It amazes me what some will do to climb the corporate ladder.
The new play, Chinese Republicans, by Alex Lin, follows four Chinese-American women who are all employed by the same investment firm in New York City. Phyllis (Jodi Long) integrated the company’s C-Suite. Her mentee, Ellen (Jennifer Ikeda), has put her personal life on hold for the sake of her career. Iris (Jully Lee) needs to keep her job to stay in the country. Katie (Anna Zavelson) is a twenty-something who has yet to be let down by the system.
This play is brilliant. Each woman is like a puzzle piece. They have their own story and struggle, yet fit together perfectly. Lin’s ending is perfect because it is a harsh reminder that we live in a world where Caucasian men still hold most of the cards.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Chinese Republicansis playinguntil April 5th, 2026. Check the websitefor ticketsand showtimes.
A blood and/or DNA test does not always dictate who we consider to be family.
The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong, was published last year. It is the story of an unlikely friendship between a young man named Hai and Grazina, an older woman who is suffering from dementia. After literally talking him off the ledge and preventing him from jumping off a bridge, Grazina invited Hai into her home. He becomes her caretaker and lives with her for a year, creating a bond that forever shapes the rest of their days.
This is another title in which the premise drew me in, and the text pushed me away. I enjoyed this unorthodox friendship, but the tale does not hold up to what it could have been.
Do I recommend it? No.
The Emperor of Gladness is available wherever books are sold.
Shakespeare is one of the writers whose work remains relevant because his characters, at heart, deal with the human condition, warts and all.
Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear, by Alex Lin, is an adaptation of King Lear. A-Poh/Margaret Choy (Wai Ching Ho) is the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown whose heyday is long gone. Wesley Chiu (Daisuke Tsuji) is a developer who wants to buy the building. Before making a decision, A-Poh brings in her three grandchildren for a family meeting. Amy (Cindy Cheung), Steven (Jon Norman Schneider), and Lai-Fa (Amy Keum) all want a piece of the final sale. On top of this major decision, A-Poh starts to exhibit signs of dementia, making them even more cutthroat.
At a crisp 90 minutes, this play is to the point, stripped down, universal, and brilliant. A-Poh is a woman who has worked hard to keep her business going and support her family. Knowing that is all in the past makes the downfall that much harder for all involved.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear is playing at 59 E 59 Theaters in New York City until tomorrow. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.
World War II, for better and for worse, forever changed our world.
American Flygirl, by Susan Tate Ankeny was published last year. It is a biography of Hazel Ying Lee, a Chinese-American pilot who joined the WASPs during World War II. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she was a unicorn in her time: a woman of AAPI descent who aspired to be more than what was expected of her. Despite these barriers, Lee pushed ahead, making waves that continue to be felt today.
Lee is a hero by every definition of the word. While I am happy that she has finally received the recognition she deserves, it is telling that it has taken 80 years for this to happen. The book is amazing. I found myself riveted and inspired by its subject. Do I recommend it?
Absolutely.
American Flygirl is available wherever books are sold.
When we talk about breaking the glass ceiling, we talk about big and small cracks. We can see some of them appear at the moment. Others can only be viewed in hindsight.
Connie Chung is a living legend in American media. As both a female and a person of color, she broke down the door for future television journalists. She tells her story in her new autobiography, Connie: A Memoir. It was published last September.
The youngest of five daughters, Chung was the only child to be born in the United States. Her parents and four older sisters were all born in China. As a young woman, she overcame her shyness to become a nationally recognized and respected news anchor.
Along the way, she faced racism and sexism from all angles. Chung also dealt with the pain of infertility with her husband Maury Povich and the desire to become a mother.
I remember watching Chung on the news when I was a girl. Her presence back in the day was unquestioned. She was just another reporter, her race and gender meant nothing. After reading her book, it is easy to see the path she carved and the difficulties she faced along the way. It is thanks to her and that generation of female journalists that have opened the door to today’s powerhouse names in news.
My favorite section of the book was where she met a group of young ladies named Connie, all AAPI. I can’t think of a better legacy.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Connie: A Memoir is available wherever books are sold.
The true sign of any living democracy is the ability to work with someone across the political aisle, regardless of the number of topics that you disagree with them on.
I don’t get it. McConnell is married to Elaine Chao, who is AAPI. Back in July, when Roe was overturned, Clarence Thomas (who is married to a White woman, Ginni Thomas) made a similar statement. Basically, they are stating that they are ok with making their own marriages illegal. I used to think that they are/were delusional. Now they appear to be a bunch of fools.
Meanwhile, Kevin McCarthy has already stated that if he is elected Speaker of the House, Ilhan Omar will be removed from her committee assignments. His reasoning as is follows:
“Congresswoman Omar, her antisemitic comments that have gone forward, we’re not going to allow her to be on Foreign Affairs,” McCarthy told host Maria Bartiromo, referring to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The only way to move forward and heal from the last few years is to come together and work with one another. But that requires both sides to hold out their hand in a proverbial acceptance of one’s differences. That can only happen if the Republicans as a party, are willing to come to the table. As it appears now, that is not happening anytime soon.
We all know that NYC is an expensive place to live. As much as I love this city, I am fully aware that the cost of everything is higher. But, if you know where the look, there are ways of saving a few dollars.
Take public transportation. Like anyone who lives there, I am fully aware of the downsides of using the MTA to get around. But even with those problems, there is no beating that for one fare, you can go from one end of the city to another, 24/7/365.
The dollar store is your best friend. Not everything is cheaper than the big box stores, but the deals may be surprising.
