirm that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders make our Nation stronger.  I urge my fellow Americans to join us this month in celebrating AANHPI history, people, and cultures.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2021 as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to learn more about the history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities.

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Pew Reports: Data shows the diversity and the growing significance of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

It's no surprise that almost half of Asian Americans live in the West. What's surprising is that about 1 in 4 Asian Americans live in the South.

That's just one of the facts that the Pew Research Center has compiled into a huge package chock-full of facts about Asian Americans. The treasure chest of data and information  was released Thursday, days before the beginning of May, which is celebrated as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

California had an Asian population of roughly 6.7 million in 2019, by far the nation’s largest. It was followed by New York (1.9 million), Texas (1.6 million), New Jersey (958,000) and Washington (852,000). A majority of U.S. Asians (55%) lived in these five states.

Aside from Hawaii, where U.S. Asians accounted for 57% of the population in 2019, Asians made up the largest share of the overall population in California (17%), Washington (11%), New Jersey (11%) and Nevada (11%).

While a plurality of Asian Americans lived in the West in 2019, some 24% lived in the South, 19% in the Northeast and 12% in the Midwest.

The Pew fact sheets provide a wealth of information about Asian Americans as media, schools and governments observe AAPI Heritage Month in May. One of the drivers of hate targeting AAPI is that not much is known about the growing segment of America.

Many polls and surveys in the United States often break down to Blacks, White and Hispanics, often labeling Asian American responses as "statistically insignificant." In other words, not enough AAPI were surveyed to come to any general conclusions about their responses as a community.

Much of Asian American history and individual contributions to the U.S. have been ignored or erased contributing to the view held by many non-Asians that AAPI are forever seen as foreigners, even though many have been in this country for generations.

The 2000 Census counted 11.9 million Asian Americans and then nearly doubled to 23.2 million by 2019 – a 95% increase within two decades making them the fastest growing group in the U.S. 

Although the 2020 Census results haven't released its findings yet, the 2019 numbers show Asians now make up about 7% of the nation’s overall population, and their numbers are projected to surpass 46 million by 2060, nearly four times their current total.

Largely due to an immigration rate that has surpassed Mexico, people of Chinese descent make up the largest group, or 23% of Asian Americans. Indian Americans make up 20%, followed by Filipinos, 18%; Vietnamese, 9%; Korean, 8%; and Japanese, 6%. These six groups make up 85% of the Asian American population.

In fact, according to Pew projections, if there are no major immigration policies that would change those predictions, Asian Americans are projected to be the nation’s largest immigrant group by the middle of the century. Single-race, non-Hispanic Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group in the country, surpassing Hispanics in 2055. By then, Asians are expected to make up 36% of all U.S. immigrants, while Hispanics will make up 34%.

Of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants, 14% of them are from Asian countries. Four nations in Asia were among the top 15 countries of birth for U.S. unauthorized immigrants: India (525,000), China (375,000), the Philippines (160,000) and Korea (150,000).

Which Asian origin group is largest varies by state. In 22 states that are largely concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest, Indian Americans are the largest Asian origin group. Chinese are the largest group in the District of Columbia and 12 states – predominantly in the West and Northeast – while Filipinos are the largest origin group in nine states. Vietnamese Americans are the largest Asian origin group by population in four states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Nebraska); Hmong Americans are the largest in Minnesota and Wisconsin; and Korean Americans are the largest in Alabama.

The population concentrations of Asian Americans in each state reflect each origin group’s migration patterns over time. Many Indians, for example, have recently migrated to the U.S. on work visas and student visas. 

While immigrants from China are still coming to the U.S. in droves, the Chinese population also has a long history in Western states, arriving in California as early as the 19th century. Hmong Americans, meanwhile, entered the U.S. starting in the late 20th century as refugees with many settling in Central California and Minnesota.

The Pew fact sheets cover a wide range of topics, economic status, English proficiency, educational attainment, home ownership, and more. 

Pew, a nonpartisan research agency, acknowledges the wide diversity of Asian Americans and the disparities among the the groups and within single groups. Pew also allows researchers to delve deeper into each ethnic group to uncover the differences within each ethnicity.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Biden taps veteran Gina Ortiz Jones to be Air Force Undersecretary

Gina Ortiz Jones, left, with her mother, who raised her daughter as a single-mom.

