Congressional committees question targeting Chinese scientists

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

Sherry Chen, left, and Xiaoxing Xi are two Chinese American scientists who were found innocent of spying charges.

The alleged targeting of Chinese and Chinese American scientists is being probed by members of Congress.

Last week, Rep. Judy Chu, the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, sent letters to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking information related to news reports that these institutions are targeting Chinese American scientists as potential spies.

“While there are undoubtedly authentic and legitimate cases of espionage that should be investigated, these reports have created serious concern that innocent people are being swept up in this initiative,” Chu and Raskin wrote.

According to The New York Times, NIH sent 18,000 letters asking administrators who oversee government grants to increase scrutiny of scientists with foreign ties, especially those with connections to China.

Prosecutions brought under the Economic Espionage Act have disproportionally targeted innocent scientists with Chinese-sounding names. One study found that 52% of individuals charged under the Act since 2009 have been of Chinese heritage.

The letter quotes Frank Wu of the nonpartisan Committee of 100, a group of concerned prominent Chinese Americans,  who say the government policies is promoting a "red scare" and racial profiling.

Many of those individuals were innocent and falsely accused. Defendants of Chinese heritage are more than twice as likely to be acquitted, or have all charges against them dropped, compared to defendants with non-Chinese names.

Raskin and Chu requested that NIH and FBI provide these documents and information by March 5, 2020.

Sunday Read: Support gathers steam for news, entertainment source for Filipino Americans

Demonstrators in the Philippines rallied for press freedom last Friday, Feb. 21.

Filipino Americans are expressing support for the media giant ABS-CBN that has become one of the major sources of information about the Philippines and Filipino America.

ABS-CBN, which operates the The Filipino Channel in the US and has US editions of the Inquirer newspaper, is being threatened by the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a press statement, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) praised the network’s programming, which “reflects the touchstones of Filipino culture and heritage.” ABS-CBN, through its global television network, The Filipino Channel (TFC), connect over-four million Filipinos in the United States to their country of origin.

“ABS-CBN and TFC are a significant media resource whose importance to the Filipino American community cannot be overstated,” says Brendan Flores, NaFFAA National Chairman. “As a Filipino news and media entity dedicated to artistic and journalistic excellence, they thoughtfully bridge the gap between the Philippines and its diverse diaspora across the United States and the world.

“Since the founding of NaFFAA, ABS-CBN has been a consistent and strong collaborative partner in NaFFAA’s efforts to empower Filipino Americans. They have helped further NaFFAA’s mission through support of programs such as the Biennial National Empowerment Conference, through TFCUniversity (TFCU), and Kollective Hustle.”

From Honolulu to Toronto, the media giant operates bureaus in major urban centers in the US and Canada under The Filipino Channel or Balitang America. Much of the news broadcasts are in English although most of the station's entertainment programming originating from the Philippines is in Tagalog. The US edition of the Inquirer prints in English

The Philippines' media are granted franchises with time limits that allow them to operate. ABS-CBN's franchise agreement is due to end at the end of March.

Duterte's administration is using the renewal of the 25-year licensing agreement as an opportunity to rein in criticism of the current president.

“We want to put an end to what we discovered to be highly abusive practices by ABS-CBN,” the solicitor general, Jose Calida, said in a statement. “A franchise is a special privilege granted by the state, and should be restricted only to entities which faithfully adhere to our constitution and laws.”

When the media giant refused to air Duterte's campaign commercials in 2016, the strongman said, “I will make sure that you will remember this episode of our times forever.” Calida denied that politics were behind the decision to file the petition.

SCREEN CAPTURE / TFC

The Filipino Channel covers Filipino American events such as the Parol Festival in San Francisco.

Calida alleges that the media company had issued Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreigners, raising questions about foreign ownership of the broadcast and print giant, which against the Philippine Constitution. The media corporation is owned by the prominent Lopez family of the Philippines.

“We did not violate the law. This case appears to be an attempt to deprive Filipinos of the services of ABS-CBN,” the company said in a statement.

Calida and Duterte used the same argument against Rappler, an online news site that has been critical of the Philippine president.

“These actions are part of a broader crackdown on media outlets and civil society groups that dare criticize him (Duterte),” lobby group Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

“This proves without a doubt that this government is hell bent on using all its powers to shut down the broadcasting network,” said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines “We must not allow the vindictiveness of one man, no matter how powerful, to run roughshod over the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of the press and of expression, and the people’s right to know.”

Thousands of supporters were joined by ABS-CBN personalities and employees in rallies in Manila and Bacolod City Friday evening urging the government to grant the franchise license.
ABS-CBN has produced a number of investigative reports highlighting extrajudicial executions and other human rights abuses committed as part of the government’s so-called “war on drugs” according to Amnesty International.

