Get ready for a history-making Monday night when 3 AANHPI shows premiere

From left, The Cleaning Lady's Elodie Yung, NCIS: Hawai'i's Vanessa Lachey and Quantum Leap's Raymond Lee.

This Monday, Sept. 19, for the first time in the history of American television, three shows with Asian American leads are premiering on the US networks on the same night.

The Cleaning Lady and NCIS: Hawai'i will begin their second season. Quantum Leap is coming back after a 30-year absence but with an entirely new cast that has Dr. Ben Song as the new central character.

Recording devices will be helpful as the air times conflict with each other.

If you subscribe to the streaming networks, you can also stream the shows: The Cleaning Lady on Hulu, NCIS: Hawai'i on Paramount and Quantum Leap on Peacock.

The Cleaning Lady

The Cleaning Lady, Season 2, premieres Sept. 19. On Fox, 9 p.m.

One of the most original series of last year, Thony de la Rosa, as played by Elodie Yung, who is an undocumented immigrant, came to the US seeking medical treatment for her son. Unsuccessful, she begins to live a double life, keeping secrets from her family, while cleaning crime scenes for Arman and dodging the law, including the smooth-talking FBI Agent Garrett Miller who is in pursuit. Using her cunning and intelligence to forge her own path in the criminal underworld, Thony does what is necessary to save Luca – even if it means sacrificing her own soul and values in the process. Last we saw Thony and her sister-in-law, played by Filipino Aussie Martha Millan, are about to embark on a path that will take them deeper into the underworld. Asian American fingerprints are all over this series developed by Chinese Canadian Miranda Kwok and produced by Filipino Canadian Shay Mitchell and Filipino American Rose Marie Vega.

NCIS Hawaii

NCIS: Hawai'i, Season 2 premieres Sept. 19, 10 p.m. CBS

The NCIS franchise really is trying to reflect Hawai'i's diversity with its casting. It features Filipino American Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, along with NCIS agents Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), track The Raven’s whereabouts to the island of Oahu and learn about his plans to attack RIMPAC (The Rim of the Pacific Exercises), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, on the exciting conclusion to the special crossover event and the season two-hour premiere. A warning to fans, the NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i season premiere will be a crossover event merging the two teams. The two-hour premiere event starts at 9 p.m. on NCIS and ends on NCIS: Hawai'i at 10 p.m. The story has the teams on the hunt for a dangerous suspect and unveils a complex network and a larger sinister plan that will take the D.C. team to Hawai’i in a race to thwart the next large-scale attack. It also stars Filipino American Yasmine al-Bustami, Alex Terrant, Noah Mills and Jason Atoon. I would love to see Tennant cook a Filipino meal for her family and friends. It's the Filipino way, hindi ba?

Quantum Leap

Quantum Leap, premieres September 19, 10 p.m. on NBC

Fans of the original Quantum Leap adventure series won't recognize the 2023 reboot. It's back and its features an Asian American in the lead role. Quantum leap, which ran for four seasons starring Scott Bakula, went off the air in 1993. The 2023 version stars Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song. It's been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. Also on the ensemble cast is Nanrisa Lee playing Jenn Chou, a computer whiz.

FYI: for more programs this Fall featuring AANHPI actors in leading and prominent roles, click here.

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

 

California governor establishes Racial Equity Commission

California state Sen. Richard Pan, left, and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

It has been quite a week for California's AANHPI communities with Gov. Gavin Newsom taking action aimed at countering the anti-Asian hate plaguing these ethnic groups.

With one of the most diverse populations in the US, including the largest Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities (AANHPI), California is sensitive to the institutional barriers that they face.

“In California, we recognize that our incredible diversity is the foundation for our state’s strength, growth and success – and that confronting inequality is not just a moral imperative, but an economic one,” said Newsom. 

Following his appointments to the Commission on the State of Hate Tuesday, Sept. 13, Newsom announced additional action to build on California’s leadership in expanding opportunity and justice for all including the establishment of the Racial Equity Commission. 