After narrowly losing both of her bids for Congress to represent a sprawling district in Texas, Gina Ortiz Jones has landed a new job as Undersecretary for the Air Force.

Her nomination was announced Tuesday by the White House.

If Jones had won her a Congressional seat in 2018 or 2020, she would have been the first Filipina American in Congress and the first openly gay representative from Texas.

Prior to entering the rough-and-tumble world of politics, Jones served for three years as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and served time in Iraq. 

After her military service, she continued to work in intelligence at a private consulting firm and several federal departments, including the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Since her loss in 2020, Jones has remained active on social media with innocuous posts about voter registration or where to get vaccine shots. She has also used social media to denounced the attacks against Filipino Americans and other AAPI communities. 

Some of her tweets criticizing Texas politicians may come back to haunt her in the nomination process. Texas' two right-wing Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have not announced whether they would vote for Jones' nomination.

Republican senators with thin skins and long memories have used critical social media posts to stall votes for Vanita Gupta for Associate Deputy for the DOJ and Neera Tanden's nomination to direct the Office of Management and Justice. Gupta narrowly won approval in the evenly divided Senate and Tanden withdrew her nomination when it became apparent that she didn't have the votes.

The undersecretary is the No. 2 post for the Air Force and is “responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, to include organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of approximately 697,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen and Guardians and their families worldwide,” according to the Air Forcce.

“From deploying to Iraq to working hard for Texas families, Gina Ortiz Jones’s life of public service has consistently reflected the best of San Antonio," San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro wrote in a Facebook post. "I know she’ll continue to make our hometown proud in the United States Air Force leadership."

VP Harris' wore a subtle message of support to AAPI communities

Vice President Kamala Harris leads Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnel on their way to hear President Biden's address to Congress Wednesday evening.

Sometimes, the usually outspoken Vice President Kamala Harris can be too subtle in her messaging.

On nationwide TV, standing behind President Biden as he gave his first speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday evening, only an eagle-eyed fashionista would have noted that Harris wore a suit from an Asian American fashion designer Prabal Gurung.

Fashion magazine Vogue noted: "Harris’s cream colored pantsuit, paired with a pearly satin camisole, seemed to illustrate Biden’s assertion that Americans are 'choosing light over darkness.'"

The magazine asserts that by wearing the Gurung pantsuit, the Vice President, who is Indian Jamaican American, is showing her support for her fellow Asian Americans who are under attack by racists and being blamed for the spread of the coronavirus.

The Nepalese American designer wrote on Instagram last night what it meant to see Harris wear one of his creations.

“To see Madam Vice President continue to break barriers while wearing a Prabal Gurung ensemble to the Joint Session Congress at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC., fills me with the utmost joy and gratitude. A fellow child of immigrants and the first-ever female, Black and South Asian Vice President, her vision and tenacity inspire me—a Nepali American, Singaporean-born, Nepal and Indian-raised designer, daily,” wrote Gurung.

“I am so honoured to be part of this historical moment and am humbled by the visibility and re-energised in my mission to advocate for representation and create better paths for the future,” added the designer. “Here’s to dreams and manifesting them into reality with the love and support from your community.”

Fashion designer Prabal Gurung is prone to wearing t-shirts with messages.

Though Harris prefers not to comment on her wardrobe, she’s made a point of championing designers of color—Pyer Moss, Sergio Hudson and Christopher John Rogers also among them.

This is the second time the vice president has worn Gurung’s designs. Before being sworn in on Inauguration Day, Harris wore a burgundy dress and tailored coat to the Virtual Presidential Inauguration Prayer Service.

“Yes to matriarchal power. Madame VP in PG,” noted the Gurung while taking time for deeper reflection in Instagram feed, writing: “My story is one that could only happen in a place like America, and I continue to live my American Dream each day. I built my brand from its inception as a ‘luxury brand with a soul.’ ”

Biden condemns white supremacy; urges passage of anti-AAPI hate crimes bill

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

President Biden delivers his speech with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi applauding behind him.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated April 29, 12:30 pm PDT.