Not everyone can afford to live alone. Though the roommate experience is sometimes hit or miss (as I painfully remember), it is the most economical way to reside here if you cannot afford an apartment on your own.
If you need furniture, there are multiple options: local stores, Craigslist, various apps, etc. If you must buy new and prefer to go to a name brand store, hit up Target or Ikea. They are a pain in the ass to put together (even if you have to pay someone), but overall, it is worth it. The pieces I bought from Ikea more than a decade ago are still in good condition.
When it comes time to get a haircut, find a local salon. Their work is just as good as the expensive salons and many will throw in a free blowout. In my experience, the ones owned by AAPI owners provide a pretty good service at a price that will not break the bank.
Buy in bulk, large sizes, and store brands. If you do have access to a car, stores like Sam’s Club and Costco are worth the drive and the membership fee.
Take advantage of the opportunities to be outdoors. Most, if not all of the parks and beaches are free to enter.
If you are a bookworm like me, I highly recommend that you take advantage of the public library. If you must buy a book, hit up a local bookstore or 2nd hand store/thrift shop. This is also good if you are looking for a gift for someone. Now granted, you might not find exactly what you are looking for. But you never know what you may find. My favorite bookstores are the Strand Bookstore in Manhattan (great for browsing), Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, and of course, Housing Works.
Use Yelp and Time Out. Yelp is great because the reviews come from customers. Time Out has listings for things to do that will please almost anyone.
If you can, purchase your produce from a street vendor. The quality is just as good as a traditional retailer and the price is just a tad cheaper.
Finally, if you want to see a Broadway show, there are ways to have this experience that will not empty your wallet. If you are willing and/or able to climb stairs, seats on the upper levels of the theaters are always cheaper. For me, it’s about the experience. I don’t mind going up a few flights. Organizations like TKTS sell tickets at discounted prices. However, not every show is listed (especially the popular shows) and the desired seats are not always available. There is also the option of going to one of the booths. The primary one is located in Times Square. Just prepared to be waiting in a very long line.
One of the rights that a woman should have is the ability to be outside after dark without fear of being attacked or killed. That right is still being fought for, even in 2022.
On Sunday, Christina Lee was heading home to her apartment in New York City‘s Chinatown. Unbeknownst to her, a man was following her. He is accused of killing her in her own home.
As of yesterday, the murder is not based on Ms. Lee’s Korean-American heritage. But that does not mean that the police will find evidence to prove otherwise.
What scares the shit out of me is that this is every woman’s worst nightmare. Ask any female and she will tell you the same story. Carry your keys in your hands, mace in your bag, be aware of your surroundings, walk-on brightly light streets with lots of other people, etc. We shouldn’t have to follow these rules, but they could mean the difference between life and death.
What is even scarier is that this is not the first time that the accused (who shall not be named here) has gone after a random stranger. Last September, he punched another man for no reason at all. According to reports, he has a history of mental illness and should not have been on the streets to begin with.
One of my concerns is that this one heinous act creates a perception of an entire community. Like millions of others around the world, I live with depression. The difference between this man and myself is that I have access to getting the help I need. I am lucky enough that I have health insurance via my job which allows me to see a therapist and take medication. Not everyone has the same opportunity. This creates a vacuum and opens the door for people like the accused to hurt and kill others.
My heart breaks for those who knew Ms. Lee. No one should know this type of grief. I can only hope that this unnecessary loss of life spurs those in power to do something (and not just throw someone in jail, which is another topic for another time).
If there is one thing New York City is known for, it is our subway system. It is the lifeblood of not just the city itself, but of the region. Without it, NYC would not be what it is.
Last weekend, Michelle Go was shoved toward a subway car by a homeless man as it barreled into the Times Square station. She did not survive. The accused, who will not be named on this blog, has a history of previous arrests and emotionally disturbing encounters with riders.
There are two theories as to why Ms. Go was targeted. The first is that the accused has severe mental health problems and should not have been on the streets. The problem with this accusation is that it casts a shadow on everyone who lives with a mental illness. The truth is that most of us who live with it are just trying to get by. If such an act happens, we are more likely to be the victim, not the perpetrator.
The second theory is that she was targeted because of her ethnicity. It is sadly not the first time this has happened and will not be the last time. Back in November, Bew Jirajariyawetch was chocked one station south of where Ms. Go was killed. Ms. Jirajariyawetch is a model originally from Thailand.
My feeling is that both played a role in Ms. Go’s death. Which as a rider of the NYC transit system scares the shit out of me. I should not be afraid to get on the bus or train. But until the city does what they need to do to protect straphangers, I am forced to be more vigilant than I have been before.
Many girls dream of becoming princesses when they are young. But what happens when you discover that you are a princess?
This is the jumping off point of the new YA novel, Tokyo Ever After. Written by Emiko Jean, the book was published last month. Izumi “Izzy” Tanaka is a high school senior living in a small town in California. One of only a handful of Asian-Americans students in her school, she is used to the not so polite questions and stares she receives from her her classmates.
Raised by her single mother, she never knew her father. That is, until her best friend does some digging. Izzy’s father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Before she knows it, she is in Tokyo, meeting her father and family that she never knew existed. The world of the Imperial family is an ancient one, bound by rules, traditions, and expectations that are a 180 from the middle class life she knew in the United States. Torn between the life she knew and the life that she could have, Izzy has to make a choice.
The narrative is somewhere between What a Girl Wants and The Princess Diaries. I truly loved this book and Izzy as a main character. The tension between her want to fit in with her new relations and being true to herself felt very relevant to me as a reader. I loved the details of the Imperial Palace, the images were so visceral that I felt like I was there with Izzy.
Writergurlny 
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