"Tháng Tư Đen or Black April commemorates the Fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese Communist forces on April 30, 1975 after a month-long campaign into the southlands that would end the Vietnam War and start one of the largest refugee crises in history."
"The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces. But millions of people still face daily battles with its chemical legacy.
Nguyen Thanh Hai, 34, is one of millions with disabilities linked to Agent Orange. Born with severe developmental challenges, it’s a struggle for him to complete tasks others take for granted..."
https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-war-anniversary-agent-orange-0829caefe48cc11fb88ab27982da922b
"The Trump administration has told its senior diplomats in Vietnam not to take part in events marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the war.
Four U.S. officials who insisted on anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic decision-making said that Washington had recently directed senior diplomats — including Marc Knapper, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam — to stay away from activities tied to the anniversary on April 30."
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/world/asia/us-diplomats-vietnam-war-anniversary-trump.html
"If Trump’s full slate of tariffs goes into effect in a few months, the pain won’t stop at Chinese grocers. Vietnam is facing some of the steepest proposed tariff hikes. South Asian grocers might see seasonal delicacies like Alphonso mangoes get more expensive, if they can get them at all. ('Crying in H Mart' may soon take on a new meaning.)"
I had not thought of this yet. 
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/04/chinese-grocery-store-tariffs-trump/682591/
"Today, an intimacy coordinator would be on set to ensure I was comfortable with such a sensitive scene, but we didn't have that kind of protection in 1960. I was expected to follow the director's instructions. When I refused, crying because I was embarrassed to wear something so revealing, I was reminded that it was part of the job. Were they taking advantage of my youth and inexperience? Absolutely, but I didn't have a choice."
https://ew.com/nancy-kwan-recalls-fight-exploded-over-underwear-world-of-suzie-wong-11717471
"This month marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. It’s also the anniversary of many Vietnamese families arriving to start a new life in the Pacific Northwest. Thousands of people fled the country and became refugees in 1975, and many of those people ended up on the West Coast of the United States. According to census data, there are now more than 37,000 Vietnamese Oregonians."
"Americans had adopted children from abroad in previous decades, most notably from South Korea, but Operation Babylift created a story around adoption that transformed the displacement of a foreign baby to an American home into an act of charity. Out of the horrors of war came an opportunity for benevolence and absolution."
https://www.theverge.com/cs/features/651701/vietnam-operation-babylift-adoption-transnational
"A University of Houston assistant professor says he is preparing to return to South Korea after telling students over the weekend he could no longer teach their class because of the 'unexpected termination of my visa.' ”
"A Brigham Young University graduate student from Japan who had his visa revoked — seemingly because of an old fishing violation — has now had his visa reinstated, his attorney said."
https://www.deseret.com/education/2025/04/18/japanese-byu-student-suguru-onda-visa-reinstated/
"An Indonesian father of an infant with special needs, who was detained by federal agents at his hospital workplace in Minnesota after his student visa was secretly revoked, will remain in custody after an immigration judge ruled Thursday that his case can proceed."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/19/aditya-wahyu-harsono-immigration-indonesia
"Director Andrew Ahn adapted the screenplay with producer James Schamus from Ang Lee’s 1993 rom-com — a movie that Chen at one point was going to star in. Chen and Youn, who goes by YJ, spoke to Variety about relating to their characters, how filmmaking differs around the world and finally working together."
https://variety.com/2025/film/features/wedding-banquet-joan-chen-youn-yuh-jung-1236372887/
@bicmay #TheWeddingBanquet2025 #AAPI #Movies
I just saw the Wedding Banquet at my local #AMC & this article helps to better inform #KellyMarieTran's performance in it.
However, I don't agree with the author of the article that this film was a remake of the original.
It's an entirely different movie which is only loosely based on the original and should stand in it's own right as a #queer #AsianAmerican #film that serves as a counter point to #JoyRide (2023), which was a mainly #straight Asian American film which also had a uniquely open (for an Asian American film) #sexual perspective.
Tran is now feeling both the “pressure of representing a community in a specific way,” and the struggle of continuing to work through her own internalized misogyny, racism and homophobia. But the actor wants “to live in a world where there is a generation after me that does not have any of that.”
Pretty disgusting too, along with all the misogyny oozing out of people, that people gloss over Amanda and her story in favour of the celebs.
Blue Origin is not a good thing, net. It's a wealth-hoarders' jolly.
But Nguyen is an incredible woman and does not deserve to be lumped in with the uber-rich, even if I'd rather she hadn't participated in this thing - it was her choice and I'm glad she's free to make it.
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/civil-rights-activist-amanda-nguyen-talks-1st-vietnamese/story?id=109896423
#RapeSurvivors #sexualAssault #AAPI #NASA
recently i did an icebreaker at a meeting, "say, hi my name is X and i like rice / pasta / bread'
today i'm at an AAPI book club and changed it to 'what's your favorite rice dish? and if you don't like rice, you can pick something else'
nobody picked something else
Tonight #AlysaLiu of #Oakland CA became the 1st #American to win the Women's World Singles Figure Skating Championship in 19 years!!!
The last American woman to achieve this was being #DebiThomas in 1986.
USA!!! 
USA!!! USA!!!
We're trying out a WhatsApp channel that directly delivers nonpartisan reporting of Asian Americans, science, and society to hard-to-reach audiences!
Sign up through this link to get daily texts at no cost; your parents (and your aunties and uncles) will thank you.
This month, I was honored to be selected to the Editor & Publisher (E&P) Magazine 2025 Tomorrow's News Trailblazers for my work at @thexylom.
I was asked for a lesson I’ve learned early in my career that I think future news trailblazers should know. I have some strong thoughts, considering my upbringing in Hong Kong and current events stateside:
"In the words of historian Timothy Snyder, 'Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.'
"You don’t have to be a stenographer for the wealthy and powerful."