In his first speech in front of the joint Houses of Congress, President Biden once again emphasized his determination to battle the racism and violence against Asian Americans.

"With the plans I outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues American life in many other ways," said Biden. "A chance to deliver real equity.

"Good jobs and good schools. Affordable housing. Clean air and clean water. Being able to generate wealth and pass it down through generations. Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans – Black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American.

"I also want to thank the Senate for voting 94—1 to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from the vicious hate crimes we’ve seen this past year – and for too long," continued the President.

"I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk as soon as possible."

Last week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill 94-1, which was authored by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hi,  with amendments.

The Democratic-majority House of Representatives will look at the bill next month where it will likely pass. If the House approves the Senate version, the measure will go to Biden's desk.  If the House adds its own amendments or rejects the Senate amendments, the bill will go a joint committee to write up a compromise measure.

Because of the COVID-19 health restrictions, only 200 guests were allowed tin the chamber to hear Biden's speech. However, Biden was also speaking to the millions of Americans watching the speech on television.

Recalling the Jan. 6 coup attempt, where insurrectionists carried Confederate and Nazi banners into the Capitol, Biden minced no words, when he said:  

"White supremacy is terrorism, and we're not going to ignore that either. My fellow Americans, look, we have to come together to heal the soul of this nation.” 

Biden has taken a hard stance against the white supremacist movement that the Donald Trump coddled and even encouraged.

Federal law enforcement and analysts within the Department of Homeland Security including the FBI warn that the threat from white supremacist organizations that figured prominently in the Jan. 6 attack will remain a persistent threat in the country in the coming years.

Like other speeches before Congress by other Presidents in recent years, the partisanship of the Congressional members was plainly evident. Democrats repeatedly gave standing ovations while Republicans mainly sat on their hands.

A CBS poll reported that 85% of those voters who watched the speech liked what Biden had to say.

Biden began his speech by acknowledging the two powerful women sitting behind him. "Madame Speaker.  Madame Vice President," referring to  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.

"No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time," he said to applause.

RELATED: Kamala Harris had a message for the AAPI communities

In his speech, Biden recounted the success of his coronavirus vaccine rollout and introduced ambitious plans to create jobs through his infrastructure initiative and reform immigration, which means undoing many of Trump's racist-based policies. 

He also made an impassioned plea to raise taxes on corporations and the richest  Americans to help pay for his ambitious $1.8 trillion "American Families Plan," which could have as big impact on the American middle-class as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

"It's time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to pay their fair share - just pay their fair share," Biden said. Many of the countryi's corporations and rich pay zero taxes because of tax loopholes that Biden want's to tackle.

“I am so grateful to President Biden for giving voice to the pain in the Asian American community in tonight’s speech,” said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“Coming in the midst of a pandemic and recession, the President’s first address to a joint session of Congress is one I know many Americans are paying attention to. And so to have the President use this platform to help call attention to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes we have seen over the past year, and what we can do to stop it, is significant," she said in a statement after the speech.

"The most important step in ending this bigotry and violence is to put an end to state-led xenophobia and urge communities to come together in support of each other, which is precisely what President Biden did tonight by calling out hate speech and calling for unity. And it shows that, after years of being largely invisible, the Asian American community’s needs and fears are being heard at the highest level." 

For this year’s speech, Chu invited Robert Peterson, the son of Yong Ae Yue, one of the eight people killed by a gunman who targeted three Asian-owned spas in Georgia last month, to be her virtual guest.

"I believe this is a time for all Americans to come together to fight bias and racial violence whenever we see it,” said Peterson. “I so appreciate President Biden addressing the hate against the AAPI community and challenging all of us to see humanity in one another. 

"With additional protections for Asian Americans through legislation, I pray that no one will ever have to deal with the horrible murder of my mother that I did simply because of who she was and where she worked."

New York immigrant remains in a coma after vicious attack

Yao Pan Ma remains hospitalized in a coma after he was brutally attacked.

A 61-year old immigrant from China is fighting for his lie after being beaten last Friday in New York City.

