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Asian American tech industry professionals are increasingly speaking out about discrimination and retaliation. 

They argue that long-standing racial biases have prevented them from obtaining management and executive positions in Silicon Valley, limiting their power, profile and pay. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, who worked at Meta, filed a complaint with California's Civil Rights Department claiming that despite her experience and positive feedback, she was denied promotion due to being deemed insufficiently senior and collaborative. 

Other lawsuits have been filed highlighting the lack of racial equity in tech company leadership where Asian Americans are often hired for professional roles but face significant barriers to advancement.

• Eve Stephens has become the first woman and Asian American to be appointed as chief of the University of Texas at Austin Police Department. With nearly 24 years of leadership experience with the Austin Police Department, Stephens takes over from Chief David Carter who passed away last year. In her new role, Stephens will lead a team of over 100 sworn officers responsible for the security of the university's research centers and the safety of its 75,000 students, faculty, and visitors.

• The Assembly Judiciary Committee in California has approved Senate Bill 403 (SB403), a proposed legislation that aims to prohibit caste discrimination in the state. The bill seeks to include caste as a protected category under existing civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. If passed, California would become the first state in the U.S. to ban caste-based discrimination. Supporters argue that caste discrimination has led to bias, wage theft, and harassment, emphasizing that it is a global issue affecting various communities. However, some South Asians have expressed concerns about potential unintended consequences and the profiling of their community. The caste system, which was abolished in India in 1949, continues to influence society.

• The Vancouver Bubble Tea Festival (VBTF), which made its grand debut last year, is returning to the Swangard Stadium in the city of Burnaby for a three-day event starting on Friday. VBTF will feature over 25 street food vendors and bubble tea vendors to serve thousands of festival goers this year. Some of the vendors include Chatime, Treudan, Blend Bubble Tea, Tokyo Katsu Sand, The Taco Tigre and Taco Nori. They will also be hosting live performances and other fun activities including a pearl judging contest and movie screenings of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” on Friday at 8 p.m. and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets will reportedly start at 9.99 Canadian dollars for a single-day pass and 14.99 Canadian dollars for a three-day pass. Children 12 years old and below will be able to enter for free.

• K-pop girl group NewJeans has unveiled the second pre-release music video for their anticipated album. The music video for the song "Super Shy" was released on Friday and showcases a fusion of Breakbeat and Jersey Club rhythms. It serves as one of the triple title tracks from NewJeans's upcoming album, "Get Up," out on July 21. Prior to this, the group had already dropped a music video for their track "New Jeans," which features a collaboration with the American animated series "The Powerpuff Girls."

• The export value of South Korean ramen for the first half of 2023 hit a record high amid the increased global demand for Korean products.
   
• Chinese pop idol Cai Xukun has spoken out regarding allegations that he coerced a woman to have an abortion after he got her pregnant.
   
• Yu and Me Books, the first Asian American women-owned bookstore in New York, is seeking support through a GoFundMe campaign after a fire in a residential unit above the store caused significant smoke and water damage. 
   
• K-pop boy group TXT and the Jonas Brothers released their collaboration single “Do It Like That.” 
   
• Olivia Rodrigo has become the first Filipino American to grace the cover of Vogue magazine in the U.S.