Asian American seniors no longer healthiest group, study finds
Asian Americans have lost their long-held status as the healthiest racial group among older U.S.-born adults, according to a recent study.
The Rebel Yellow - Issue #80
Donald Trump’s public feud with Elon Musk highlights a growing list of once-close allies turned critics. In this issue: a proposed Chinatown jail relocation, new health data showing worsening disability rates among U.S.-born Asian Americans, and a World Bank warning that 1.8 billion South Asians could face extreme heat by 2030. Also covered: censorship in North Korean smartphones, Japan’s new baby name restrictions, and an MIT robot designed to catch falling seniors.
Musk feud is only the latest in Trump’s history of broken alliances
President Donald Trump’s explosive public breakup with Elon Musk in the past week marks the latest episode in a well-established pattern in which his closest allies eventually become his harshest critics.
Catch up
The rift between Trump and Musk erupted on X on June 3 after the Tesla chief posted that the “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.” The dispute intensified over policy differences but devolved into personal attacks, culminating on June 5 when Musk, in now-deleted posts, claimed that Trump was “in” the Jeffrey Epstein files and agreed with a post calling for the president’s impeachment.
The conflict peaked on the same day when Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.” On Saturday, the president told NBC News that he had “no intention of speaking” to Musk and considered their relationship finished, while warning of “serious consequences” if the tech billionaire backed Democratic candidates.
Warning signs
Trump and Musk’s relationship had reportedly deteriorated for months before the public breakup. Musk’s aggressive management style created friction with senior White House staff, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and allegedly resulted in a physical confrontation with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in April.
The said altercation happened in mid-April after disagreement over Trump’s selection for acting IRS commissioner. According to the Washington Post, Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon recalled Bessent saying, “You’re a fraud. You’re a total fraud,’” and Musk ramming “his shoulder into Bessent’s rib cage like a rugby player” before others intervened.
In and out
The Musk feud follows a familiar trajectory for Trump’s relationships with former allies. “People leave my administration, and they love us, and then at some point they miss it so badly, and some of them embrace it, and some of them actually become hostile,” Trump said at the Oval Office Thursday.
Elaine Chao, wife of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Trump’s former Transportation secretary, exemplifies this pattern. Chao served four years in Trump’s first cabinet before resigning the day after Jan. 6, 2021, then became a target of his racist attacks the following year when he started calling her “Coco Chow” while making derogatory comments about her Taiwanese heritage.
Chao initially avoided responding to the attacks, telling CNN in December 2022 that Trump was “trying to get a rise out of” people with his “racist taunt.” However, she broke her silence the following month, telling Politico, “When I was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced my name. Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesn’t seem to understand that, which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans.”
Numerous other former Trump officials have become his staunchest critics. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, for one, called Trump “a threat to democracy,” while former national security adviser John Bolton declared him “unfit to be president.” Former Vice President Mike Pence, who had to flee the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 as rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” declined to endorse Trump, saying he “cannot in good conscience” do so because of Jan. 6 and other issues.
“Unfit to serve”
Former Trump aide Sarah Matthews has described the number of senior staff who have criticized their former boss as “mind-boggling.” She claimed last year, “These are folks who saw him up close and personal and saw his leadership style. The American people should listen to what these folks are saying because it should be alarming that the people that Trump hired to work for him a first term are saying that he’s unfit to serve for a second term.”
Such conflicts purportedly arise when Trump’s demands clash with officials who refuse requests they consider problematic, unrealistic or illegal. Staff departures intensified after the 2020 election as Trump sought to overturn his loss, prompting mass resignations including Matthews, who later testified before the House Jan. 6 committee.
For Asian American communities, Trump’s treatment of Chao raises concerns about how political disagreements can escalate into racist attacks targeting entire ethnic groups beyond policy debates.
The Musk confrontation, however, represents the most significant breakdown yet, considering the billionaire’s global influence and vast wealth. With Trump considering their relationship over, a path to reconciliation is looking unlikely.