Yao Pan Ma lost his restaurant job because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was collecting cans to support his family when he was attacked and beaten unconscious. He has been in a coma and on a ventilator since the attack, his wife Baozhen Chen told reporters. 

Ma was pushing a shopping cart full of cans when the attacker struck him. Surveillance video released by the New York City Police Department shows the attacker stomping on Ma's head several times before

After video of the suspect was released, police learned the man's identity and the shelter where he lived a few streets away from the attack in East Harlem. The NYPD arrested Jarrod Powell, 49, Monday and charged with two counts of felony assault and a hate crime.

The brutal attack on Ma is just the latest incident of a surge of hate crimes directed at Asian Americans, who are being blamed for the pandemic by racists and xenophobes.

The NYPD has received 66 reports of anti-Asian Hate Crimes as of last weekend. Last year at this time, there were only 12 reports. The actual number is probably underreported. 

“He picks up bottles to help pay the rent and the bills," Chen told media. "He is innocent. He did not do anything wrong. He is a very kind person. He is quiet. He doesn’t cause trouble.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help support the family and help defer medical expenses. 

"As New Yorkers, we shouldn't tolerate it," said New York Assemblyman Ron Kim at the press conference. "We come here to say, stop targeting, scapegoating and killing Asian Americans."

Chen said the attacks agains Asians is a huge concern and makes her feel afraid, especially after what happened to her husband.

‘I’m more cautious, I’m scared that someone would jump out and attack me like what they did to my husband, Chen said.

‘I’m scared and paranoid, I don’t feel safe."

Oscars: Still waiting for an Asian American breakthruogh

'Minari' director Isaac Lee Chung and Steven Yeun.

OPINION

I'm still a little disturbed that Hollywood seems more prepared to embrace Asians if they aren't American, but can't hold American artists who are of Asian descent in the same high esteem.

This is the second consecutive year that the Oscars went to an Asian film director. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho won best director and best picture last year for the Korean language Parasite.

Don't get me wrong. I have no argument for the extremely talented Chloe Zhao winning the Best Director Oscar. Hopefully, her success will spill over on Asian American directors, writers, producers and actors.

Despite being born and raised in China, Zhao has made three films that are quintessentially American. Besides Nomadland, she also helmed The Rider and Songs By Brother Taught Me, all taking place in the American West. 

In her art, she has been able to capture slices of America most people would never encounter if not for her movies. By mixing nonprofessional actors with real actors, she has been able to show the souls of their characters and the locales where the stories take place.

But -- for me, she was my second choice. I was rooting for Isaac Lee Chung to win  the director's prize. I know, just by being nominated, Chung has reached an achievement no other Asian American has reached.

His story and direction on Minari was detailed and nuanced and he did it all minus the star power of Oscar-winner Frances McDormand and the big studio support of Disney, which is considerable.

Chung had an uphill climb to get his movie made. Minari went against all the Hollywood rules for a successful movie featuring Asian Americans: A Korean immigrant family? Dialogue mostly spoken in Korean? No real bad guys? No martial arts? No sex scenes? No violence? 

After being a Hollywood outsider at the start of his career, Chung is starting to view Hollywood with a different lens. Viewing filmmaking as art can be spiritually fulfilling but what good is art if no one sees it? His previous feature, Munyurangabo, was made in Rwanda and in a Rwandan dialect. It was critically acclaimed and became film festival favorite. But still: Outside looking in.

Steven Yeun is a star, but has not yet reached the legend-level of McDormand whose previous Oscars were for 1998's Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri in 2018. Her name alone could carry a movie.

Yeun's depiction of the father in Minari is restrained, underplayed. There is plenty of conflict and emotion, but it is mostly played out in Yeun's face and body language. I think (A gut feeling. I have no data to back this up.) an Asian or Asian American can better see the wave emotions building up behind the Yeun's mask than viewers of other ethnicities.

It is easier to be outwardly emotional: shouting, sobbing, acting hysterically,throwing things around a room, making black and white choices. That's easily interpreted by western eyes. That's acting from a Hollywood point of view.