Hours later, the governor signed two bills that will bolster enforcement  against anti-Asian hate on public transit, (SB 1161) and private businesses (AB2448) and ordered the creation of a Racial Equity Commission.

“Our state has made great strides in redressing historic wrongs and stubborn disparities, but we know that much work remains to tackle the barriers that hold back too many Californians and undermine our collective prosperity. California won’t shy away from this challenge – with today’s action, our state is doubling down on the ongoing work to make the California Dream a reality for every one of us,” said Newsom.

The Commission, developed with state Senator Dr. Richard Pan and the racial equity organizations that sponsored SB 17, will produce a Racial Equity Framework consisting of resources and tools to promote racial equity and address structural racism. More broadly, the Commission will recommend tools, methodologies and opportunities to advance racial equity, and will be available to provide direct assistance to state agencies in reviewing and updating policies and practices upon request. 

“Dismantling systemic racism to achieve equity is difficult work, and I applaud Governor’s Newsom’s leadership in beginning to confront these challenging issues in state government in his Executive Order,” said Senator Richard Pan, California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Chair.

Executive Order

“Policy changes and cultural shifts go hand-in-hand,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “As we work together toward a more just and equitable society, good policy – like today’s executive order – will go a long way to shifting workplace cultures, as well as the hearts and minds of the workforce. For this reason, we are intentionally embedding equity into the mission and practices of state agencies and departments – a critical model for private sector employers as well."

Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies and departments to take additional actions to embed equity analysis and considerations in their mission, policies and practices. 

This action will help expand opportunity for all by addressing disparities for historically underserved and marginalized communities. Addressing unequal circumstances helps drive equal outcomes so all Californians have the chance to reach their full potential and lead healthy and rewarding lives, and all California communities can thrive and prosper. 

State agencies and departments are being directed to embed policies and practices in their strategic plans in order to further advance equity and opportunity and address disparities in access and outcomes. As part of these efforts, agencies and departments will incorporate more inclusive public engagement and data analysis to better serve all Californians.  

In addition, the order helps protect communities against hate violence and discrimination through accelerated actions, supports equitable investment of federal infrastructure funding, promotes a more inclusive and diverse state workforce, and encourages contracting opportunities for California businesses in disadvantaged regions and communities. 

Under the order, the California Health and Human Services Agency and Government Operations Agency will also develop recommendations to improve language and communications access to state government services and programs.

FYI: A copy of the executive order can be found here.

Newsom earlier this year appointed Pam Chueh as  the state's first State Chief Equity Officer at the Government Operations Agency for leadership as it relates to state operations, procurement, information technology and human resources. The Governor has taken action to embed equity within the state budget process led by the Department of Finance. 

Legislation 

Additionallly, besides the establishment of the Commission on the State of Hate, Newsom has signed two of bills sponsored by Asian American legislatures were inspired by the surge in attacks against AANHPI people.

• AB 2448 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) directs the state’s Civil Rights Department to create a pilot program that recognizes businesses for creating safe and welcoming environments for customers free from discrimination and harassment.
• SB 1161, the Increase Safety for Public Transit Riders. sponsored by Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), requires the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University to create a community survey for California transit operators to strengthen and promote passenger safety. The data collection effort is a critical first step in creating a larger framework for meaningful safety solutions. The data-driven approach centers rider experiences and ensures consistency in the collection of demographic information, first and last mile safety concerns, and overall experiences with safety, including street harassment.

The passage of these laws, which go into effect Jan. 1, 2023, are first steps towards giving legislators to write stronger laws that hopefully give law enforcement the legal tools  to stop and, if necessary, arrest people for harassing other people, the most common form of anti-Asian acts.

The governor also signed several bills focused on advancing equity and tackling disparities. 

• AB 316 by Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) requires CalHR to prepare a report on gender and ethnicity pay equity in certain classifications where there is an underrepresentation of women and minorities.

• AB 1604 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) will provide workers with greater opportunity to move upward within state service through improvements and best practices in processes for hiring, recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.