“It is unacceptable for the authorities to blatantly attempt to restrict freedom of expression and then expect people in the Philippines to simply remain silent," said Amnesty International’s Regional Director Nicholas Bequelin.

"If anything, the government’s continued efforts to undermine the press’s ability to report freely will only invite more criticism," he continued. "The government would do better by listening and addressing what is driving such criticism rather than resorting to legal theatrics to suppress human rights.”

Today's the day as Nevada's AAPI voters head to their Caucuses

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Nevada's AAPI voters staged a practice caucus in January.

Nevada's former Senator Harry Reid was perhaps the first politician to take advantage of the state's changing demographics.
In the heat of a close election in 2010 and a target of the radically conservative Tea Party, Reid was able to win the endorsement of Manny Pacquiao, the champion boxer who although he wasn't a US citizen, was wildly popular with Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

"Manny Pacquiao and I came from different parts of the world, but we came on the same side of the street," Reid said of Pacquiao, who at the time was a congressman in the Philippines and in his fighting prime.

"Manny fights for those who cannot fight for themselves," said Reid. "It's not enough to fight yourself. It's not enough to want to be a champion. We want to be champions for others."

In the days before election day, Pacquio flew to Las Vegas from his training site in L.A. to attend a Reid rally and that may have been the difference in the close contest.

Today, there is no doubt that the Asian American Democratic vote is one to be watched as Nevada's voters caucus to determine who they favor among the candidates.

Since 2010, the AAPI vote is even more influential. The number of AAPI voters in the state grew 35% from 2010 to 2016, zooming past the 13% growth rate for all eligible voters statewide, according to APIAVote, which tracks demographic and voting data. Filipino Americans make up about half of that community. 

At a time when Republican action and rhetoric has made immigration a hot issue to the AAPI communities and the rise of xenophobia a real fear, it is not surprising that AAPI voters have swong towards the Democratic Party in recent elections.

According the US Census, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders now account for roughly 10% of the state's 3 million people.

CNN's lead-up to the election featured the story of Filipino American Dan Santos, a Filipino who became a political activist for this election. He will be managing one of the caucus sites, greeting Filipino American voters with a "Mabuhay." 

Earlier this month, Santos was picked to be chairman of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Democratic caucus, which represents the community in the county Democratic Party.

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Nevada's AAPI voters practiced how to caucus in a workshop held lasst month.

At the caucus sites, the state's Democratic Party, for the first time, is handing out preference cards in Tagalog, along with the Spanish and English voting materials.

The Las Vegas Sun also used a Filipino American to focus it's story on AAPI voters' growing importance.

Christian Bato, a volunteer at another caucus site, isn't so sure the Tagalog material was the best way to outreach to the AAPI voters since most Filipino Americans are fluent in English.

“As a son of Filipino immigrants, I appreciate the gesture,” Bato told the Sun. “But there are a whole lot of other ways we could have diversified our resources … maybe hiring an Asian American staffer for example.”

For some Filipino American, the Tagalog literature may have more importance as a symbol of respect. "We're proud that they are recognizing us," said Margie Gonzales, who chairs the county's Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) commission,. "It means a lot -- it means recognition."

For a community often overlooked and marginalized, recognition and respect means a lot.

"The mere fact that a lot of politicians are calling me and other Filipino American leaders, it shows you that we are becoming important," she told the Agence France Press.

"They are paying attention to us, because they know now that we vote."

Student hopes to rap his way Harvard

ASAM NEWS

High school senior Ethan Kim turned disappointment into an opportunity for creativity.
Harvard sent him a letter informing him his application for early admission into the Ivy League school would be deferred.

The Charlotte Observer reports it didn’t take long for Kim to begin working on a rap to submit to the university as part of his application.

Kim said his idea initially started as a joke, but people told him it was a good idea and encouraged him to do it.

“I’ve always been a very different person. Very extroverted — love being in front of people on stage,” said Kim to the Boston Globe. “I was very aware that the acceptance rate after deferral is very low. So I said, ‘Am I just going to sit there, or can I try to do something crazy?'”

AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated s

'Fresh Off the Boat' to bid viewers a fond farewell Friday after six seasons

ABC

Behind the scenes of 'Fresh Off the Boat,' Hudson Yang and Randall Park go over their lines.

By Louis Chan

ASAM NEWS

The Asian American community is reacting with both sadness and appreciation in anticipation of the series finale of Fresh Off the Boat airing Friday night (February 21) at 8/7 Central on ABC.

Sixteen-year-old Hudson Yang who plays Eddie on the program debuted with the rest of the cast at the age of 11. The thought of life without the program is hitting him hard.

