‘F--king ch--k!’ streamer uses slur against Asian American creator live
Kick streamer Steven Garcia, known online as Konvy, is under fire after using a racial slur against Chinese American Twitch creator Emily Xuechun Zhang...
The Rebel Yellow - Issue #98
Support for Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan has declined, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll, with more Americans now opposing the effort than backing it. The drop in support comes as inflation and the cost of living rank as top concerns, with majorities disapproving of Trump’s approach to both. Meanwhile, Japanese Americans are protesting a proposed ICE detention center at a former federal prison, nearly half of California’s Asian Americans report experiencing hate incidents, and a Chinese American scientist’s death sparks national debate over discrimination in academia.
Americans’ support for Trump deportation plan drops as economy concerns rise: poll
A new CBS News/YouGov poll shows that support for former President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program has fallen, with more Americans now opposing the plan than approving of it. The survey, conducted July 16 to 18 among more than 2,300 U.S. adults, also found that many Americans are dissatisfied with Trump’s approach to inflation and want leaders to focus more on rising costs.
According to the poll, only a minority of Americans believe Trump’s deportation plan is targeting dangerous criminals, while 56% say it is sweeping up mostly nonviolent individuals. More than half of respondents, at 54%, describe the approach as too aggressive. Approval ratings for Trump’s handling of immigration have dropped to negative levels, with a 12-point gap between approval and disapproval.
Inflation and the rising cost of living emerged as the top concerns for most Americans surveyed. A full 70% said the Trump administration is not doing enough to address prices. Approval for Trump’s handling of inflation fell to its lowest point in the poll, with a 28-point deficit between those who approve and those who disapprove.
Last month, Trump ordered federal immigration officials to prioritize deportation efforts in Democratic-controlled cities, a move that has intensified enforcement activities in urban areas with large Asian American populations. A recent Gallup poll found a record 79% of Americans now consider immigration beneficial to the country, a wide shift from 2024 when 55% wanted immigration reduced.
Earlier polling conducted by AAPI Data and AP-NORC in late 2024 showed that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders increasingly identified immigration as a top federal priority. While a significant share supported stricter enforcement, nearly as many already opposed mass deportation proposals at the time.
Japanese Americans lead opposition to turn ex-prison into ICE detention center
Hundreds of Japanese Americans and allies gathered at Don Biddle Community Park in Dublin, California, on Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s proposal to convert a former federal women’s prison into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center.
About the facility: The former Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin was closed in early December 2023 following a class action lawsuit over widespread sexual and physical abuse of inmates. Subsequently, the Bureau of Prisons reached a historic $115 million settlement with 103 female victims of sexual abuse at the facility. Though ICE officials toured the facility in February, a bureau spokesperson recently stated there are no current plans to reopen it. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat representing East Bay, vows to continue efforts to ensure that the facility is “never reopened in any capacity.”
Why they’re protesting: Japanese American protesters are connecting today’s immigration policies to their community’s discriminatory and unjust incarceration during World War II. At the time, more than 125,000 Japanese Americans were detained in incarceration camps following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s issuance of Executive Order 9066 and invoking of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
Trump has invoked the same 1798 law for modern deportation efforts, specifically in March to target Venezuelan immigrants. Saturday’s protest featured taiko drumming and displays of origami cranes, which are traditional symbols of peace.
What they’re saying: Survivors and descendants shared powerful testimony linking past and present injustices. “I’m here because the Japanese were interned, my father was interned, and it can’t happen again, but it is happening, it’s shameful,” Lynn Yamashita told KGO at the protest. Satsuki Ina, 81, who was born at the Tule Lake Segregation Center, emphasized the community’s responsibility. “We don’t want to be a part of that again. So we are showing up where we can. We’re raising our voices,” she told KPIX. Meanwhile, taiko performer Gregory Wada connected his grandmother’s farming background in the Central Valley to current immigrant workers, telling KTVU, “That’s going to live for generations, that pain.”
Nearly half of California’s Asian Americans faced anti-Asian hate in 2024: survey
Nearly half of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults in California reported experiencing a hate act in 2024, according to new survey data released by Stop AAPI Hate and NORC at the University of Chicago.
Racism remains persistent
The January 2025 survey found that 48% of AA/PI adults reported being targeted because of their race, ethnicity or nationality last year. The rate showed little change from 2023, confirming that anti-AAPI hate remains persistently high across the state.