• AB 1957 by Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) will update the information that the Department of Developmental Services and regional centers are required to compile and report on the purchase of services for individuals with developmental disabilities to better identify disparities in race, ethnicity and language.

“As Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus," said Pan, "I have witnessed how often inequity is justified by racist tropes such as the Model Minority Myth and the devastating impact of inequity on American health and lives. Governor Newsom’s Executive Order is an important step toward a more fair and just state government for all Californians.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter. Last edited Sept. 22 to clarify details of SB 1161.

 

Wrongfully accused Chinese researcher appeals his case against the FBI

 

ACLU / Hannah Beier

Professor Xiaoxing Xi and his wife outside the federal courthouse in Philadelphia, Sept. 14.

A Chinese scientist working in the US appeals his case asking for damages after the  Department of Justice's questionable China Initiative accused him of espionage, charges that were dismissed for lack of evidence.

In oral argumentsWednesday in Philadelphia at the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Temple University professor Dr. Xiaoxing Xi and his attorneys urged the court to reinstate his claims for damages against the US government for its discriminatory investigation and prosecution of baseless charges that were later dismissed.

Judges seemed persuaded that Dr. Xi and his family endured “malicious prosecution and fabrication” of evidence and expressed considerable skepticism with the Department of Justice’s arguments claiming immunity from accountability for constitutional violations.

FYI: Read case documents from Xi v. United States.

Across the country, civil rights advocates working in Asian, Black, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Muslim communities have united in support of Dr. Xi and his fight to hold the government accountable for its long legacy of targeting people on the basis of their race, national origin, religious identity, or ethnic background under the pretext of national security.

Advancing Justice - AAJC and Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus led an amicus brief supporting Dr. Xi and calling on the U.S. government to end its discriminatory targeting and racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants.. The brief was co-signed by 72 Asian American organizations, civil rights groups, scientific associations, and academic groups.

In 2015, Dr. Xi was wrongfully accused of sharing sensitive technology with scientists in China, a charge for which he faced up to 80 years in prison and $1 million in fines. 

FBI agents entered Dr. Xi’s home with a battering ram, pointed guns at him, his wife, and two daughters, and arrested him. As Dr. Xi’s attorney argued, these actions had “devastating consequences” on him and his family, as Dr. Xi was branded a technological spy, suspended as physics chair at Temple University, and was forced to live with the specter of suspicion for years. Dr. Xi and his family have since been fighting for justice for seven years.

“We are at a juncture today for our communities to turn the tide and support Professor Xi’s efforts to ensure that the federal government is held accountable. Whether Professor Xi and his family are finally afforded justice after a seven year long legal battle will have a powerful ripple effect and signal to many others whether our country can change, take responsibility, and uphold justice,” said Gisela Perez Kusakawa, director of Anti-Racial Profiling for Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Xi's case and others scientists, researchers and professors who were cleared after the DOJ accused them of spying and selling trade secrets that were later dismissed caused the Biden administration to scrap the Trump-instigated China Initiative earlier this year.

“The Third Circuit panel seemed to understand that the government’s constitutional violations of Dr. Xi’s rights cannot stand,” said Glenn Katon, the Litigation Director at Advancing Justice - ALC. “We are hopeful that the court will reverse the dismissal of Dr. Xi’s case, and that he and his family can proceed to prove how the FBI and DOJ’s fabrication of evidence and racial discrimination caused them grievous harms and restore Americans’ confidence that the government cannot violate our rights with impunity.”

It will take several months before the Third Circuit issues a ruling. No matter the outcome, if Xi's case is appealed by either side, it faces an uphill climb in the US Supreme Court, which has already ruled in several similar cases that the government could not be sued for wrongful arrests and detention.

The FBI refused to comment on this case.

“It’s not because the agent made a mistake or misunderstood something. He knew he was wrong. He knew I was innocent, and he went ahead,” Xi told WHYY.