“It’s weird—it’s kind of like waking up and not knowing who you’re going to be next week! I know I’m going to miss it, I miss it already!” he told AsAmNews.

He isn’t the only one who will miss it.

“It’s really difficult knowing Fresh Off the Boat will leave the airwaves after Friday night,” said Guy Aoki, founding member of both the Media Action Network for Asian Americans and founding member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition.

Aoki told AsAmNews he saw the pilot script back in 2014, a year before the program premiered. The network wanted APAMC’s feedback.

“Was the title of the show offensive? One of the characters uses a racial slur. Is that OK? I gave two pages of notes and all of the scenes that I felt didn’t work, were excised. When I saw the filmed pilot months ahead of its broadcast, I knew this was something I could get behind,” Aoki said.

Asians Americans took over social media the night FOTB premiered in February 2015. They held Twitter parties quoting from the script, applauding the performances and even shedding happy tears over the story line. The show network executives likely debuted nervously was trending.

“Fresh Off The Boat was a truly groundbreaking television series in several ways,” said Daniel Mayeda Chair, Asian Pacific American Media Coalition. “FOTB told a very specific and authentic story of Taiwanese American immigrants. And it was told from the perspective of Asian Americans, as reflected in the pilot episode when Eddie Huang, trying to fit in, asked his mother to take him to the market so he could buy “White people lunch” to take to school. Asian Americans had never seen such an unapologetic portrayal of ourselves on network TV and we reveled in it.”

The show also proved a national audience would watch a show starring and centered around an Asian American family with a predominantly Asian American cast.

According to Aoki, FOTB indexed at 100 percent among White audiences. In other words, 60 percent of the nation is White. 60 percent of FOTB’s audience was also White. Blacks indexed at 105%. Asian Americans also over indexed.

ABC

Part of the final episode of FOTB is the graduation of Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang)

The show catapulted stars Constance Wu (Jessica Huang) and Randall Park (Louis Huang) into stardom. Wu went onto to star in Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers. Park is seen frequently in both the Marvel and DC comic universe. Most recently he starred alongside Ali Wong in Always be My Maybe. He also made his directing debut for the series finale of Fresh Off the Boat.

Eight months after FOTB debut, ABC also premiered Dr. Ken starring Ken Jeong. Quantico, Andi Mack and Killing Eve would follow.

“I started at CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) in March 2015, right after Fresh off the Boat premiered, so the show has always been a clear demarcation for me,” Michelle K. Sugihara, CAPE Executive Director, said to AsAmNews. “It’s amazing how much has happened since then in terms of representation in media, but we still have further to go. I’m excited to see what this pilot season brings.”

The show will end Friday night with an hour-long double episode.

“I wish we were still going on because there are a lot more stories to tell, but the good thing is … it feels like we have a lot more of us telling them now, not just one show,” said Hudson Yang.

California Assembly passes resolution apologizing for WW2 incarceration of Japanese Americans

2018 PHOTO

Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi sponsored the resolution apologizing for Japanese American incarceration,

It took 78 years but the state of California finally acknowledged its role in the World War 2 incarceration of Japanese Americans by starting the process of issuing an official apology.
The California Assembly unanimously passed the resolution Thursday afternoon. The Senate will vote on its companion measure soon and then the resolution will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.

Even though the US Congress issued a similar apology in 1983, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi who sponsored the resolution felt it important for the state to iissue its own formal apology. 

"Unfortunately, during the years leading up to World War II, California was at the forefront and led the nation in so many ways in fanning the flames of racism and immigrant scapegoating against Japanese Americans," said Muratsuchi, who was born in Japan.

"I felt that it was important to document this uniquely Californian history of racism and immigrant scapegoating against Japanese Americans."

The Golden State has the largest population of people of Japanese descent of any state, numbering around 430,000.

The resolution came a day after Newsom declared Feb. 19 a Day of Remembrance. That's the date in 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that led to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans across 10 camps in the West and Arkansas.

"This stain on our history should remind us to always stand up for our fellow Americans, regardless of their national origin or immigration status, and protect the civil rights and liberties that we hold dear," said Newsom on Wednesday.

Japanese Americans also felt it was important to have the resolution because of the current anti-immigrant climate fueld by the Donald Trump administration policies such as the Muslim travel ban and the harsh treatment of asylum speakers at the US' southern border with Mexico that includes the separation of infants and children from their parents.

The Japanese American Citizens League has been outspoken against Trump's treatment of sould-be immigrants and the detention centers that houses thousands of refugees.

“Given recent national events, it is all the more important to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure that such an assault on freedom will never again happen to any community in the United States,” the Assembly resolution states.

