Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
How are you supposed to react when a robot calls you a “gook”? At first glance, ImageNet Roulette seems like just another viral selfie app – those irresistible 21st-century magic mirrors that offer a simulacrum of insight in exchange for a photograph of your face. Want to know what you will look like in 30…
Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart. For those of you who don’t know, H Mart is a supermarket chain that specializes in Asian food. The “H” stands for han ah reum, a Korean phrase that roughly translates to “one arm full of groceries.” H Mart is where parachute kids go to…
Claypool, a tall, bald man who looked as if he had rolled out of bed in his magisterial robes, appeared to be unmoved by the defense lawyers’ attempts to reduce the $500,000 bail or to characterize their clients, none of whom had a criminal record, as law-abiding citizens. ‘‘I know that what I’m supposed to…
The first time I was aware of my Asianness was when I asked my mother why I wasn’t blond. I was 5, and one of only a handful of Asian-Americans living in a predominantly white suburb in Michigan. Of course, my story is not unique — it’s an experience that’s probably shared by most American-born…
Young Jean Lee/Facebook A play called Straight White Men is about to make history, becoming the first play written by an Asian American woman to appear on Broadway. The show, written by experimental Korean-American playwright (and David Byrne and Kathleen Hanna collaborator) Young Jean Lee, revolves around three brothers (the aforementioned straight white men) visiting…
The Trump administration is preparing to investigate whether Asian Americans are treated unfairly as a result of admissions policies intended to boost the chances of other racial minorities. That inquiry should also look at colleges’ other major affirmative action effort — lower admission standards for applicants whose parents are alumni or major donors. by Daniel…
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Ghost in the Shell.] Ghost in the Shell has been embroiled in a whitewashing controversy for the past two years, ever since Scarlett Johansson was announced as the lead in January 2015. The Paramount and DreamWorks project is based on the classic Japanese manga about a cyborg cop who…
Dyne Suh, a 25-year-old law student from Riverside, California, just wanted to enjoy a relaxing Presidents’ Day weekend with her fiancé and a couple of friends in nearby Big Bear Lake. What she was not expecting was for her Airbnb host to abruptly cancel on her because of her race. And yet! According to the…
Cover Photo A Broadway opening-night picket of “Miss Saigon” in 1991. Credit Corky Lee The Battle of ‘Miss Saigon’: Yellowface, Art and Opportunity The musical — a love story set during the Vietnam War — ignited a fierce debate over the casting of a white actor in a Eurasian role. Now, it’s back on Broadway….
60-year-old Jiansheng Chen was shot and killed by neighborhood security guard while sitting in his minivan. You’ve got to be kidding me. Last week in southeast Virginia, a 60-year-old grandfather was apparently playing Pokemon Go when he was shot and killed during a fatal altercation with a neighborhood security guard. Chesapeake man shot, killed by…