“We’re determined to fight to the end, because we have to hold the government accountable when they violate the rights of innocent people. And next time, when they are trying to do something like that, they better think twice about the consequences.”

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

White House reveals new initiatives to counter the forces of hate dividing the US

Striking out against white supremacists and extreme conservatives, President Biden hosted the United We Stand Summit Thursday to counter the hate-fueled violence that tears at the United States.

"We need to say clearly and forcefully, white supremacy, all forms of hate... have no place in America," Biden said. "As to those who say, we bring this up, we just divide the country — bring it up, we silence it, instead of remaining silenced. For in silence, wounds deepen."

"The combination of January the 6th, what they saw in Charlottesville: That’s not America, not who we are," Biden continued.

"The idea of America is it guarantees that everyone — everyone is treated with dignity and equality.  An idea that ensures an inclusive, multi-racial democracy.  An idea that we give no safe harbor — none — to hate." 

According to the FBI's 2020 Hate Crime Statistics, the most recent data available, the overall number of hate crimes increased by 949 from 2019. Hate acts against Asians made up 4.4% of the incidents.Of the victims, 62% were targeted because of the offenders' bias toward their race, ethnicity or ancestry, which continues to be the largest bias motivation category.

Stop AAPI Hate, a community-based organization collecting reports since the start of the pandemic in March of 2020, over 11,500 anti-Asian incidents have been reported. 

The White House announced a historic package of new actions the federal government, civic, faith, philanthropic, and business leaders will take to address hate-fueled violence and advance national unity:

The President unveiled new actions by government and nonprofit agencies to strengthen the federal government’s coordination and community engagement to prevent, respond to, and recover from hate-fueled violence.

Among the actions is the White House Initiative on Hate-Motivated Violence established today will strengthen interagency coordination in preventing and responding to hate-motivated violence, leverage federal research and resources, and enhance engagement and consultation with diverse stakeholders, including communities targeted for who they are or what they believe.

In the private sector, high-tech companies -- Twitter, Meta, Youtube, Twitch and Microsoft will institute policies to filter out hateful language or encourage violence.

Among the guests at the White House were victims of hate and "Uniters" doing work in their communities against hate, build bridges, and heal divides. Among the honorees were Valarie Kaur, a civil rights leader, Los Angeles, and middle-schooler Mina Fedor, founder of AAPI Youth Rising from Piedmont, Calif.

Those in attendance included bipartisan and nonpartisan federal, state, local, and Tribal officials, civil rights groups, faith and community leaders, business leaders, law enforcement officials, former members of violent hate groups who now work to prevent violence, and gun violence prevention leaders.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the summit. 

"Years from now, our children and our grandchildren, they’re going to us ask, 'What did you do at that moment?”  “What did you do to help protect our communities, to fight hate-fueled violence, and to build a better nation?' 

 
"Well, I have confidence in what we’re going to be able to say.  We will tell them we were all here together today.  And we will tell that, in this moment, we stood united.  We stood firm in our belief that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.  We stood firm in our belief that out of many, we are one."

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

California governor signs bills combating anti-Asian hate on transit and in businesses

Two bills that will help California in its ongoing effort to stem the alarming rise in anti-Asian incidents was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday.

The No Place for Hate Bills — SB 1161 sponsored by Senator Dave Min, D-Irving, and AB 2448, sponsored by Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco — will be be effective starting Jan. 1, 2023.

“No Californian should feel unsafe on public transit, yet study after study shows that a majority of women, seniors, LGBTQ+ riders, and other vulnerable populations experience street harassment or worse while commuting,” Min said in a press release. 

RELATED: 

• Newsom appoints members of the Commission on the State of Hate.
• California budgets $157 million to combat ant-Asian hate

“This legislation puts forward a data-driven safety framework that will help us understand why these incidents keep happening. The new survey tool developed by the Mineta Institute is the first step in a strategic approach by the Legislature to address this issue.”

The Protect Customers’ Civil Rights at Businesses bill (AB 2448), authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), will direct the state’s Civil Rights Department to create a first-of-its-kind pilot program that will incentivize businesses to create safe and welcoming environments.