“Nearly 80 years later, I'm glad that my home state of California is passing a resolution to formally apologize to the Japanese American community for the role it played in perpetrating these atrocities. This apology is long overdue, but necessary," said Rep. Mark Takano.

"Now, we must continue fighting against the Trump Administration’s xenophobic agenda and speak out against the fearmongering that targets innocent communities. It’s up to us to prevent history from repeating itself, and this starts by Congress passing the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act – legislation I introduced with Senator (Mazie) Hirono to prevent the unjust imprisonment of people on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability. We must do everything we can to safeguard our liberties.”

Rep. Doris Matsui added, “Through our profound sense of togetherness, we will continue bending the moral arc of this country by lifting our voices and fighting so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Our country’s strength is its diversity, and Japanese Americans, as well as all immigrant communities, will continue to make that American tapestry that much more vibrant.”

TGIF Feature: Watch Oscar nominee 'Kitbull'

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While we're still basking in the four Oscars won by the South Korean film Parasite, we want to bring your attention to another film by an AAPI filmmaker.
Kitbull, directed by Malaysian American Rosana Sullivan and produced by Kathryn Hendrickson, reveals an unlikely connection that sparks between a fiercely independent stray kitten and an abused pit bull. Together, they experience friendship for the first time.

Beginning her journey with Pixar eight years ago, as a storyboard artist on The Good Dinosaur, Sullivan made her directorial debut this year with Kitbull, which was among the nominees for the Motion Picture Academy’s Best Animated Short Film.

Kitbull emerged from Sullivan’s desire to capture animals in animation, the way that they actually are. “I love cat videos, as we all do, and I just wanted to draw a kitten being a kitten, because I never saw that done in animation, at least not often. Usually, they’re anthropomorphized, and I just wanted to capture the spirit of a real kitten,” the director tells Deadline.

“It then evolved into something about connection and friendship between two outcast characters, because that was something that I had struggled with as a kid. Just that feeling when you don’t feel connected to the larger world.”

The eventual winner in the Animated Short Film category was Hair Love, about an African American father learning to do his daughter's hair for the first time.

Pixar's Rosana Sullivan's film was nominated for an Oscar.

Andrew Yang analyzes Democrats' Presidential debate for CNN

SCREEN CAPTURE / CNN

Former 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate and newly annointed CNN commentator Andrew Yang.

We now know the answer to the question: What's next for former Presidential candidate Andrew Yang? He debuted Wednesday night as CNN's newest political commentator.

After the debate between Democratic Presidential hopefuls in Las Vegas, Yang joined a panel of talking heads abalyzing his former rivals' performances.

He seemed at ease and ironically, he had more airtime than he received in any of the seven debates he took part in. He has the fewest amount of airtime compared to the other candidates because he simply answered the moderators' questions and didn't use the opportunity to expand on other topics to hog more screen time.

Yang, an entrepreneur whose long-shot candidacy burst into the mainstream with the help of a loyal online following, dropped out of the race last Tuesday after failing to earn delegates in the first two nominating contests of the 2020 Democratic primary.

Wednesday morning, CNN made the official announcement.

“I’m excited to join CNN to help shed light on the election and the candidates’ experiences,” Yang wrote in a tweet Wednesday after the network announced the new relationship. “Learned a lot these past months and am glad to contribute to the public discussion.”

"I’m excited to join @CNN to help shed light on the election and the candidates’ experiences. Learned a lot these past months and am glad to contribute to the public discussion," he tweeted.

He opined that Sen. Elizabeth Warren had the strongest night among the six candidates on stage. Warren was most aggressive against billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg reminding the audience of the allegations of misconduct against women and the controversial "stop and frisk" policy that he endorsed as mayor.

Speculation about Yang's future plans still swirled around the entrepreneur whose prolongd campaign surprised and impressed the political establishment. He said he is open to any position with the incoming Democratic president and would accept an invitation to become vice president. There also were rumors that he would be run for New York City mayor.

"Andrew Yang and his bold vision for the country are not going anywhere," said Zach Graumman, Yang’s campaign manager.

“Maybe I’ll wear a tie…” Yang mused on Twitter prior to his CNN debut. Instead, he showed up with his signature look -- tieless.

Google awards Hmong farmers $175,000

A Minnesota farmer harvests his vegetables.

ASAM NEWS

The Hmong American Farmers Association was one of five nonprofits selected to receive $175,000 through Google’s Impact Challenge in Minnesota, which asked local nonprofit innovators and social entrepreneurs how they would make their community a better place.
HAFA seeks to advance the economic prosperity of Hmong farming families in Minnesota, who lead the Twin Cities local food economy but continue to face many barriers, according to the organization’s website.

