Sunday Read: Pulitzer Prize author ponders Tou Thao and the place Asian Americans hold in the U.S.

I'm taking a break from usual weekly attempt at relevance by linking the reader to another site. Sorry, about that.

Many of us here on social media rarely take the time to read OG "content creators" such as Time magazine and local newspapers. I found the Time magazine essay -- Asian Americans Are Still Caught in the Trap of the ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype. And It Creates Inequality for All -- so thoughtful that I want to share it with you.

Viet Thanh Nguyen, who won the 2016 Pulitzer for Fiction for his novel "The Sympathizer," is just a damn good writer. In the July 6 edition of Time, a couple of days after Independence Day, he writes:

"The face of Tou Thao haunts me. The Hmong-American police officer stood with his back turned to Derek Chauvin, his partner, as Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and murdered him.

"In the video that I saw, Tou Thao is in the foreground and Chauvin is partly visible in the background, George Floyd’s head pressed to the ground. Bystanders beg Tou Thao to do something, because George Floyd was not moving, and as he himself said, he could not breathe.

"The face of Tou Thao is like mine and not like mine, although the face of George Floyd is like mine and not like mine too. Racism makes us focus on the differences in our faces rather than our similarities, and in the alchemical experiment of the U.S., racial difference mixes with labor exploitation to produce an explosive mix of profit and atrocity. In response to endemic American racism, those of us who have been racially stigmatized cohere around our racial difference. We take what white people hate about us, and we convert stigmata into pride, community and power. So it is that Tou Thao and I are “Asian Americans,” because we are both “Asian,” which is better than being an “Oriental” or a “gook.” If being an Oriental gets us mocked and being a gook can get us killed, being an Asian American might save us. Our strength in numbers, in solidarity across our many differences of language, ethnicity, culture, religion, national ancestry and more, is the basis of being Asian American.

He continues, writing about his immigrant parents and their struggles to attain what they believed was the American dream in San Jose, which before the rise of Silicon Valley, was like many urban downtowns, was a downtrodden ghost town devoid of live and entrepreneurial activity. 

Nguyen was able to bring together all the political, social and economic viruses creating havoc through our country 

"If we are dissatisfied with our country’s failures and limitations, revealed to us in stark clarity during the time of coronavirus, then now is our time to change our country for the better. If you think America is in trouble, blame shareholders, not immigrants; look at CEOs, not foreigners; resent corporations, not minorities; yell at politicians of both parties, not the weak, who have little in the way of power or wealth to share."

He goes on to write about our Asian American identity, the model minority and where we fit in the melange of a multi-hued America.

It's a damn good read and one that we can spend a many hours pondering. If you want to read the entire essay, click here.

Excellent writer that he is, Nguyen doesn't give a nice answer neatly wrapped with a bow to the questions he raises. That answer lies within each of us.

L.A. District Attorney drops 'obstruction' charges against NPR/KPCC journalist

KPCC journalist Josie Huang

Charges against a KPCC journalist were dropped because of "insufficient evidence," said the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

Josie Huang was recording the arrest of protestors on Sept. 12 when she was tackled to the ground, handcuffed and arrested by L.A. County deputies in Lynwood, CA. despite her telling identifying herself as a reporter for KPCC, an NPR-affiliate. She also had her journalist's I.D. on a lanyard around her neck.

"I am gratified that the district attorney’s office has reviewed the evidence, including my video recordings of law enforcement activity, and reached the conclusion that it did," Huang said in a statement, adding that she is seeking a finding of “factual innocence” in an effort to "wipe this unlawful arrest from my record."

The entire incident was recorded by Huang's smart phone and a crew from another news station.

The conclusion of the D.A.'s office said that Huang was ordered to back off but was not given time to comply before she was tackled.

The D.A.'s office also said the mere photographing of officers who are in a public space is not a violation of the law, nor interfering with them performing their duties. 

Huang's arrest brought an outcry of protests from journalists' organization.

"More than ever, I am grateful for the First Amendment, which entitles all Americans — not just journalists — to the rights of free speech and assembly," Huang said.

Court: Census deadline extended to Oct. 31, but government appeal expected

CENSUS BUREAU

Census workers will continue to count people until the deadline, whenever that is.Add caption

A federal court has ordered the U.S. Census to extend by an extra month its self-imposed deadline that was supposed to be Sept. 30. However, the ruling by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in the Northern District of California, will most likely be appealed, leaving the final outcome up in the air for at least another few days.

The Census is being asked to extend its Sept. 30 deadline because the coronavirus and natural disasters such as the California wildfires and tropical storms hitting the Gulf states have thrown off the Census' timetable. Last Spring, the Census Bureau, the Trump administration and their community partners had agreed to extend the deadline to Oct. 31. 

With days to go, the U.S. Census and Asian American community groups are scrambling to make sure as many people as possible are included in the tally mandated by the Constitution.

The Census is being asked to extend its Sept. 30 deadline because the coronavirus and natural disasters such as the California wildfires and tropical storms hitting the Gulf states have thrown off the timetable. Last Spring, the Census Bureau, the Trump administration and their community partners had agreed to extend the deadline to Oct. 31. However, last month, the Census reverted to Sept. 30 as the end of the count.