Both bills will combat the attacks against Asians in public transit such as busses and rail transit and in private businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores.

“Customers have the right to feel safe in businesses, and workers need training on ensuring that,” Ting said. “Right now, our state’s civil rights laws do not adequately protect people who are verbally harassed and intimidated while grocery shopping or eating at a restaurant. My bill allows businesses to lead the fight against hate and create more welcoming and safe spaces for all Californians.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2021, Stop AAPI Hate has collected over 11,500 reports of anti-Asian incidents. About 40% of those incidents have occurred in California, the state with the most AAPI  residents.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a report in July stating that anti-Asian hate crimes have increased 177% from last year.

Although spurred by the surgee of anti-Asian incidents, the bills will also help members of other marginalized communities who are victims of hate. The two bills hope to address the majority of the hate incidents which may not rise to the legal definition of a hate crime.

“This law names hate-based harassment as a pervasive problem. It is an essential first step in creating safer environments for customers,” Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of the AAPI Equity Alliance, said in a press release.

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

California governor announces members of the Commission on the State of Hate

Last year, Cynthia Choi introduced Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press conference. 

Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, was one of five appointees to the newly formed Commission on the State of Hate.

Created by legislation Newsom signed last year and established in the 2022 Budget Act, the Commission will assess data on hate crimes in California, provide resources for victims, and make policy recommendations to better protect civil rights.

Choi, 56, of San Francisco, has been Co-Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action since 2016 and a Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate since 2020. 

She held several positions at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy from 2006 to 2016, including Vice President of Philanthropic Partnerships and Deputy Director. Choi was Interim Executive Director at Khmer Girls in Action from 2004 to 2006. She held several positions at the California Endowment from 1997 to 1999, including Program Officer and Regional Manager. Choi was also Co-Director of MultiCultural Collaborative from 1994 to 1997. She was Program Developer at the Asian Law Caucus from 1989 to 1992. 

None of the appointments require legislative approval. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also named four other civil rights activists  to the commission Tuesday. They are:

Brian Levin, 58, of Orange County, has been Founding Director at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a Professor at the California State University, San Bernardino School of Criminology and Criminal Justice since 1999. 

He was a Professor at Stockton University from 1996 to 1999. Levin was Associate Director of Legal Affairs of the Klanwatch/Militia Task Force at the Southern Poverty Law Center from 1995 to 1996. He is a member of the California Association of Human Relations Organizations and an organizational representative to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and Human Rights. Levin earned a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. 

Bamby Salcedo, 53, of Los Angeles, has been President and Chief Executive Officer at the TransLatin@ Coalition since 2015. 

She was HIV and Health Education Services Project Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles from 2007 to 2015. Salcedo was Transgender Harm Reduction Project Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles from 2007 to 2009. She held several positions at Transgeneros Unidas at Bienestar Human Services LA from 2002 to 2009, including Program Manager, Program Lead and Community Health Specialist. Salcedo was Peer Coordinator at Tarzana Treatment Centers from 2001 to 2002. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Latinx Studies from California State University, Los Angeles. 

Shirin Sinnar, 45, of Palo Alto, has been a Professor at Stanford Law School since 2012, where she has been John A. Wilson Faculty Scholar since 2015. She was Staff Attorney at the Asian Law Caucus from 2006 to 2009. Sinnar was a Law Clerk for the Honorable Warren J. Ferguson at the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 2003 to 2004. 

She is a member of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy Editorial Board and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. Sinnar earned a Master of Philosophy degree in international relations from Cambridge University and Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. 

Erroll G. Southers, 65, of Los Angeles, has been Associate Senior Vice President of Safety and Risk Assurance at the University of Southern California since 2022, Adjunct Staff at the RAND Corporation since 2017, an Advisor at Avata Intelligence since 2013 and Managing Director at TAL Global Corporation since 2010. 