For the Impact Challenge, HAFA proposed launching a community-supported agriculture box that would provide a weekly supply of fresh, locally grown, healthy food to low-income and food-insecure families in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

“Our project melds our existing mission – supporting Hmong refugee farmers – with an innovative new concept that brings locally grown foods to underserved families,” co-founder and HAFA executive director Janssen Hang said in a statement.

A panel of local judges selected the winners, Minne Inno reports. In the next stage of the competition, Google will award an additional $125,000 to the organization that receives the most online votes before February 19. 

Hmong families sell the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor in Minnesota farmers' markets.

The aims of other winning organizations include increasing the supply of child care in rural Minnesota, breaking the poverty cycle while reducing disparities in STEM careers, training adults in electronics recycling to help those facing employment barriers, and increasing and accelerating creative career opportunities for young people of color.

“We were blown away with the incredibly diverse and innovative proposals from the state’s nonprofit organizations that came pouring in after we launched the Impact Challenge,” Dan Harbeke, Google’s head of public policy and external affairs, said in a statement. “We’re excited to see which deserving organization Minnesotans select as their ‘People’s Choice’ winner.”

On its website, HAFA has asked supporters to vote so the organization can purchase a new refrigerator truck for future farming operations.

DC Comics releases "Superman Smashes the Klan"

Gene Luen Yang writes for DC Comics.

Comics don't get the respect that is often given to other forms of literature. However, contemporary comics are more than just cartoons. They have evolved into illustrated novels with complex characters confronting moral dilemmas and storylines that are relevant to today's readers.

The rise of today's white supremacists, for example.

Today, Wednesday, Feb. 19, DC Comics is releasing another important book by Gene Luen Yang, Superman Smashes the Klan, which is a book inspired by the 1946 radio serial storyline “Clan of the Fiery Cross”.

In the original radio story, Superman steps in to help an Asian-American family deal with a group of racists. You can find a summary of the story here, and listen to the audio here

Here are excerpts of recent interview of Yang by Ron Seoul-Oh, founder and editor of POC Culture.

POC Culture: Switching gears to Superman Smashes the Klan, a really unique and timely project. You mentioned that you were reluctant in terms of taking it on, where did that come from and why did you ultimately decide to do it?

GLY: For this project I put in a proposal for it with DC Comics, but shortly after I did, I did feel kind of freaked out about it. It deals with a lot of subjects that are touchy in modern day America. It’s about racism – the fundamental question behind it is whether or not a multicultural country can work. It was a question that was around after World War II ended, which was when the original story came out, and I think that question has reared its head again in very intense way. And it’s not just in America, the question of multiculturalism has reared its head all over the globe right now. As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, it’s really unexpected.

Q: The book is inspired by the Superman radio story Clan of the Fiery Cross, which itself is credited with subverting some of the KKK’s efforts in the 40s. What is the message that you’re hoping to get across?

GLY: I went into the project wanting to learn myself. I wanted to learn about the 40s and what America was like after the end of the war. After doing my research, this is what I came away thinking – before World War II there had always been two streams in America: One stream that was “All human beings are created equal” and then there was another stream that was “These particular people are worth 3/5ths.” And these two streams were competing. Then in World War II, America went across the ocean to fight these Nazis. but really a big core of the Nazi philosophy was centered around Madison Grant, who was an American. He was an advisor to President Theodore Roosevelt. He was a conservationist but also a pretty intense eugenicist and deeply racist. He wrote this book called The Passing of the Great Race and Hitler called this American book his Bible. So in some ways, as an American, you can see World War II as our country going across the ocean to face ourselves, or the worst version of ourselves. And when the war ends and the American troops come back, I think they saw what one of the streams of American history led to – it leads to concentration camps, it leads to genocide – so there was this embrace of the other side, at least in these really big and influential corners of America. It wasn’t 100%. It was an imperfect embrace, it was incomplete, but there was this sense that we saw what that other way of thinking leads to and we don’t want that. I think we’ve forgotten that. Whatever we learned by fighting the worst version of ourselves in Europe, we’ve forgotten.

I think that Superman radio show, it came out a year after the end of the war, in some ways you can see a crystallization of what America learned in World War II.

Q: I’ve heard you say that Superman is a symbol of American tolerance and his story is, at its core, an immigrant story. How much of that do you get to tackle in this book?

