Race in America 🌎

Producer Joseph Patel called Chris Rock a “f*cking dick” for calling him a “white guy” during the Oscars.

Before the Best Documentary Feature category was announced, Riz Ahmed and Aneil Karia had won their own respective categories, making Patel the third South Asian creative to take home a trophy at the 2022 Oscars. While it was a monumental night for the South Asian community,  its significance was downplayed because of Rock’s comment that erased his identity.

According to Patel, the “four white guys” jab was preplanned and claimed that during rehearsal, Rock decided to make that joke because he “didn’t give a f*ck.”


On the political stage, lawmakers in the U.S. have submitted a resolution to declare April 14th as National Sikh Day.

The main sponsor of the bill was Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA) while the co-sponsors were: Karen Bass (CA); Paul Tonko (NY); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (PA); Daniel Meuser (PA); Eric Swalwell (CA); Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL); Donald Norcross (NJ); Andy Kim (NJ); John Garamendi (CA); Richard E. Neal (MA); Brendan F. Boyle (PA) and David G. Valadao (CA). 
 

This bill comes to recognize and uplift the Sikh community, in alignment with the Sikh celebration of the first day of the month of Vaisakh in the Sikh calendar, which typically falls on April 14.


 

In Other Asian News 🗞

Meanwhile, fashion retailer H&M pledges to end shopfloor violence at one of its largest suppliers in India, after a worker was killed by her supervisor last year.  

Jeyasre Kathiravel, a 20-year-old Dalit woman was killed last year after her shift at H&M’s garment-producing factory Natchi Apparel. According to her family, she was sexually harassed and raped prior to her death. Her supervisor has confessed to the murder and is awaiting trial.

In response, H&M has now signed a legally binding agreement to “end sexual violence and harassment against women workers at one of its largest Indian suppliers. Women will now be able to anonymously report sexual harassment, and all workers, supervisors, as well as executives, will undergo gender-based violence training. 

Additionally, women will be recruited and trained as “shopfloor monitors” to also ensure that women are continually protected from verbal and sexual harassment and intimidation.

This agreement is the second of its kind in the entire fashion industry and the first to ever tackle gender-based violence in Asian garment industries.
 

Entertainment 📺

The first woman-owned Asian American bookstore in NYC has become a refuge for readers and the APPI community.

This bookstore, seated in the heart of Chinatown, houses hundreds of books authored by AAPI creatives. People have come from all over NYC and beyond to tell Lucy Yu how much these shelves reflect their own stories and narratives back at them and that they appreciate this effort to represent and manifest their communities and experiences.

Yu recalled how she expressed to her mother that she didn’t understand the lack of Asian representation in books or media as they were walking in NYC. “And she said to me then … 'You can do that. You will put us in the books,’” Yu said.

 

On the billboard chart, K-pop group Stray Kids have debuted as No.1, with their newest album, “OODINARY.”

Stray Kids, managed by JYP Entertainment, continues to mount their accomplishments with “highest album sales in one week by any artist this year; the most sales in one week by an original fourth 4th generation K-pop group; and the first original K-Pop act to make their debut appearance on Billboard 200 at No.1.”

The K-pop scene continues to expand with more and more sensations reaching the global markets. 

What else is on our minds? 🧠

Changing the name of the hymen?
In Taiwan, the name for hymen and vaginal discharge is rooted in outdated and restrictive language. On March 30, civic groups discussed alternatives to the Mandarin word for “hymen,” which currently translates to “virginity membrane.” 
 

Standing on a stool out of love? 
In China, videos of a 3-year-old boy taking care of his father have gone viral. The child is seen standing on a stool to reach and adjust his father’s head. The boy’s mother checks in on the camera and catches the heartwarming moment, but it is also a stark reminder of the lives of working-class individuals and the challenges that come with life and healthcare.

Are Filipino families pursuing charges against the president?
The war on drugs in the Philippines has affected families all across the nation, but it seems unlikely that President Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial for the harm he has caused to his citizens. The opposition in the presidential race, front runners Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo, both stated their commitment to anti-drug campaigns but with an emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation. They also plan to reinstate the Philippine membership to the Rome Statute, which governs the International Criminal Court, which could prosecute Duterte.