Southers held several positions at the University of Southern California from 2003 to 2022, including Professor of Practice in National and Homeland Security, Director of International Programs, Adjunct Professor and Associate Director of Research and Transition. He was Assistant Chief of Police commanding the Office of Homeland Security and Intelligence at Los Angeles World Airports from 2007 to 2010. Southers was Deputy Director for the Protection of Critical Infrastructure at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security from 2004 to 2006. 

Southers was also a Special Agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1984 to 1988. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree and a Doctor of Policy, Planning and Development degree from the University of Southern California.

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

 

The new 'Quantum Leap' dares to star an Asian American male lead

Raymond Lee plays Dr. Ben Song in 'Quantum Leap.'

Fans of the original Quantum Leap adventure series won't recognize the 2023 reboot. The time-traveling accelerator is still the launching pad for stories, but instead of Scott Bacula, it will star Raymond Lee as the brilliant quantum physicist Dr. Ben Song.

Lee's starring role is a quantum leap for Asian American male actor. The handful of   shows currently airing on television featuring Asian American leads are led by women. Lee's Quantum Leap is the only one with an Asian American male topping the call sheet this season.

At first, Lee, who is Korean American, couldn't believe he landed the Ben Song role. "I couldn't understand," he says, "because it seemed like they were interested in having me as the lead for their show. I thought, 'This has to be a typo.'

"It was one of those moments as an actor where you read the script and you go, 'I can do this!'" he says. "This is something I've worked for. I've had some great number ones [on the call sheet] who I've looked up to. I've watched and learned and absorbed. Now it's time to put it all to use."

FYI: Quantum Leap premieres September 19, 10 p.m. on NBC

The original Quantum leap, which ran for four seasons, went off the air in 1993. The new storyline picks up 30 years later after Bakula's Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song, has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the time machine and the man who created it. 

Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. Included on his team is computer whiz Jenn Chou, as portrayed by Nanrisa Lee.

Historically, Hollywood has relegated Asian men to secondary roles at best, or roles that play up the stereotypes at worst. Casting an Asian male into the lead role is stepping into a rare realm as far as leading men go. The immense popularity (and probably more important - box office success) of 2018's Crazy Rich Asians has helped shift that paradigm but old biases are hard to break down.

Only Young Rock, which features three Pacific Islander actors playing Hollywood's most profitable actor Dwayne "Rock" Johnson in various stages of his career, has dared to break the mold based on old Hollywood biases that an AANHPI male cannot carry a show or be attractive to the opposite sex.

Lee is not a newbie. He's paid his dues. He can also be seen on the AMC series “Kevin Can F*** Himself,” which began its second season August 22. Previously, he was a series regular on Alan Ball’s HBO series “Here and Now.” Additional recurring roles include the HBO Max series “Made for Love,” Fox’s “Prodigal Son,” Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle” and ABC’s “Scandal.”

Ironically, one of the roles he had early in his career was the 2013 "The Leading Man," starring Jack Yang. It was about a Chinese American actor who got fired from a show he was starring in.

"I love going beyond people's expectations of what someone who looks like me can do, and this is no different," he states. "It's just another challenge that I'll gladly go into headfirst.

"The more of us who are out there, the easier it is for kids growing up to see themselves in these parts," he adds. "I've considered my background, my appearance and my race to be a superpower my whole life."

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

'Squid Game' carries the flag for Asian representation at the 74th Emmy awards

South Koreans Lee Jung-jae, left, and Hwang Dong-hyuk with their history-making Emmys.

Applause for Squid Game for representing Asians at the Emmy's Monday night, Lee Jung-jae for winning outstanding lead actor in a drama series and director Hwang Dong-hyuk for winning top director for a drama series.

We celebrate Hwang's and Lee's accomplishments that widened the television industry's representation to include Asians, Asian American actors and series went almost unnoticed.

Although they didn't win the prestigious trophy awarded to television's projects and actors, huge recognition and credit should also be given to Karyn Kusama (Yellowjacket) and Cathy Yan (Succession) were both nominated for director in a drama series, Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) for actress in a drama series, Bowen Yang (Saturday NIght Live) for supporting actor in a comedy series.