GLY: When I first signed on to do Superman, I did 10 issues beginning in 2015, that was my connection point with the character. I had always thought of Superman as this dweeb and kind of a square. That flipped for me when I realized the reason he’s a square is the same reason my parents are square – it’s because they’re immigrants. They know they’re foreigners and they know that there’s a part of them that’s deeply threatening to the people around them. So they gotta hide it under this perfect facade. They have to be the perfect citizens because if they’re not, people will start questioning their citizenship. That same dynamic is there for Superman. So that was my connection point and that’s kind of what I wanted to talk about. Writing mostly superhero comics is really crazy! I had a great time doing it, but at the same time, I felt like I never got to explore that core of the character and that’s what this is. This is me being able to talk about that.

I actually think that’s one of the big differences between Batman and Superman. Batman dresses up to be scary. Batman’s a WASP! [laughing] He fits right in! There’s nothing scary about him. If things had gone the way they were supposed to go, if his parents were never killed, he’d probably be like some kind of politician or something. You know? Everybody would love him. He’d go to these fund raising galas. He’d become the mayor of Gotham. But Superman, deep down inside, is legitimately scary. He’s this foreigner, he’s an immigrant, he’s from this completely different culture. So I think he wears these bright colors so people don’t freak out about him as much.

Q: We’re in a time where Asian representation in media is growing quickly. How have you experienced that and where would you like to see that representation go in the next couple of years?

GLY: It’s been really cool to see. It’s fun to turn on Netflix and have Netflix recommend shows and movies with Asian characters in in. I never would have imagined that when I was in high school – to have mainstream American media feature predominantly Asian casts. I think it’s been great. It’s not prefect of course. Asian-America is diverse. Asian-America is also a diversity fractal, and there are definitely corners of Asian-America that are not well represented now. But the changes that we’re seeing in media now is one of the most hopeful parts of American society to me.

Read the entire interview at POC Culture.

Be sure to go to your favorite comics store to pick up Superman Smashes the Klan today!

Jo Koy's funny upbringing as a Filipino American inspires a movie

Comedian Jo Koy played to a sold-out audience at San Francisco's 18,000-seat Chase Center and held them in the palm of his hand throughout his entire set.

During his monologue, he often told stories about growing up in Seattle by a strict single  Filipina mother. The audience, the majority of which were Filipino Americans, guffawed as they recognized their own relatives.

Being raised by a Filipino mother is a major part of his routine. "I really bonded with my mom," says Koy. "That's why I identify with being Asian, with being Filipino. Those stories are true. It’s from my heart. It’s what I lived growing up so that’s all I can talk about."

Now his Filipino American family -- at least the comedic version of his family -- will be the subject of an upcoming movie titled Easter Sunday, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

As the title suggests, the Amblin Partners project centers around a family gathering to celebrate Easter Sunday.

“This is a dream come true for me to work with such a legendary production company like Amblin who have produced some of my all-time favorite movies from Jurassic Park to 1917. I’m so honored to be a part of the Amblin family, and to have them help bring my personal stories to the big screen,” Koy said Tuesday in a statement.

Besides being the subjects of the movie, Asian Americans will be behind the camera as well.  Rick and Morty writer Jessica Gao and Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang are among the executive producers. Dan Lin's Rideback will. be partnering with Amblin for the comedy. Comedian and writer Ken Cheng (Wilfred) will write the screenplay.  

Easter Sunday will be released domestically by Universal Pictures.

Koy, who says he has been doing standup comedy for over 30 years, was named the “Stand-Up Comedian of the Year” at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal in 2018. His Netflix special "Live From Seattle" albun reached No. 1 on the 2019 Billboard comedy album chart.

“Jo is one of the most popular comics working today and I’m delighted to be starting this journey with him. Jo’s comedy is at once unique to his life and his experiences, and at the same time relatable and familiar to us all," added Holly Bario, Amblin Partners’ president of production. "With every performance he shares his comedy, his heart and his family with us. His poor family ... who will now be lovingly made fun of in a whole new medium. To them, I apologize.”

James Beard award given to Filipino American 'hole in the wall' in Seattle

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION

Oriental Mart offers honest to goodness Filipino comfort food. 'Masarap' is Tagalog for 'delicioius.'

If you're at Pike Place Market in Seattle and pass by a grocery store called Oriental Mart and don't go to the back of the store, you'd be passing up one of the America's classic meals as announced by the James Beard Foundation Tuesday (Feb. 18) morning.

The Filipino American lunch counter (we know this because a snarky sign in the front proclaims "We only serve lunch 11:00.-4:00") won a prestigious James Beard Foundation "America's Classics Award."

The chef, Leila Rosas, learned how to cook from watching her mother Mila Apostol at the restaurant's tiny kitchen. She told the Seattle Times that her family never imagined the James Beard Foundation would bestow such an honor to “a restaurant that is just a hole in the wall.

The award is usually given to local businesses that the Foundation judges determine “have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community.”