To me, Yeun's performance was more difficult because audiences didn't know him as well as they know legendary actor Anthony Hopkins. You know what to expect from Hopkins, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in The Father. Despite playing different characters in the roles he plays, he still is Anthony Hopkins, with that British accent (which Americans adore too much, by the way), the world-weary eyes, every motion calculated.

On the other hand, Yeun -- despite his popularity among The Walking Dead fans -- is a blank slate to most audiences. Where does one start? To most viewers, he just goes through the motions of delivering the words given to him. But he speaks volumes: a tightening in the jaw; a seed of doubt in the eyes; a posture of resignation or steel resolve.  It is harder to see the struggles he's going through because -- well, because he's Asian and his culture and the way he was raised told him not to reveal his emotions, but in ways so subtle, he shows us he's on an emotional roller coaster.

And as a final push for the Academy voter, there's that lingering flicker of doubt: He's an American actor playing a foreigner. Voting for and Asian American -- either Chung or Yeun -- would be making a political statement in this era of anti-Asian sentiment. (The same reasoning applies to pre-telecast favorite Chadwick Boseman because of the Black Lives Matter movement.) 

Picking Hopkins, a British citizen and well-known acting quantity, and for that matter, Chinese citizen Chloe Zhao (or  Bong Joon-ho) is safer than making the tougher -- but more controversial -- choice. By voting for Joon-ho or Zhao, Hollywood can show their preference towards diversity by picking foreigners, but at the same time, not upset the apple cart for what they perceive (incorrectly, by the way) is their primary audience -- Whites in America.  This inoffensive decision is a way of putting Asian American in their nonthreatening place -- in line, but not at the front.

Of course, not everyone agrees with me. In fact, I may be in the minority. Most of the reaction for the wins by Asians and Asian Americans were greeted with high praise and jubilation.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution. This is an opinion piece. Readers are encouraged to access several news outlets to form their own opinions.

Asians make history at the Academy Awards

Oscar winners, from left: director Chloe Zhao, musician H.E.R. and actress Youn Yuh-jung.

There has never been an Academy Awards like this year's Oscars show. In the midst of pandemic-induced social distancing and mask-wearing, Asians made their presence felt like never before in the history of the coveted statuettes.

An unprecedented number of Asians and Asian Americans were among the nominees and they walked away with awards for directing, best picture, best supporting actor and best song.

Chloe Zhao of China was named best director for helming the drama Nomadland, which also won awards for best picture and best actress (Frances McDormand). In her victory, Zhao made history as the first woman of color -- and only the second woman, ever -- to win the director's Oscar.

“I have always found goodness in the people I met everywhere I went in the world,” she said as she accepted her statuette. “So this is for anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves. And to hold on to the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult it is to do that. And this is for you, you inspire me to keep going.”

Zhao's was a frontrunner for the award had been building since awards season began. She and Nomadland won a plethora of awards in the film festival circuit including the director's award in the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice and the Director's Guild.

For the first time in Oscar history, there were two directors of Asian descent being considered for the director's Oscar. Isaac Lee Chung was nominated for Minari, a movie about a Korean immigrant family adapting to life in rural Arkansas. 

Like Chao, Youn Yuh-jung, who played the feisty grandmother in Manari, made Oscar history as the first Korean and the second Asian American to win the Best Supporting Actress statuette. Miyoshi Umeki won the award for Sayonara in 1958.

Minari's lead actor Steven Yeun was also nominated for Best Actor. Like the director's category, it was the first time there were two Asians up for Best Actor. Riz Ahmed was also named for the same category for his work in the Sound of Metal. The award was won by  veteran actor Anthony Hopkins for his role in The Father. 

TWITTER

Filipino American musician and singer H.E.R. didn't expect to win the Oscar.

The song for Judas and the Black Messiah, "Fight For You" cowritten and performed by H.E.R., aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, won in the category of Best Song. "I didn't expect to win this award," said H.E.R.

"Musicians, filmmakers, I believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility, to tell the truth, and to write history the way that it was, and how it connects us to today, and what we see going on in the world today. I have no words, I'm so, so thankful," said the 23-year old Filipino American in her acceptance speech. Judas and the Black Messiah is about the betrayal and assassination of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party.