"It is ludicrous to think we can complete 100% of the nation's data collection earlier than 10/31 and any thinking person who would believe we can deliver apportionment by 12/31 has either a mental deficiency or a political motivation," wrote Tim Olson, who oversees the enumerators who are going door-to-door to the households who have not self-reported online, phone or by mail.

The hearing Tuesday (Sept. 22) sometimes became testy as the government lawyers wanted to the judge to issue a ruling quickly so that they could file an appeal. However, Koh fired back that the government attorneys were the ones causing delays. She pointed out that the government's legal team violated two of her orders to produce documents, and even denied the existence of documents that it later turned over to the court.

Attorneys representing the National Urban League and other groups suing the government are asking for a preliminary injunction blocking the government from concluding the nationwide count on Sept. 30.

Koh signaled concern with sudden decision by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to move up the agreed-to deadline from October 31. She pointed out that it is unlikely the Census Bureau will  reach its goal of 99% response rate for completion by next week.

"Four out of 50 states reached the threshold for closing," she said, referencing the Census Bureau's latest data. "Why is the bureau insisting on ending data collection in seven days? ... That means 46 states have not met the requirements yet," according to CNN.

One of the government's arguments contended that the Constitution's requirement to conduct a count of the U.S. population every 10 years does not specify whether or how it should be accurate.

Census officials said that over 60% of the households have self-responded and that door-to-door Census workers pushed the rate to over 90% therefore, a deadline extension is not needed

However, those claims seem dubious with data provided by the Census. Minnesota is leading the country in self-response rates to the 2020 census while Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, is dead last, according to Census Bureau data.

Nearly 75% of Minnesota residents responded to the census by phone or mail or online, while just 34% of Puerto Rico residents self-responded.

The states or territories with the highest self-response percentage rates (as of Saturday) are:
Minnesota, 74.6 
Washington, 71.8 
Wisconsin 71.8 
Nebraska, 71.4 
Iowa, 70.8 
Michigan 70.8 
Illinois, 70.5 
Virginia, 70.5 
Utah, 70.4 
Maryland, 70.3 

The states or territories with the lowest self-response rates (as of Saturday) are:
Puerto Rico, 34.2
Alaska, 53.8
West Virginia, 55.9 
New Mexico, 57.3
Maine, 57.8 
Louisiana, 59.3 
Montana, 59.5 
Mississippi, 59.6 
Vermont 60.
South Carolina, 60.1
Arkansas, 60.1

The Census is not going well for New York City and Los Angeles, home to the country's largest immigrant communities. The count effort for NYC is at 60% and even worse for L.A. at 57.2%, far below the national average.

Census data is used to determine the number of members of Congress and who they would represent. The data is also used by government agencies to determine the allocation trillions of dollars of social service funds and infrastructure funds.

At the end of the hearing when she rendered her ruling, apparently exasperated at the the government attorneys' behavior, Koh said, "Go ahead and appeal me."

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this article is news laced with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions. 

TGIF Feature: BTS breaks NPR viewing records to benefit public media

Public media stations got a pleasant surprise last Monday. BTS, the 7-member boy group who are the current kings of K-pop, appeared on National Public Radio's Tiny Desk concert and set a record for online viewership.

And BTS' fans, who call themselves the BTS Army, came through big-time and ended up donating generously to the NPR-affiliated PBS, Public Broadcasting Stations that aired the laid-back, intimate concert.

Public radio stations are independent operations and there’s no central database of donations, says NPR spokesperson Isabel Lara, who notes that the concert now has more than 6 million views online, and NPR Music got 100,000 new subscribers to its YouTube channel since Monday morning. The Tiny Desk concert broke the viewership record in just 25 minutes.

One doesn't usually associate K-Pop with PBS or NPR, which skew towards an oldr demographic, but the nonprofit media might reconsider their audience with the success of the BTS appearance.

BTS had intended to spend 2020 selling out arenas around the world, only to spend these last few months performing in isolation in their hometown of Seoul. It took a global pandemic to get on the group's schedule. 

Billie Eilish previously held the first-day Tiny Desk record for views, with 782,000 on the first day of her session. BTS had 700,000 views in the first 15 minutes the mini-concert was online, and more than 950,000 by end of the session, NPR’s Anais Laurent says.

Without their coordinated clothing and noted choreography, the Korean band dressed casually, seated in a row for their session, taped at the Vinyl & Plastic by Hyundai Card record store in Seoul. It was is also the first occasion on which the group performed its No. 1 hit, an upbeat, funky “Dynamite,” its first all-English recording with a live band. A couple of them couldn't sit still and had to get up and dance.

From there they went into a more mellow, ballad mode, with "Save ME," from 2016.

“It’s been the roughest summer ever,” BTS’s RM says in the session, “but we know that spring will come” before moving into another of their hits, “Spring Day.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For those who might have missed the performance on Monday, enjoy:

Anecdotally, Lara says, people—many of them for the first time—definitely seem to be donating to say thanks for the concert, something they've been missing in these pandemic times.

Gabe Rosenberg, the digital news editor for Columbus, Ohio, NPR affiliate WOSU, encouraged the BTS Army to donate to public radio stations to say thanks.

Rosenberg’s social media quickly filled with responses from BTS fans saying they’d done exactly that, a phonomenon also experienced by other NPR affiliates such as the San Francisco-based KQED.