Incidents and impact
The survey identified a broad range of hate incidents taking place in online spaces, public areas and businesses. Experiences included harassment, institutional discrimination, physical harm and property damage. Among those who experienced hate, four in 10 reported negative impacts on their health, and nearly as many said their sense of belonging in their communities was harmed. Despite the widespread nature of these incidents, 72% of AAPI adults who experienced hate did not report the incident to any formal authority.
Barriers to reporting
Participants most often cited a belief that the incident was not serious enough, skepticism that reporting would lead to change, and concerns about the time and effort required as reasons for not reporting. The survey found that half of those who dismissed the seriousness of their experience may have faced a potential hate crime or civil rights violation. In addition, four in 10 AAPI adults who experienced hate said they needed support but did not receive it, while 61% of those who accessed some help felt their needs were not fully met.
Call for action
“As we witness the dangerous rollback of our rights and deepening federal cuts to public safety funding, California’s leaders have both a responsibility and opportunity to take a firm stance against Trump’s attacks on our communities’ safety, dignity and belonging in this country we call home,” said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. She emphasized that the report’s recommendations “provide a clear roadmap for action from advancing legislation investing in state programs that promote safe and inclusive environments for AAPI communities."
Establishment Dems are still not endorsing Mamdani
New York’s top Democratic leaders remain silent on endorsing Zohran Mamdani for mayor, wrestling with supporting a self-described democratic socialist whose “radical” policies and criticism of Israel have drawn Republican attacks.
Who hasn’t backed him?
While the 33-year-old Ugandan-born, Indian American candidate has won the support of progressive figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the Democratic Party’s most powerful leaders have yet to back him. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have both refused an endorsement, though Jeffries met with Mamdani in Brooklyn on Friday in what aides called a “constructive” but non-committal session. Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand have spoken with Mamdani since his win, but neither has offered formal backing.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) took a much clearer position over the weekend, articulating Mamdani’s distance from the party. “Mamdani isn’t speaking for our party,” he told Fox News Sunday, adding that “the mayor of New York, no matter who he is, is not going to be the leader of our party.” So far, just four of the 12 House Democrats representing New York City — Jerry Nadler, Nydia Velázquez and Adriano Espaillat, aside from Ocasio-Cortez — have endorsed Mamdani. Longtime state party chair Jay Jacobs only met Mamdani after his primary win, while Rep. Gregory Meeks, who represents parts of Queens, has never even met the assemblyman despite their overlapping constituencies.
Driving the schism
Democratic officials point to Mamdani’s past statements on Israel and his refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” as reasons for their hesitation. “To not be willing to condemn the term ‘globalize the intifada,’ it just demonstrates his callous disregard for antisemitism,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said earlier this month. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) also argued that if Mamdani “can’t say that that’s antisemitic, then obviously he’s going to continue to add to the problem.” Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) additionally accused Mamdani of “either ignoring or gaslighting the public” when calling “globalize the intifada” a “peaceful call.”
Rep. Tom Suozzi, who represents a swing Long Island district, has clarified policy differences. “I’m a Democratic capitalist, I’m not a democratic socialist — and I think that Mamdani’s philosophy of raising taxes would make New York City less attractive,” he told CNN. Meanwhile, Rep. Suzan DelBene, the House Democrats’ campaign chair, raised national concerns, saying “voters in places like Arizona and Iowa aren’t thinking about who the mayor of New York City may be.”
Moderating his image
Despite establishment resistance, Mamdani leads the general election field in recent polling. In a Data for Progress poll, he has 40% support ahead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 24% and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams’ 15%. His favorability rating of 49-40 makes him the only candidate with positive ratings and places him higher than the Democratic Party itself (49-49).
At present, Mamdani is working to moderate his image through meetings with business leaders and Jewish elected officials. He is also promising partnership while adding experienced operatives like former DNC political director Jeffrey Lerner to his team. He also said he would discourage protesters from using “globalize the intifada” and signaled openness to keeping the current police commissioner.
Chinese Americans banned from leaving China
China has blocked at least two Americans — a Commerce Department employee and a Wells Fargo banker — from leaving the country in recent weeks, according to reports.
