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As we dive headlong into fall, I’m reminded that this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival was the first time I’ve ever seen a Chinese holiday other than Lunar New Year celebrated at school. How cool for my son and his classmates! Tips for getting involved in your own child’s classroom are below. ~Wes
New in our community this week:
- Xi’an Famous Foods CEO implores customers to add spice.
- David Henry Hwang’s “Soft Power” makes its NYC debut.
- Comedian Ali Wong releases a new essay collection.
Family Corner
Representation matters, especially at school. By getting involved, parents can help build an acceptance of a broader set of cultures in the classroom. Here’s are 6 easy tips for becoming a go-to classroom parent for Chinese culture. Chinese American Family
Cantonese For Families shares their favorite stories on YouTube. They’re a great way to increase exposure to Cantonese, a good compromise for those with a limited screentime policy. Cantonese For Families
Best friends Vivian Chan and Jennifer Qiao founded East Meets Dress after Qiao had a hard time finding the right cheongsam for her wedding. Now their startup offers 50 customizable designs. San Mateo Daily Journal
Voices
“It’s all about word choice,” Ali Wong says about audience testing new jokes. “Sometimes I have a joke I know is funny, but I haven’t found the right word, and when I do find it, it’s so satisfying.” New York Times
Early in his Presidential candidacy, Andrew Yang seemed happy to serve as the human emissary of a thought experiment: the “Freedom Dividend,” his market-tested rebrand of universal basic income. New Yorker
A Harvard fellow grapples with the aftermath of the university’s admissions lawsuit and argues for the inclusion of Asian Americans in the national dialogue about race relations. Harvard Crimson
Entertainment
David Henry Hwang’s “Soft Power” opened in New York recently. A complex look at democracy from an Asian perspective, an applauding reviewer writes, turns “The King and I” inside out. New York Times
Bowen Yang made headlines for being the first Chinese American cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” If his debut was any indication, he’ll continue making headlines for a long, long time. Washington Post
While the comic book hero Ling struggles with bullies and math class, her creators hope that she will inspire Asian Americans to break the “model minority” myth in the real world. NBC News
Food
Xi’an Famous Foods CEO Jason Wang recently posted a “personal message” at the company’s 14 locations, warning customers that if they order certain menu items as “not spicy,” they may be disappointed. Eater
Chef Paul Ma ran restaurants, cooking classes and food tours for years in Yorktown Heights, NY. His story, and others like it, are illuminated in the American Food History Project. Smithsonian Magazine
History
It’s time for a canon, a set of films that make undeniable the fact that Asian American cinema exists and has cultural impact. Here are nominees for the 20 best Asian American films of the last 20 years. Los Angeles Times
A Grain Of Rice
“We’re not asking for access anymore. We’re just doing it. And we’re deploying tools and capital in our arsenal to tell these stories without asking for the permission we historically had to do.” — Dennis Liu, Writer
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