“My TweetDeck was relatively unusable for most of the day.” Rosenberg says the surge of contributions is especially welcome during an extremely trying time for local journalism. “One Tiny Desk concert can’t really reverse the effects of a pandemic on a local newsroom’s budget, but it does something to make you a little optimistic about why you’re doing what you’re doing.”

The donations are not new to the BTS Army. When BTS donated $1 milllion to Black Lives Matter, in 24 hours, the Army matched the donation. At every concert venue, the group donates a portion of their earnings to a local charity.

Outstanding Filipino Americans to be feted by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans

Jo Koy named "Entertainer of the Year.'

Comedian Jo Koy is gaining a new title besides "funniest Filipino American." He is being dubbed "Entertainer of the Year," during a star-studded fundraiser for Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).

 In celebration of Filipino American History Month, SIPA will hold its 48th Annual Benefit, "Vision for Tomorrow," on Saturday, October 10, at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET.)  With the health limits caused by the coronavirus mandates -- such as the Emmy's held last Sunday -- the event will be celebrated virtually.

The all-star benefit, featuring entertainers such as Apl.de.Ap of Black Eyed Peas, Nick Cannon, Josh Dela Cruz, Ava DuVernay, H.E.R., Lea Salonga, and more, aims to raise money for one of the oldest Filipino American nonprofit organizations in the United States, based in Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown. The virtual event will be hosted by Erin Lim, host of E! News' The Rundown and BingE! Club, and beauty guru and YouTube personality Patrick Starrr.

"The annual benefit is SIPA's most critical fundraiser of the year and typically an in-person event," said Candida Boyette-Clemons, this year's gala co-chair. "But given current rules against large gatherings, SIPA is instead creating a virtual program of stories worth celebrating this year, including notable honorees and powerhouse entertainment to uplift and inspire the entire community."

It has been a busy year for Koy, whose world tour has played to sold-out arenas and had two Netflix specials, one of which was taped in Manila. Koy will receive the Aliwan Award or "Entertainer of the Year" from filmmaker Dan Lin, founder of Rideback, a SIPA supporter whose Rideback Ranch creative campus is based in the heart of Historic Filipinotown.

L.A. Commissioner Jessica Caloza, appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as the first Filipina to serve on the Board of Public Works, overseeing critical services for four million residents in the city of L.A., will be honored as "Civic Servant of the Year." Caloza will receive the Lingkod Bayan Award, to be presented by award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay, founder of ARRAY, also a HiFi neighbor and SIPA supporter.

Receiving the honor of "Pinay of the Year" is Anna Marie Cruz, founder of Entrepinayship, a global organization dedicated to empowering Filipinas, and co-founder of the new media platform Entrepinay.com. Cruz will be given the Dawn Mabalon Empowerment Award by Jesse Perez Gonzales, husband of the late activist and historian, along with transgender activist and supermodel Geena Rocero, co-presenter of the award. More honorees and presenters will be announced at a later date.

"SIPA has planned an incredible evening of entertainment, as well as dinner options where you can support local Filipino businesses," noted gala co-chair Jessica del Mundo. 

"Favorites like HiFi Kitchen, LASA, and The Parks' Finest will offer special 'gala meals to go' in Greater Los Angeles, and a list of more Filipino restaurants for orders across the country is on the SIPA gala website from which registered guests can order Filipino food to go, delivery or catering services for everyone dining safely at home as they tune into SIPA's virtual gala on October 10."

Supporting small business is at the heart of SIPA's community efforts. In order to continue its mission, SIPA needs donations now more than ever. 

Due to the pandemic, SIPA's events and programming have either halted or transitioned online. SIPA is also recovering after the untimely death in June of its beloved executive director John Swing, who died from COVID-19 at the age of 48.

The fundraiser will be hosted by the E Network's Erin Lim and Youtube personality Patrick Starrr.

This year's benefit will raise necessary funds for SIPA's new headquarters and programs at HiFi Collective, located at 3200 W. Temple Street where it is set to open in spring 2022. HiFi Collective will house the future John Eric Swing Small Business Center.

Registration for the virtual gala is free, with viewing available on Facebook, IGTV, YouTube or Twitch. 

Interested parties can support SIPA today by becoming a sponsor, purchasing dinner or raffle gifts online, or making a tax-deductible donation at https://sipacares.org. 

More information about SIPA sponsorship opportunities is available through gala co-chairs Candida Boyette-Clemons at candida@sipacares.org or Jessica del Mundo at jessica@sipacares.org.

Since 1972, the community nonprofit SIPA has sought to improve the quality of life for the multicultural district of Historic Filipinotown and the greater Filipino American community. 

Donations accepted at www.sipacares.org. #sipacares #sipa2020vision

23 Asians and AAPIs among Time's 100 Most Influential people this year

Time magazine's covers used around the world to promote the Top 100 Influential People.

Time magazine named its 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, which included 23 Asians and Asian Americans.

Of the 2020 Time100 list, Time CEO and editor in chief Edward Felsenthal writes:

 "This year's list looks far different than any of us could have predicted just six months ago. The Time 100 has always been a mirror of the world and those who shape it. While you will certainly find people who wield traditional power on this year's list—heads of state, CEOs, major entertainers—it also includes many extraordinary, lesser-known individuals who seized the moment to save lives, build a movement, lift the spirit, repair the world. ... Their work challenges each of us to wield our own influence toward a world that is healthier, more resilient, more sustainable and just."