Other Asians who received nominations included Hiro Murai who was nominated in two categories as director in a comedy series (Atlanta) and a drama series (Station 11); HoYeon Jung (Squid Game) supporting actress in a drama series; Park Hae-soo and O Yeung-su (Squid Game) supporting actor in a drama series; Lee You-mi (Squid Game) guest actor in a drama series; Himesh Patel, (Station Eleven), lead actor in an anthology; Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef) and Tan France (Queer Eye), host of a reality competition show; and Ali Wong, writer for a variety special.

Squid Game made history in a number of ways: Hwang is first Asian to win the best director award and Lee became the first person from a foreign language show to win in his category.

Set in Seoul, the series is about a group of people facing financial trouble who play against each other to win money. Losers die. It is the first South Korean series and the first television series not in English to to be nominated for best drama series, which eventually went to winner Succession. The show was nominated in 14 categories.

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

Connecting the Dots: What’s behind CNN's turn to the right?

Billioinaire investor John Malone.

ANALYSIS

If you're like most Americans and you depend on TV for your news source, you might have noticed a change on CNN, the mother of the all-news format.

Some wary viewers say the new CNN is a wolf  (or Fox) in sheep's clothing but the ongoing transformation of CNN from a moderate news outlet to a network with a more conservative bent is but the tip of a more troubling trend changing the world of journalism.

Already gone from CNN are John Harwood, Jeff Tobin and Brian Steiter, who pulled no punches in criticizing the Trump administration's extremist policies. 

Some staffers have confided to the Daily Beast that it may be only a matter of time before Don Lemmon and Jim Acosta, CNN mainstays and whose criticism of Donald Trump and his ultra-right allies are well known, fall victim to the transformation.

Most journalists and media watchers are aghast at the sharp right turn that's happening at CNN, but the firings of the key on-air personalities sent a clear message to staffers: soften criticism of the right or you'll be next to lose your job.

The question floating over one of the world’s largest and arguably the most important news organizations, is why the network is changing. Is it because the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, its new owner, wants to right (pun intended) the network's leftward list? Or is it a conservative billionaire John Malone, and friend to Fox's Rupert Murdoch, flexing his muscle as an investor?

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Malone's reputation and his fortune was built in the cable TV business. He has deep and longstanding ties with David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Zaslay says the changes at CNN were implemented for business and editorial reasons, not because of his relationship with Malone. To further distance himself from any controversy, Malone picked Chris Licht, former Discover CEO, to head the new CNN.

Formerly sitting on the board of the Cato Institute, the libertarian think tank, and donating $250,000 to Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee says something about his conservative/libertarian bent. Additionally and more telling, at one point, he owned 32% of Fox. It should be noted, however, two years later, Malone told CNBC that Trump generated too much chaos and shouldn’t have a second term. However, he tempered his pivot when he said, “Look, I think a lot of the things Trump has tried to do — identifying problems and trying to solve them — has been great. I just don’t think he’s the right guy to do it."

It is no secret what Malone wants as an influential investor. He has repeatedly voiced in public his preference for CNN to remake itself. His dream CNN, not so coincidentally, syncs with the new CNN's plan to steer the network away from what Malone and his allies  call a "liberal bias" they say muddles opinion and news and shift it toward a more moderate and a less biased presentation.

“I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,” he said in a CNBC interview, in which he also suggested a model: “Fox News, in my opinion, has followed an interesting trajectory of trying to have ‘news’ news, I mean some actual journalism, embedded in a program schedule of all opinions.” 

The CNN newsroom is changing.

Are you kidding me? Malone is holding up Fox News as an example of "actual journalism?" For the sake of brevity, let's just say that what's broadcast from Fox is not news. It is propaganda.

The world has changed since CNN's birth in 1980. Back then, objective reporting was the norm and idealistic goal from which news outlets barely wavered. With the emergence of Rupert Murdoch's Fox News is just one of the media that he has under his thumb. The Wall Street Journal, the Times of London and the New York Post are all part of the Murdoch media empire.