"Knowledge is power, music is power, and as long as I'm standing, I'm always gonna fight for us," she said. "I'm always gonna fight for my people and fight for what's right, and I think that's what music does, and that's what storytelling does."

 

Report: Hollywood's future is reflected in today's Academy Awards nominees and a changing America

 

The success of movies of Oscar nominees Minari and Judas and the Black Messiah with their diverse casts are making money and should make Hollywood decision-makers to rethink old beliefs in casting and subject matter that historically favored white actors and white perspectives, according to the annual diversity report from UCLA.

Looking at the relative plethora nominations for the Academy Awards that airs Sunday, one might get the impression that the movie industry had solved its diversity problem with the inclusion of so many actors and directors of color and films with themes outside of the usual white perspective. But like much of Hollywood, that's an illusion, says UCLA’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report, published Thursday, April 22, by the UCLA College Division of Social Sciences.

If the UCLA report and the diversity of the Oscar nominations is any indication, Hollywood may be experiencing what the rest of the country is grappling with the changing demographic trends that predict Whites will no longer be in the majority by mid-century.

"People of color and women made tremendous strides among film leads since the last report, cementing 2020 as a watershed moment for diversity in this important employment arena," the report said.

Films featuring actors of POC or projects with POC directors and producers may be reaping more of the industry plaudits, but a closer look shows those productions also getting smaller budgets and less studio backing than films with the big-name actors, directors and production companies.

The Hollywood Diversity Report tracks how well women and minorities are represented in four key industry employment categories: lead actors, total cast, writers and directors.

All four job categories showed progress in 2020, but women and people of color are still underrepresented in critical behind-the-camera jobs. Women made up just 26% of film writers and just 20.5% of directors. Combined, minority groups were slightly better represented as directors at 25.4%. Just 25.9% of film writers in 2020 were people of color.

“We’ve been systematically looking at these key job categories and comparing the representation of women and people of color to the all-important bottom line for eight years, and it’s encouraging to see skyrocketing numbers this year in front of the camera,” said Darnell Hunt, dean of the UCLA College Division of Social Sciences and the report’s co-author. 

UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report is the only study of its kind to incorporate analysis of how top films perform among different racial groups, comparing the diversity of casts, directors and writers with the diversity of American audiences.

For streaming platforms, films featuring casts that were 21% to 30% minority had the highest ratings among white, Black, Latino and Asian households and viewers 18–49.

Among the top 10 streaming films ranked by Asian and Black households, seven had casts that were more than 30% minority. Among the top 10 films ranked by Latino and white households, six had casts that were more than 30% minority.

UCLA’s report shows great progress in actor categories over its decade of data. In 2011, the first year tracked, more than half of the films fell into the lowest level of cast diversity — less than 11%. In 2020, however, 28.8% of films had the highest level of cast diversity — 50% or higher. Just under 10% of films in 2020 fell into the lowest level of cast diversity.

For the first time since the report launched in 2014, people of color were represented in the lead actor and total cast categories at levels proportionate to their presence in the American populace — 39.7% and 42%, respectively. People of color make up 40.3% of the U.S. population.

The analysis of 2020 films also looked at the correlation between directors’ and casts’ racial and gender diversity.

In 2020, nearly all of the films with a female director also featured a female lead (94.7%). Films directed by minorities had the highest level of cast diversity. And 78.3% of films directed by people of color featured minority leads.

However, the report notes, there are still relatively few examples of women and people of color running the show on big-budget films, those marketed to the broadest audience.

“Our report finds that women directors and directors of color have overwhelmingly diverse productions,” said Ana-Christina Ramon, the report’s co-author and the director of research and civic engagement for the division of social sciences. 

“However, these films often have smaller budgets than those helmed by male directors and white directors. So, in a year where more diverse productions were made more accessible to larger audiences through streaming services, the contrast is stark as to what types of films have the big budgets. There is a clear underinvestment of films made by, written by, and led by women and people of color.”

White film directors were more than twice as likely as minority directors to helm a film with a budget of $100 million or more — 6.4% versus 2.8%. Men and women were equally likely to direct a big-budget film in 2020 — 5.7% and 5.6%, respectively.