It is not a surprise to see Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris on this election year list and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping, each with a large following and global influence.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global disaster, it's natural to expect that Dr. Anthony Fauci makes the list, however we are introduced to no less than six other lesser known Asian and Asian American medical professionals who played key roles in combatting the virus:

• Zhang Yongzhen, who led a team that published the first SARS-CoV-2 genome just days after the first cluster of cases emerged and likely within weeks of its jump into humans; 

• Shi Zhengli led one of the first scientific teams that isolated SARS-CoV-2, .; the coronavirus that went on to ravage the world;

• Dr. Zhong Nanshan, an experienced epidemiologist and physician, has been leading China’s National Health Commission’s expert panel for investigating the COVID-19 outbreak in China.  He has become the public face of China's efforts to halt the spread;

• Dr. Jung Eun-kyeong, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), has led South Korea's quick actions led to an effective corraling of the cirus before it could spread.

• Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-Genral of the World Health Organizations; and

• Bonnie Castillo, a Filipino American nurse and leader of two powerful nurses' unions and who was among the first to point out the lack of personal protective equipment for hospital workers.

To see who else made the Time100 list, including the other AAPI and Asians who made their marks in culture, athletics, social change and politics, click here.

For the first time, Time revealed the annual Time100 list with an hour-long special television event on ABC. Produced in partnership with P&G, the Time100 broadcast special is created by Time's Emmy award-winning television and film division Time Studios along with industry leading global storyteller Done + Dusted, and is presented with exclusive premier sponsor Citi, signature sponsor Toyota Venza, and signature sponsor Smirnoff. The show is available on demand on ABC.com.

On September 23, 24 and 25, Time will host Time100 honorees for a three-part series of Time100 Talks, Time's series of virtual conversations that convenes influential leaders across fields to encourage cross-disciplinary action toward a better world.

To register and see the full lineup of speakers and performers, visit: time.com/time100-talks/

Report: Identity unknown who ordered to change its Census deadline to Sept. 30

No one seems to know who ordered the Census Bureau to end its once-in-a-decade tally on Sept. 30.

With just a week to go, Census staff and community groups are scrambling to count as many people as possible.

Due to the coronavirus and natural disasters that threw off the Census timetable, the Census Bureau, the Trump administration and community partners agreed to extend the original Sept. 30 deadline a month to Oct. 31.

The Commerce Department's inspector general has concluded that the order to revert to the Sept. 30 deadline did not come from the Census Bureau. according to ABC News. Even the bureau's director doesn't know who ultimately made the call, says the department's watchdog.

"The schedule change was not the Bureau’s decision, nor was it the first time the 2020 Census schedule had been changed. Senior officials at the Bureau, including the Director, did not know who ultimately made the decision to accelerate the Census schedule," the inspector general report states.

Returning to the Sept. 30 will not provide an accurate count, say community agencies partnering with the Census Bureau.

So far, the Census Bureau claims that 95.4% of households in the U.S. either from self-submitted responses or field data collection, have been counted.

However, in some states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Montana, that percentage is under 90%.

The Census is not going well for New York City and Los Angeles, home to the country's largest immigrant communities. The count effort for NYC is at 60%, and even worse for L.A. at 57.2%, far below the national average.

The low counts mean those cities and states could lose representation in Congress and get short-changed for federal funds for social services and infrastructure.

"Clearly, there are political motivations to change the timeline and particularly to close off the census and the count early, because what that's going to do is bias the final count," said Paul Ong, director of UCLA's Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and a former Census Bureau adviser.

"It's going to lead to a substantial undercounting of low income people, and people of color, and the political implication to that is very clear: by excluding them from the count you also bias the reapportionment process and the redistricting process," Ong told ABC News.

"There are real political motivations to essentially bias the final count because certain parties will gain from it at the expense of people they consider not worthy of being included," Ong told ABC News. "And so, again, I'm not surprised if this is true, because politicians play politics, and certainly one could play politics with the census to skew and bias the outcomes in their favor."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Sandra Oh wears her fashionable Emmy jacket in support of Black Lives Matter

INSTAGRAM

Sandra Oh was casual but she got her message across.

Sandra Oh made a subtle fashion/political statement during the Emmy Awards show Sunday night.

Since the awards show was done virtually, there was no traditional red carpet where the stars get to show off their fashion sense, so the Killing Eve star forced herself "to reflect on who I am and how I express myself through clothes,” said Oh, who was nominated in the category of Best Actress in a Drama Series.

In case you missed it, she wore a purple bomber jacket with matching face mask that had Korean script supporting Black Lives Matter.

“After George Floyd’s death and the protests that followed, I felt that as an Asian-American, a Korean-American person, I wanted to express my support for the Black community in a way that felt personal to my community,” she told British Vogue.

“Then, a playwright friend of mine sent me this local LA brand, KORELIMITED, by the designer Matthew Kim, who had done a line of T-shirts and hoodies to support Black Lives Matter. Even though it’s really different from what you would normally wear on a red carpet.”