Locals know that the lunchonette serves up the best bargain in town with its hot, tasty and plentiful honest-to-goodness Filipino comfort food.

Oriental Mart has been a mainstay at Pike Place Market for decades and is in the third generation of the family that runs the operation. It is unapologetic Filipino home-cooking at its best and doesn't try to Americanize its food by catering to American tastebuds.  

Another sign reads: "If you don't know how to eat our salmon sinigang, don't order it." Salmon sinigang, a tamarind sour soup, is its most famous dish.

The menu changes daily at the whim of the chef. “I cook what I want so that I don’t get tired of cooking the same thing every day,” Rosas told the Times.

Apostol opened Oriental Mart in 1971 as a grocery store. Ten years later she expanded with a counter-seating restaurant in the back that focused on the family’s favorites such as adobo, dinaguan, pancit and, of course, sinagang. During the tourist season, she still helps her daughters: Rosas who cooks, and Joy Mori who works the retail part of the store.

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Three generations of the Apostol family operate the award-winning Orient Mart.

It has been a busy few months the family. Last December, Oriental Mart's home cooking was featured in PBS's No Passport Required hosted by famed New York chef Marcus Samuelsson when his show focused on Filipino American cuisine in Seattle.

The business is closed during Seattle's winter when fewer tourists wander Pike Place and the Alaska-bound cruise ships with their large Filipino crews are plying warmer waters. As she does every year, Apostol uses the break to visit family in the Philippines. With only 18 seats, there will likely be lines out the door when Oriental Mart reopens April 1. 

"I would not exchange my working life with anything else," the 89-year old Apostol says. "I love the people, my customers, the ethnic diversity. It's been an interesting place to work and raise kids. And they're all good kids. I'm proud of them."


Oriental Mart will be one of six 2020 “America’s Classics” recipients to be honored at the James Beard Awards Gala on May 4 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

California set to apologize for incarceration of Japanese Americans

Executive Order 9066 was signed into law on Feb. 19, 1942.

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A bill from California Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, (D-Torrance) would formally apologize for the state’s role in incarcerating 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, reports the Fresno Bee.

According to the Huff Post, the bill scheduled to be voted on February 20 is widely expected to be passed by the Assembly.

“The Assembly apologizes to all Americans of Japanese ancestry for its past actions in support of the unjust exclusion, removal, and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and for its failure to support and defend the civil rights and civil liberties of Japanese Americans during this period,” the bill reads.

Muratsuchi says the bill is timely given Trump’s immigration policies.

“For many survivors of the Japanese American camps it strikes a deep chord. They see in many ways history repeating itself,” he said to the Fresno Bee.

The vote will come one day after the annual Day of Remembrance. The date of the vote is significant since on Feb. 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt justified the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

“Every February, the Japanese American community commemorates Executive Order 9066 as a reminder of the impact the incarceration experience has had on our families, our community, and our country,” the Japanese American Citizen’s League writes on its website. “It is an opportunity to educate others on the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis, and the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting the rights and freedoms of all.”

Democratic candidates scramble for Nevada's AAPI vote

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Elizabeth Warren's campaign was present at Las Vegas Lunar New Year celebration.

With just days to go before the Nevada's Feb. 22 Caucus, voters, media and the candidates are learning that Nevada is an entirely different ball game than either Iowa or New Hampshire, two mostly white states.

Nevada is the first early state with a majority nonwhite population; 28 percent of the Democratic electorate is Latino, 14 percent is African American and 11 percent is Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

“The culture is shifting. It used to be we were afterthoughts. Now people understand AAPI is a determining group in Nevada,” said Grace Vergara-Mactal, executive director of Service Employees International Union.

If you've visited Las Vegas or Reno, you can't help but notice the plethora of AAPI employees working in the casinos, restaurants and other service industries. Nevada hospitals and schools have been active in recruiting nurses and teachers, respectively, from the Philippines.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing segment of the Nevada electorate and one that has been heavily courted by the candidates and the Democratic Party.

From AAPI Data and APIA Vote have prepared a fact sheet on Nevada's AAPI population. Here are some highlights:

• Largest AAPI ethnic groups in Nevada include: Filipino (162,936), Chinese (50,878), Japanese (26,359), Korean (16,169), Vietnamese (16,169), and Indian (15,022). 

• From 2010 to 2016, the number of eligible AAPI voters in Nevada grew 35%. 

• This compares to a 13% growth rate for the statewide eligible voting population between 2010 to 2016. 

• AAPI youth (ages 18-29) comprise 22% of the AAPI CVAP population in Nevada. • AAPIs age 50 

For the first time, the DNC will provide Caucus-goers voting material in Tagalog, one of the major dialects of the Philippines. Last month, Democrats held a workshop on how to take part in the Caucus for Tagalog speakers. 