Women and people of color were more likely to direct films that fell into the lowest budget category of less than $20 million. For films directed by people of color, 72.3% had budgets less than $20 million, compared to 60% for white directors. It was about the same for films directed by women. Of those, 74.3% had budgets that were less than $20 million, compared to 59.2% for directors who were men.

Along those same lines, films with minority leads and writers of color also trended toward lower budgets, the report found.

Every industry felt the weight of the pandemic in 2020, and Hollywood was no exception. Business shutdowns and physical distancing efforts around the world wreaked havoc on box-office revenue and upended long-held film release strategies.

The report also looked at today's audiences. The global home and mobile entertainment market increased to a record $68 billion over the course of 2020, up 23% from the $55.9 billion in 2019. The U.S. share of this global market stood at nearly 44% in 2020. Latino and Black adults, in particular, consumed online content at higher levels than other groups.

The report found films with casts that were from 41-50% minority communities enjoyed the highest box office success around the world. Movies with less than 11% minority representation were among the poorest performers.

People of color also drove sales at the box office, accounting “for the majority of opening weekend, domestic ticket sales for six of the top 10 films released in theaters.”

Similarly, because the pandemic forced an inordinate amount of online streaming, the report found, “Households of color accounted for a disproportionate share of the households viewing eight of the top 10 films released via streaming platforms in 2020.”

The findings suggest that Hollywood studio executives can no longer rely on "gut" instincts based on embedded racial biases and should rely more on metrics that show that movies with diverse casts and subject matter can successfully cross over to an audience that is growing more diverse and want films that reflect the world around them.

Among other findings in the report:

• Women made up 47.8% of lead actors and 41.3% of overall casts in the top films of 2020. Women make up about half the U.S. population.

• Among white, Black and Middle Eastern or Northern African actors, women were significantly underrepresented in the top films of 2020, compared to men from those groups.

• Among Latino, Asian, multiracial and Native actors, women either approached parity with their male counterparts or exceeded it in films of 2020.

• The most underrepresented groups in all job categories, relative to their presence in the U.S., are Latino, Asian and Native actors, directors and writers.

The current report includes 10 years of data, making UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report the longest-running, consistent analysis of gender and racial diversity in the film industry. TV industry data, part two of the now biannual report, will be released in September 2021.

Bonta makes history as California’s first Filipino American Attorney General

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Rob Bonta, right, is sworn in by Gov. Gavin Newsom with Bonta's wife and daughter witnessing. 

Governor Gavin Newsom swore in Assemblymember Rob Bonta as California’s 34th Attorney General. A national leader in the fight to reform our justice system and stand up to the forces of hate, Bonta is the first Filipino American in the state’s history to serve in the role.

“California and the nation need leaders like Rob Bonta to meet this pivotal moment in our history with the courage, energy and tenacity it will take to shape a society more reflective of our values,” said Newsom at the swearing-in ceremony Friday, April 3. 

“Carrying the lessons of his remarkable upbringing at the center of historic social justice movements, Rob has been at the forefront of courageous fights for racial, economic and environmental justice from day one, Newsom continued. 

"As Attorney General, Rob brings to bear the legal and moral authority to effectively engage a broad array of groups – community leaders, law enforcement, the Legislature and more – in a meaningful dialogue, so that California continues to build bridges and advance together in a direction that does justice to all our communities.”

Confirmed by the Legislature Thursday, Bonta was selected by the governor to fill the position vacated by Xavier Becerra, who was recently sworn in as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Governor announced the nomination last month at the historic International Hotel in San Francisco, a site where Asian and Pacific Islander Californians famously rallied in 1977 to save the homes of elderly residents and preserve their community.

“Thank you, Governor Newsom for the faith and trust you have placed in me. Serving as California’s Attorney General is the honor of a lifetime,” said Attorney General Bonta. “

:There are a lot of challenges we face across America today," said Bonta after being sworn in.

 "People see institutions that work well for those with wealth and power – at the expense of everyone else. We see hate on the rise. And too often, justice and accountability for those who harm others feel out of reach. As The People’s Attorney, I won’t back down when I see Californians hurt. Together, we will get justice for families cheated by multi-national corporations. We will defend communities ravaged by big polluters. We will work to repair our justice system, and we will attack the forces of hate and white supremacy. I’m excited to get to work!”