The script on the bomber jacket translates “Black Lives Are Precious” because “Black Lives Matter” is not directly translatable in Korean. The dashes are a nod to the Korean flag. And the color, royal purple, carries meaning for both the Korean and Black communities. It’s “super Korean”, Oh said. The use of purple in Black Panther (vibranium is purple, derived from the purple “heart-shaped herb”, reserved for the Wakandan ruler and their family, fitting because the color symbolizes royalty and power).

Oh did her own hair, braided in a traditional folklore style.

As expected, some of the winners used their acceptance speeches t make political statements on behalf of Black Lives Matter and calls for people to register to vote.

With the country undergoing a tumultuous time politically and culturally, Oh said, “This is the moment to wear fashion that’s important and sends the right message.” 

Custom versions of Oh’s jacket are available for purchase via KORELIMITED, with a portion of the proceeds going to her chosen charities: Campaign Zero and Black Girls Code. 

Coronavirus and a political boycott trip up 'Mulan' at the box office

Chinese moviegoers are not flocking to the live-action 'Mulan.'

There are those who say the first sign that Disney's live-action remake of Mulan was in trouble was when they decided to eliminate the beloved animated dragon Mushu voiced by comedian Eddie Murphy.

Even before the twin releases to theaters and on Disney Plus, the online streamer, there were concerns that Mulan was not going to live up to the hype despite an all-star, all-Asian and Asian American cast bolstered by the Disney studio's full-throttled support.

The new retelling of Mulan, an old Chinese myth, slogged through a few miscues along the way to its long-delayed, but highly anticipated, release last month.

A Disney executive on recently briefly addressed the controversy plaguing his studio's big budget, live-action reboot of Mulan, which has generated backlash for being filmed partly in China’s Xinjiang region. That’s where Uighur Muslims have been imprisoned en masse in so-called “re-education centers.”

“I’m not a box office predicator [or] prognosticator, but [the backlash] has generated a lot of publicity; let’s leave it at that,” said Christine McCarthy, The Walt Disney Co.’s chief financial officer, at a Bank of America Virtual 2020 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference.

As an indicator, the blockbuster did not top the Chinese box office, pulling in a disappointing $23 million in its first weekend in China. Mulan earned only $1.47 million on its second Friday to bring its eight-day total to $31.17 million. 

Months before the movie opened (Sept. 4 on Disney+ and in theaters in the Chinese market) there were calls for a boycott from Hong Kong protestors (prime movie-going age group) beause of Mulan star Liu Yifei's  statement of support for Hong Kong police, and by extension, the Beijing communist government. 

When Mulan was released on Disney+, Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong tweeted, "This film is released today. But because Disney kowtows to Beijing, and because Liu Yifei openly and proudly endorses police brutality in Hong Kong, I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan." That hashtag went viral.

That movement and boycott has gained momentum as the movie's general release date kept being postponed because of the coronavirus.

Speaking of COVID-19, Disney decided to go ahead and release their film despite not all of China's theaters not being able to open because of the pandemic.

READ: My short, short review of Mulan.

The backlash against Mulan gained even more traction after it was released in theaters and online at Disney-Plus when eagle-eye moviegoers watched the credits at the end of the movie. Disney thanked the government and officials of Xinjiang, China, the region where Uighur Muslims are being detained in mass internment camps, according to The New York Times.

Xinjiang, in western China, is home to about 11 million Uyghur people, "a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority that speak a language closely related to Turkish and have their own distinct culture," according to CNN. About one million Uyghurs are estimated to be detained in camps in the area, where they reportedly endure torture, abuse, political indoctrination, and forced labor. The Chinese government denies claims of abuse and says the camps are "vocational training centers" and necessary for preventing terrorism. 

Activists have used social media to spread the message that supporting Mulan is tantamount to being complicit in these human rights violations. 

Disney's head of finance, Christine McCarthy, responded to the controversy, saying that the criticism is overblown and that only small portions of the film were shot in Xinjiang.

"The real facts are that Mulan was primarily shot -- almost in entirety -- in New Zealand, said Disney's head of finance, Christine McCarthy, reports Deadline. "In an effort to accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country of China for this period drama, we filmed scenery in 20 different locations in China. It's common knowledge that, in order to film in China, you have to be granted permission. That permission comes from the central government."

"So, in our credits, it recognized both China and locations in New Zealand. I would just leave it at that, but it has generated a lot of issues for us."

Additionally, China's complex relations with neighboring countries has generated calls for boycotts in India, Singapore and South Korea.

As the backlash over Disney’s collaboration with Xinjiang began to pick up steam, days before the film's Sept. 11 opening in China, Chinese state media initiated a media blackout of coverage of the film robbing the Disney folks of any momentum in publicizing their $200-million movie, according to Reuters.

Chinese stars were cast in 'Mulan.'

The highly anticipated film was  tailored for the Chinese market, the second largest int he world after the U.S., by dropping the fantasy and music of the original 1996 cartoon version in order to become more culturally appropriate, spending months to study the costumes and architecture of the era and casting big-name Chinese stars such as Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Gong Li and Liu Yifei.

In the U.S., its draw among Asian Americans was that it was the first big-budget movie produced by a Hollywood studio with an all-Asian cast with an Asian theme. The first was Crazy Rich Asians which dispelled studio-held beliefs that movies with Asian lead actors couldn't draw multi-racial audiences.