After the New Hampshire Primary where Elizabeth Warren finished a distant fourth, the candidate, who has campaigned in Nevada heavily, released her Agenda for the Asian American Pacific Islander community, outlining her positions and goals on a number of. issues, including immigration, family reunification, health care, education, housing and racial discrimination.

In a lead-up to the Nevada Caucus, the major candidates participated in a Twitter Town Hall directed at the AAPI communities. Although the program was nationwide, the timing of the event was evidently chosen to get information to Nevada's AAPI voters.

Candidates have been keying in on the AAPI community targetting specific Asian subgroups. Elizabeth Warren located her Nevada field office in the heart of Las Vega's Chinatown. Her campaign has been active for a year in the Silver State.

Warren's campaign rang in the Lunar New Year with the launch of its “AAPI Weekend of Action” at the annual Las Vegas Spring Festival Parade.

“We want to make sure we’re meeting people where we’re at. That’s why we’ve been making a huge investment here in Nevada and Las Vegas, making sure we had staff on the ground,” said Roger Lau, Warren's campaign manager, the first Asian American to hold that position for a major candidate.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are paying attention and listening to what the politicians are saying,” said Lau.

“They have health care issues they have to deal with. They have educational concerns. They want to make sure we have childcare,” Lau said.

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Pete Buttigeig meets with AAPI community members in Las Vegas late last year.

Former Vice President Joe Biden announced on January 31 the formation of the ​Nevada Asian American and Pacific Islander (​AAPI) Leadership Council​, which will focus on mobilizing and engaging Nevada’s growing AAPI community on behalf of the candidate.

Ash Mirchandani, a Las Vegas business and community leader, will chair the group, and Doris Bauer, a board member of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), will be vice chair.

“This council is a testament to the energy and support that the AAPI community has for Joe Biden. With only a short time left before the Nevada caucus, this council will be charged with convincing even more members of our community to join Team Joe," said ​Mirchandani in a statement.

"We will be phone banking, knocking doors, hosting community events, and most importantly, making the case for why Joe Biden is the best candidate to expand access to health care, improve our standing in the world, and ensure America’s long-term, equitable economic success,” 

“With only a few weeks before the Nevada caucus, I am excited to take the next step to ensure my community turns out for Joe Biden. Filipinos are one of the fastest-growing communities in Nevada, and we will be decisive in determining our Democratic nominee nationwide,” ​said Bauer.

Earlier in January, the AAPI Victory Fund, ​a PAC focused on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Island voters, endorsed ​Biden for President​. ​

The newly formed council and the Victory Fund are holding an Early Vote Event on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the popular Chinatown restaurant, Harbor Palace Seafood Restaurant. Starting at 4:45 p.m., the event requires an RSVP.

California Sen. Kamala Harris and businessman Andrew Yang, two of the three AAPI candidates, had invested heavily in the Silver State. Their absence leaves a lot of their followers deciding who they will cast their votes for.

Sanders has a small army of volunteers on the ground in the state who are knocking on doors, waving signs at commuters and handing out campaign literature in multiple languages.

The Vermont senator leads the presidential field by a solid margin among likely Democratic caucus-goers heading into Nevada’s four-day early voting period, but all six of the candidates actively campaigning in the state this week earned double-digit support according to The Nevada Poll™.

Sanders topped the poll conducted for the Las Vegas Journal-Review  and AARP Nevada with 25% of respondents expressing support, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden with 18%, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, 13% followed by Steyers, 11%, Buttigeig  and Klobuchar had 10%.

Except for Steyer, all have qualified for the Feb. 19 debate. Billionaire Mike Bloomberg qualified for the debate Tuesday morning. Steyerand Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard have until 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday to meet the debate criteria established by the DNC.
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The next Democratic debate can be viewed:

• Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
• Time: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: The debate will air on NBC and MSNBC. 

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However, the debate may be too late for for Nevada voters. Almost 60% of voters are expected to take part in the state's early voting.

"Democrats just assume that Asian-Americans will turn up at the polls, and vote Democrat," said Dr. Michelle Diggles, author of a new Third Way study on Asian-American political participation. "There are very real serious ramifications for the assumption that demographics are destiny for the Democratic Party. If you don't do outreach, if you don't target, if you don't talk about the issues that they care about, they'll stay home."

“Candidates that don’t pay attention to the AAPI population will meet their demise,” William McCurdy II, the state’s Democratic Party chairman, told CNN. “They want to be courted. They want face time” with candidates.

UPDATED: Feb. 18, 9:45 a.m. to include Mike Bloomberg in the Nevada debate.