Labor, environmental and criminal justice reform advocates welcomed the appointment:

“We congratulate Governor Gavin Newsom on the appointment of Rob Bonta as Attorney General of California, the first Filipino American in the state’s history to serve in this role. At an early age, Bonta learned about the values of social justice from his parents who worked for Civil Rights in the South and joined Cesar Chavez and myself as full-time volunteer organizers for the United Farm Workers,” said labor leader Dolores Huerta, who with Chavez and Filipino American Larry Itliong gave birth to the United Farm Workers. 

“Rob Bonta has fought diligently throughout his career to correct the injustices affecting working families and Communities of Color. We are confident that Rob Bonta will work passionately to ensure our justice system protects all Californians. Si Se Puede!”

“CEJA celebrates the swearing-in of Attorney General Rob Bonta. We know he will be a strong ally for all environmental justice communities that have been harmed by pollution and often poverty,” said California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) Executive Director Gladys Limon. “We have worked closely with Mr. Bonta and consider him a leader and friend, and trust that he will fight tirelessly on behalf of all Californians and not be afraid to hold polluters accountable.”

“This is a historic day for California. I’m so proud to see Rob Bonta sworn-in as California’s new Attorney General,” said REFORM Alliance Board Member and award-winning journalist Van Jones. “Rob is a lifelong leader in the fight to restore justice in California. I’ve known Rob for decades and he’s demonstrated time and again the commitment and capacity to reform critical elements of our criminal justice system including providing key support for the REFORM Alliance’s major probation legislation. I have every confidence that Rob will make a phenomenal California Attorney General.”

The son of activists, Bonta grew up in a trailer in La Paz, where his parents served at the headquarters of the United Farm Workers movement. Inspired to pursue justice through the law, Bonta studied at Yale Law School and went on to work pro-bono protecting vulnerable Californians from exploitation and racial profiling. He served nine years as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office before running for local office in Alameda County. 

In 2012, Bonta became the first Filipino American in California history to win election to the Legislature, representing Assembly District 18 in the cities of Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro. 

Bonta has passed major reforms that reversed long-standing injustices:

• Outlawed For-Profit Prisons in California: Bonta authored legislation that made California the first in the nation to ban for-profit prisons and immigration detention centers.

• Led Major Sentencing Overhaul Effort: Following statewide marijuana legalization, Bonta authored the California law to automatically expunge and modify criminal records for people convicted of minor marijuana charges.

• Took on Big Polluters: Bonta authored major environmental justice legislation and has been a leader in the fight against climate change and to ensure every community equitably benefits from our green economy.

• Passed Nation’s Strongest Statewide Renter Protections: Bonta led the fight to pass statewide protections for renters, ultimately resulting in the nation’s strongest protections against wrongful evictions.

• Fought to Strengthen Hate Crime Laws & Protect Communities: Bonta has introduced a number of bills to improve hate crime statutes, support victims of hate violence, and build bridges between law enforcement and targeted communities.

• Protected Immigrant Families from Deceptive ICE Tactics: Bonta authored first-of-its-kind legislation requiring immigrants to be informed of their rights before speaking to ICE agents.

• Sought to End Predatory Bail Laws: Bonta co-wrote the law that sought to end the racist and predatory for-profit bail system.

• Required Independent Investigations of Unarmed Deaths: Bonta co-authored the law that required an independent investigation when there is a death of an unarmed civilian by law enforcement.

Bonta is not the only Filipino American serving as an AG in the United States.  Sean Reyes has been Utah's Attorney General since 2013. 

With Bonta's departure from the California Legislature, the state is without a Filipino American in it's Assembly or Senate. However, there are ten Asian American members of the Assembly and Senate in a state with 22 million AAPI, or 16% of the total population, the largest number of Asian Americans in the country.

"It is so important for the Filipino community, and for the whole country, to see Filipinos practice and serve on all levels of government," said Brendan Flores, national chairmant of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. "We need more AAPI leaders at the forefront of decision making, especially with violence against Asian Americans on the rise."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.