Two other studio-driven movies, Flower Drum Song and the Joy Luck Club, preceded  Crazy Rich Asians but both were isolated blips in Asian American movie history. Neither of the films didn't  break box-office expectations to gain any follow-up momentum for other Asian American related films, a groundbreaking feat accomplished by Crazy Rich Asians. That breakthrough opened the doors for several other Hollywood productions with Asian themes with AAPI lead characters. 

To be sure, Mulan is a beautiful film and the action scenes are spectacular and is worth the a pleasant 2-hour escape from today's troubles. However, I'm not sure if that is enough to overcome the fortune-cookie dialogue the actors are saddled with. It's as if the writers had just watched "Little Grasshopper" get lectured to in the TV show Kung Fu and think all Chinese normally speak English in this stilted way.

Mulan's so-so performance thus far raises fears among AAPI Hollywood artists that feed the old, racist belief among the movie-making industry's decision-makers that Asian-led films aren't profitable.

We'll have to wait and see how Mulan does globally when more American theaters open their doors to see if the Disney can recoup its $200-million investment.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this article is news laced with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions. 

UPDATED Sept. 21, 9:45 s.m. for clarity.

Sunday Read: AAPI mourn the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Friday night, as word of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg spread, crowds gathered
 outside the U.S. Supreme Court to pay their respects.

UPDATED: 2 p.m., Sept. 20 to include Kamala Harris response.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who died from cancer Friday, spent a good part of her life advancing the rights of all Americans. Her legal opinions as a Supreme Court Justice benefitted the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as they improved the lives of all men and women.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Democratic nominee for Vice President:

"Tonight we mourn, we honor, and we pray for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her family. Tomorrow we fight for her legacy.

"For all who believe in the power of the law as a force for change, Justice Ginsburg was and will always be a titan. She was a relentless defender of justice in our country and a legal mind for the ages. She also remained, throughout her life, a proud daughter of Brooklyn, with immigrant roots and a fire lit from an early age as a champion for progress and equality.

"Justice Ginsburg was known to pose the question, ‘What is the difference between a bookkeeper in the Garment District and a Supreme Court justice?' Her answer: 'One generation.' She never forgot where she came from, or those who sacrificed to help her grow into the historic icon we all came to revere.

"Even as we focus on the life that she led and process tonight’s grief, her legacy and the future of the court to which she dedicated so much can’t disappear from our effort to honor her. In some of her final moments with her family, she shared her fervent wish to 'not be replaced until a new President is installed.' We will honor that wish.

"Justice Ginsburg used every ounce of life she was bestowed to urge our nation down a path toward equal justice. Doug and I send our heartfelt prayers to Jane and James, and the entire Ginsburg family, particularly on this holy day of Rosh Hashanah. According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah we begin a period of reflection. Tonight, we reflect on the legacy of Justice Ginsburg and we honor her belief in creating a fair and just world by recommitting to fight for that justice."

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC:

“Tonight, Advancing Justice - AAJC mourns the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a pioneering champion for gender equality and a tireless protector of civil and human rights for all people in this country. Her voice will be sorely missed.

"As a civil rights organization, Advancing Justice - AAJC honors Justice Ginsburg, as a guiding light on cases of utmost importance to the work we do and the equity we seek, not only for Asian Americans but for all Americans. From dissenting opinions in Shelby v. Holder and Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to landmark opinions in Evenwel v. Abbott that affirmed one person, one vote and United States v. Virginia which allowed women to attend the Virginia Military Institute, Justice Ginsburg was an unrelenting, fierce defender of justice.

"Given that people are already voting, and Election Day is less than 45 days away, ‘we the people’ should choose the president who will choose Justice Ginsburg’s replacement. Anything else is undemocratic. This election already was critically important in determining the future of our country. Tonight, it became even more important."

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow:

"Justice Ginsburg was a champion for gender equality and a pioneer for women. “I dissent” became a collective catchphrase inspired by her because of her determined defense of women’s rights, often as a dissenter. In the recent Supreme Court case Trump v. Pennsylvania, Justice Ginsburg dissented, noting that the Court’s decision to allow employers to exempt themselves from the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage requirement “leaves women workers to fend for themselves, to seek contraceptive coverage from sources other than their employer’s insurer, and, absent another available source of funding, to pay for contraceptive services out of their own pockets.”

"Justice Ginsburg’s notorious dissents indicate the reality that decisions coming from the Supreme Court often were not on the side of justice for our communities, who continue to struggle against attacks on our rights and our ability to thrive. If President Trump is able to confirm a nomination, those attacks on our lives, our families, and our communities will intensify and risk being sanctioned by our highest court. However, the people of this nation will not be silent in the process. We demand a judge who will protect the rights we have fought for and those that Justice Ginsburg worked to deliver, and we will be bold and fearless as that fight continues.”

RELATED: Get ready for a high-stakes fight for Ginsberg's replacement.

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights:

“Justice Ginsburg was a principled, dignified defender of justice for all, and her legacy will long be remembered. She dedicated her entire career, on and off the Court, to protecting rights for women and LGBTQ individuals, and advancing justice for millions of people in America. Her wisdom served to remind us that the Supreme Court belonged to all of us, not to any party or politician. Her rulings were the embodiment of those words etched on the building in which she served – equal justice under law. Freedom has lost a stalwart champion. We join the nation in grieving this tremendous loss and extend our condolences to her family and loved ones.