Objective, politically neutral reporting would be fine if everyone played with the same rules. Fox's impact as a journalistic poseur is so great that the journalistic ideal of objectivity and "balanced" reporting of the news doesn't effectively counter the Fox network's unrelenting right-wing bias. It is like bringing a knife to gunfight.

For a long time, conservative news outlets have been perpetuating the myth that mainstream media is owned by liberals. That is far from the truth. Studies show the majority of the media are owned by Republicans.

In today's media landscape, the burden of ferreting out the truth falls on the viewer, who is more often than not, too inattentive to change the channel, content to feel the outrage spewing forth instead of listening to the pesky complicated details.

Today, media operates in a 24/7 environment, not the one-on-one media rivalries of the last century epitomized by the NY Times competition vs. the Washington Post during the Watergate scandal.

What may seem like a liberal bias to business investors like Malone, is the traditional media trying to present verifiable evidence-backed facts vs the outright lies and disinformation screaming from Fox. Based on Maline's statements, using Fox as his North Star, anything left of Fox is liberal.

Like the Murdochs, Malone calls himself a libertarian, someone who prefers minimizing government (except the military) and letting corporations run rampant over the country (re: consumers) as long as it brings in the dollars.

CORPORATE MEDIA

Like so many mainstream media, CNN is a victim of the new ownership who like Malone, view media as investment opportunities instead of providing news to the public, a perhaps romanticized vision that may be on its deathbed.

A study, "The Politics of CEOs," published by the National Bureau of Economic Researcher, researchers found that 18.6% of CEOs consistently donated to Democrats, while 57.7% donated to Republicans, with the rest leaning toward neither party.

That may not be surprising to progressives who have long railed that conservative ownership of media are increasingly calling the shots on news coverage.. They calim that big business tends to benefit more from conservative policy goals like lowering taxes and easing up on regulations. Labor unions donate heavily to Democrats, who tend to support more worker-friendly policies.

“Public corporations have massive financial resources, and directing even a tiny fraction of them to politics could have a profound impact,” say the researchers. “In particular, because our evidence indicates that public companies are disproportionately headed by Republican CEOs, the emergence of such a scenario could have a significant impact on the balance of power and advantages between the two main political parties.”

FOX IS NOT A NEWS NETWORK

It is wrong to equate CNN to Fox as Malone does. CNN, at least to date, presents reports that have been verified, once, twice, perhaps three times, with evidence and allows viewers to digest the information.

Fox's defenders say it is just another view of the same news as presented by the mainstream media.  In my view, Fox should not be equated with CNN. Fox is not news. It presents propaganda with an agenda.

Real news organizations do not twist the news to fit their purposes. For Fox, the information they spew is to support the GOP and criticize the Democrats. Another way of saying the same thing, Fox favors that information that helps corporate interests, ie. and is not interested in dispensing information that might help the nation's citizenry make decisions.

CNN, and even the more liberal MSNBC, may present opinions but fundamentally, they adhere to the facts. Fox does not.

Investor-owned media, steers away from news that may be harmful to corporate interests, such as climate change, mass incarceration rates, racism and basically, anything good Biden has done to help the economy, strengthen infrastructure, or provide affordable health care.

The changes at CNN are likely not done.

Like many unknown billionaires who prefer to stay out of the public's eye and immune to their scrutiny, Malone claims he had nothing to do with CNN's transformation. Even if Malone didn't directly order the firing of CNN staffers, Zaslav and Licht, are aware of Malone's wishes and like good lapdogs, they did their owner's bidding.

That's how things are done in the rarified air of the 1%. Malone's hands remain clean. Let the minion millionaires do the dirty work.

Aware of the pending changes coming to CNN, on Stelter's last show he said: “It’s not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue. It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues. It’s required. It’s patriotic. We must make sure we don’t give platforms to those who are lying to our faces.”

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