Who’s stuck
The Commerce Department employee, who works under the Patent and Trademark Office, has been barred from leaving China for months after reportedly failing to disclose his government position on his visa application during a family visit. The State Department said it is tracking the case “very closely and are engaged with Chinese officials to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
On the other hand, Chenyue Mao, a Shanghai-born, Wells Fargo managing director based in Atlanta, has been stuck for weeks for being “involved in a criminal case” under probe, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Beijing’s bans
China imposes exit bans with limited transparency in their resolution process, according to the State Department. Unlike formal detentions, these bans have a lower legal threshold and local courts can impose them in civil matters without requiring police action.
John Kamm, chairman and founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, told the Washington Post that there are at least 30 active cases affecting Americans, with numbers rising each month. Those affected typically learn of the restrictions only when they try to leave the country. Among those impacted were a 7-year-old boy and his mother, whose ban has been linked to the detention of New York artist Gao Zhen over artwork that allegedly “defamed the honor” of former Chinese leaders.
Broader implications
In response to the incidents, Wells Fargo has suspended all employee travel to China. “This has everyone jittery again, nervous about traveling,” Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, who previously worked as a U.S. diplomat in China, told CNN. Separately, he told Bloomberg that China should “shed light on these cases so companies and individuals can assess their own risk.” The cases especially concern naturalized U.S. citizens who grew up in China, since Beijing treats Chinese Americans as Chinese nationals despite their American citizenship.
Senior U.S. diplomats have raised both cases with Chinese counterparts as Washington and Beijing explore arranging a potential Trump-Xi meeting this year.
Pilots shut off wrong engine in South Korea crash that killed 179, report finds
South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board revealed on July 19 that the pilots of Jeju Air Flight 2216 shut down the wrong engine during an emergency after a bird strike, leading to the fatal crash on December 29, 2024.
The interim findings, based on cockpit voice recordings, flight data and wreckage analysis, showed the flight crew mistakenly switched off the less-damaged left engine rather than the right engine that had suffered the bird strike. This critical error left the aircraft with reduced thrust during an emergency landing attempt near Muan International Airport.
Investigators reported that shutting down the functioning engine led to the loss of key electrical and hydraulic systems needed to deploy the landing gear. As a result the aircraft made a belly landing, slid into a concrete embankment and caught fire. The crash resulted in the deaths of 179 of the 181 people on board with only two cabin crew members surviving.
The interim report’s release was met with criticism from some victims’ families who argued it focused too much on pilot error and not enough on other possible factors such as airport safety and infrastructure. The final investigation report is expected next year and authorities have begun reviewing safety procedures at regional airports including wildlife hazard management and emergency protocols.
Streamer uses racial slur against Asian American creator on live broadcast
Kick streamer Steven Garcia, known online as Konvy, is under fire after using a racial slur against Chinese American Twitch creator Emily Xuechun Zhang, known as ExtraEmily, during a July 20 livestream.
The incident unfolded when Garcia, 22, watched a viral clip of 27-year-old Zhang making her signature “uwu” face for viewers. After mocking her as “not real” and “AI made by the Chinese government,” Garcia, who has over 144,000 Kick followers, said on stream, “Fucking chink, get the fuck out of here.” The moment was clipped and rapidly spread, surpassing 1.1 million views on X in under a day.
As of press time, Zhang has not responded publicly and Kick has not announced any disciplinary action. The incident has intensified calls for stronger enforcement of hate speech rules and accountability for content creators on livestreaming platforms.
Asian American scientist’s brilliant career is an inspiration … her tragic death is a warning
The death of a Chinese American scientist following the shutdown of her laboratory has become a tragic warning on the mental health toll facing Asian American scholars under aggressive scrutiny and institutional abandonment.
Dr. Jane Wu, an accomplished neuroscientist at Illinois’ Northwestern University, was far more than the bleak headlines that now bear her name. For nearly four decades, she dedicated her life to American science, building a distinguished career that focused on RNA splicing, neurodegenerative diseases and tumor development.
A life cut short
Wu died by suicide on July 10, 2024. Prior to the unfortunate event, she held an endowed research professorship for more than a decade at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. There, she led the Wu Lab, a research group she started after completing her postdoctoral training at Harvard in 1994.
Her daughter, Elizabeth Rao, paints a picture of a woman whose scientific brilliance was matched only by her warmth as a mother and mentor. “Our mom was a big hearted and deeply loving parent, a world-class scientist, a resilient cancer survivor and gentle soul,” Rao tells The Rebel Yellow. “She always considered her lab members and her collaborators, part of our extended family. As the lead research scientist who built and led the Wu Lab, she was a generous team leader and caring mentor.”
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