“Under no circumstances should the Senate consider a replacement for Justice Ginsburg until after inauguration. People are already voting in an election where the presidency and Congress hang in the balance. Majority Leader McConnell left Justice Scalia’s seat open for more than a year because the vacancy occurred nine months before the general election. If Trump and McConnell have any decency and self-respect, they will honor Justice Ginsburg’s final request: ‘My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.’

“It would be an insult to her legacy for this president to select a justice he promises will assail our rights and undermine, upend, and unravel our democratic norms for generations. We demand a Supreme Court that is just and fair. We cannot let Trump get a third justice who will jeopardize racial justice, health care access, and so many more issues. Our fundamental rights are at risk. To honor Justice Ginsburg’s legacy, we need our Court to recognize and protect the rights of all of us.”

ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero issued the following statement:

“Few individuals have had such a dramatic and lasting effect on a particular area of law as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who directed the work of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project from its founding in 1972 until her appointment to the federal bench in 1980.

“During the 1970s, Ginsburg led the ACLU in a host of important legal battles, many before the Supreme Court, that established the foundation for the current legal prohibitions against sex discrimination in this country and helped lay the groundwork for future women’s rights advocacy. By 1974, the Women’s Rights Project and ACLU affiliates had participated in over 300 sex discrimination cases; between 1969 and 1980, the ACLU participated in 66 percent of gender discrimination cases decided by the Supreme Court.

“In 1981, President Carter appointed Ginsburg to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the second woman to be a Justice on the Supreme Court.

“In her honor we will be dedicating the ACLU Center for Liberty as the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Liberty Center.

“She leaves a country changed because of her life’s work.”

Asian American & Pacific Democratic Caucus (AAPIDC) Nevada

"Though she is gone, the fight she fought is not. Not even twenty-four (24) hours after her passing, President Trump and the GOP seek to undermine Justice Ginsburg’s work and immediately replace her with someone who will more likely than not unwind the very protections that she put in place. 

"Though we wish to mourn, the very actions taken by those Justice Ginsburg highly criticized remind us to not be complacent. We cannot allow, nor should we accept, any thing that undermines our humanity or further unravels the values of the American people. Her death is another reminder of the importance of this year’s election and that we should act; or - at the very least - vote."

Congressmember Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County):

"Ruth Bader Ginsberg represented the best of America. With patriotism and passion, she never shied away from taking on the challenge of making our country a more just and equal place. As a civil rights icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg carved out a new path for women in our country - demonstrating that everyone is entitled to justice and opportunity under the law. She was a legal pioneer that our country needed and she will be desperately missed. This is a devastating loss for our country but her memory, and her legacy, are a blessing."

Congressmember Pramila Jayapal (WA-07):

“Tonight, our nation not only lost a historic member of the highest court in our land but a trailblazer for women everywhere. From her passionate advocacy work on behalf of women to her nearly three decades on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg served with grace and brilliance while fighting for equality and justice.

“As the Director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Women’s Rights Project, Justice Ginsburg put her strength and unparalleled legal knowledge to work each day as an organizer who helped lay the foundation for landmark constitutional protections against sex discrimination. Following her confirmation to the bench in 1993, she brought her fierce intellect, determination for justice, and quick-wit with her as she became only the second woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court.

“As some looked out for corporations and the powerful, she lifted up families and the most vulnerable. With every case she deliberated on, she was guided by the promise of the very words carved above the Supreme Court: equal justice under law. Her tireless work on the court protected and expanded women’s rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, civil rights, and workers’ rights. She helped make possible historic progress on LGBTQ+ equality, health care, immigration, the environment, and getting money out of politics. And she did all of this while never losing sight of what makes our nation great—our inclusivity, our sense of justice, our commitment to equality and opportunity for all.

“In honor of Justice Ginsburg’s inspiring life, her powerful legacy, and her never ending pursuit for justice, let us continue her work. I am committed to continuing the critical work necessary to make our country more equal, more fair, and more just. As one of only 79 women of color to have ever served in the United States Congress, I am fully committed to continuing the legacy of this beloved “shero”: from finally ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to protecting abortion rights, workers’ rights, LGTBQ+ rights, and civil rights for all. And I am committed to making sure women across the country and throughout the world can blaze their own trails, that they are never held back on the basis of sex — or any identity.

“May Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s memory be a blessing. And may she rest in power.”

Mourn, pray, honor, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but get ready to fight

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, 1933-2020

OPINION

With the pandemic, the sour economy, the divisive elections, can 2020 get any worse? The answer, I'm afraid, is "Yes, much worse."

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg Friday (Sept. 18) at the age of 87 has turned the heat up by several notches in one of the most contentious and important Presidential elections in America's history. 

“The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher,” Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted after offering prayers for Ginsburg and her grieving family. “Millions of Americans are counting on us to win and protect the Supreme Court—for their health, for their families, and for their rights.”

We should celebrate that we lived in an age when Justice Ginsberg was possible. We should work so that there can be even more Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

RELATED: AAPI community pays tribute to an American hero

Many people would like to honor the late champion of civil rights, women's rights with quiet respect to mourn her passing; others would like to wallow in despair for the future of our country. To truly honor RBG's memory, we should redouble our efforts to turn this country around. 

It may be proper to offer a quiet prayer for the soul of RBG, but you would be totally wrong if you think Republicans are going to sit on their hands quietly during this period of mlourning. Conservatives have been waiting for Ginsberg's death for years to solidify their grip on the Supreme Court. 

Don't expect Senate Leader Mitch McConnell to stick to his words that he used to rationalize go against centuries-old tradition by turning down President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court four years ago.

When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February of 2016, McConnell said: 

"Given that we are in the midst of the presidential election process, we believe that the American people should seize the opportunity to weigh in on whom they trust to nominate the next person for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court," they conclude. "It is today the American people, rather than a lame-duck president whose priorities and policies they just rejected in the most-recent national election, who should be afforded the opportunity to replace Justice Scalia."

With those words, the GOP-dominated Senate pushed through the nomination and vote for Neal Gorsuch, who has been a steady vote for conservatives since he took his place on the bench.

“A basic principle of the law – and of everyday fairness – is that we apply rules with consistency, and not based on what’s convenient or advantageous in the moment,: wrote President Obama in Medium. "The rule of law, the legitimacy of our courts, the fundamental workings of our democracy all depend on that basic principle. As votes are already being cast in this election, Republican senators are now called to apply that standard.”

"I have a very simple message for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell tonight," said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, who sits on the Senate Judicial Committee, "The best and only way to honor the life’s work of Justice Ginsburg, a giant of a jurist, is to honor her fervent final wish that she not be replaced until a new president is installed.

On Friday night, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, declared: “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” Hypocrisy be damned! 

Ginsberg was fully aware what was at stake and fought to stay healthy until just a few weeks ago. And ... she fought to the end. On her deathbed, she uttered her dying wish to one of her granddaughters:

“My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

The Senate and McConnell should honor that wish, but I'm afraid "honor" has no meaning in Trump's Republican Party. 

Make no mistake what's at stake here. They are enormous. The selection of the new Justice could determine what kind of America we, our children, our grandchildren and their children will live in, given the key role the court plays in guiding our society on cultural, social and political issues.

The highest court in the land  already has four steady right-wing votes in  Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Chief Justice John Roberts might sometimes side with the more liberal wing of justices but for the majority of his votes, he has voted conservative. That's a majority of five. 

With the possible appointment of another conservative, that would give conservative-leaning SCOTUS and decided rightward tilt. The more ideologically liberal justices, Steven Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor would be reduced to writing dissenting views --  which boil down to nice thoughts but totally powerless in implementation.

MSNBC host Ari Berman tweeted: "It’s truly shocking that 4 of 5 conservative justices on Supreme Court (Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch & Kavanaugh) were nominated by Republican presidents who lost (the) popular vote.

Indeed, both Presidents Bush and current White House occupant Donald Trump lost the popular vote but won the electoral college votes.

Diving down even further, the U.S. Senate Republicans represent 15 million less voters than their Democratic counterparts. In the 2018 elections, Senate Democrats garnered 18 million more votes than Republicans.

It is unlikely that Ginsberg's replacement would be appointed before the first Monday of October, when the Supreme Court traditionally opens a new term and decides which cases it would accept for their judgement.

Trump has been using the conservative-leaning High Court as his backstop to controversial measures that have been rejected by lower courts.

Some of the life-changing decisions the 2020-2021 SCOTUS will likely face: Affirmative action, what's left of President Obama's Affordable Care Act which has been whittled down since Trump took office; Roe v. Wade, the ruling that allows a woman to choose, has been chipped away at the last few years; the future of the participants in the Deferred Action on Delayed Arrivals (DACA) that similarly has been upheld by lower courts, in fact, Trump's entire anti-immigrant agenda from the issuance of visas and green cards to the detention and deportation of refugees. 

Looking further down the road, in keeping with their anti-big government pillar, Republicans would also like a conservative Supreme Court to eventually review and perhaps end New Deal institutions of Social Security and Medicare, which have long been targets of the ultra-rich who don't believe in sharing their good fortune; doing away with estate taxes benefiting the ultra-rich; and just about any government assistance program from unemployment to food supplements would be vulnerable.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg through the years, as an advocate, and later as a Supreme Court Justice,  fought for the rights of men and women.

So mourn, pray RBG's passing, but also start planning and girding yourselves for a battle -- and we're not exaggerrating -- that could determine how we and our descendants live our lives in our country -- with rights equal to all -- or as second-class citizens who have to claw our way to the upper tiers of society in order to have the rights we enjoy today.

The first step, is to make sure Justice Ginsberg's replacement is not nominated until after the November elections when voters can give Democrats the edge in the Senate and remove McConnell, who represents Kentucky. In states where a Senate seat is up -- yes, that means Arizona, Maine, Kansas, Kentucky, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, Alabama -- vote for Democrats in the Senate races.

The second step in that battle is to kick out Trump and his minions from the White House and the power that office holds.

“We cannot let them win this fight,” said Harris, the first Asian American nominated for national office, in a prepared statement to supporters today (Saturday, Sept. 19). "Millions of Americans are counting on us to stand up, right now, and fight like hell to protect the Supreme Court -- not just for today, but for generations to come.“

"The work of holding Senate Republicans accountable to the standard they set in 2016 starts now," she said. "To Joe (Biden) and me, it is clear: The voters should pick a President, and that President should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg.”

RBG has died. We must pick up her banner. Her fight, is now our fight.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news laced with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.