NYC Chinatown residents unveil new plan to relocate “mega jail”
Community advocates in Manhattan’s Chinatown unveiled a new proposal last week calling for the relocation of a controversial, borough-based jail project as opposition intensifies against what would become one of the world’s tallest detention centers.
Catch up
The Manhattan jail at 124-125 White Street stems from former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2017 announcement to create a borough-based jail system replacing Rikers Island, which the City Council voted to shut down in 2019. Major construction of the borough-based jails began in June 2021, but the Manhattan project now faces significant delays, with costs rising from an original $1.7 billion estimate to $3.8 billion and completion pushed to 2032 — though city officials now consider the original 2027 Rikers closure deadline unattainable.
Community group Neighbors United Below Canal (NUBC) filed a lawsuit in 2020 citing the city “underestimates the impacts of the Manhattan jail” on traffic, noise pollution and socioeconomic impacts, initially winning before the city’s successful 2021 appeal. Demolition work that began last spring has disrupted the adjacent Chung Pak senior housing center, with residents reporting structural damage and dust, and one tenant describing constant shaking that feels “like an earthquake is coming.”
The latest efforts
NUBC and a new community group, Welcome to Chinatown, held a rally on June 2 to present their “Alternative Plan,” which proposes relocating the Manhattan jail to the currently vacant Metropolitan Correctional Center that closed in 2021. Under their proposal, the 125 White Street site would be converted into 1,040 units of affordable housing, a 25,000-square-foot public plaza and community retail space, while reducing the maximum building height from 335 feet to 235 feet.
NUBC co-founder Jan Lee said the plan “reflects what the community has been asking for all along: more affordable housing and a real voice in what happens to our neighborhood.” The proposal has won support from Councilmember Chris Marte, Assemblymember Grace Lee, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and other elected officials, with Community Board 1 passing a resolution endorsing the plan last month.
What’s next
The alternative proposal faces significant obstacles, requiring both city and federal approval since the Metropolitan Correctional Center is a federal facility. Community advocates have contacted Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office, and according to Lee, Schumer has been in touch with the Bureau of Prisons regarding the facility’s status. Time is running short, with Lee warning that the window for changes could be just “a matter of weeks” as “once those boring tests are over, the bulldozers come in.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams’ office maintains that any decision to relocate the jail must go through the City Council, noting that the original Chinatown site selection occurred under the previous administration, with a spokesperson stating “the contract to build the Manhattan-based borough jail at this site has already been signed and the work has already begun.”
Asian Americans no longer healthiest older adult group, study finds
Asian Americans have lost their long-held status as the healthiest racial group among older U.S.-born adults, according to a recent study. The research, led by sociologist Leafia Zi Ye of the University of Toronto, reveals that while disability rates have declined for other racial groups since 2005, they have remained stagnant or worsened for U.S.-born Asian Americans aged 50 and older.
Disability rates
Between 2005 and 2009, only 5.5% of older U.S.-born Asian Americans reported difficulty performing tasks like grocery shopping alone, compared to 7% of white and 14% of Black older adults. By 2020–2022, disability rates had dropped to under 5% for white adults and 10% for Black adults, but remained unchanged for Asian Americans.
The study attributes this shift to socioeconomic disparities. While income levels rose for most groups during the study period, the proportion of older Asian Americans living on low incomes increased. This economic strain correlated with a rise in disability rates among low-income Asian Americans, a trend not observed in other racial groups.
“Model minority” narrative
The findings challenge the "model minority" stereotype that portrays Asian Americans as universally successful and healthy. Lead author Leafia Ye noted that this perception masks the real challenges faced by U.S.-born Asian Americans, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status.
The study also highlights the importance of disaggregating health data. Previous research often combined foreign-born and U.S.-born Asian Americans, obscuring differences in health outcomes. Foreign-born Asian Americans often arrive with health advantages due to selective immigration, whereas U.S.-born individuals do not share this benefit.
Implications for health equity
The research underscores the need for targeted public health interventions and policies that address the specific needs of older U.S.-born Asian Americans. As the Asian American population ages, understanding and addressing these disparities becomes increasingly critical.
World Bank: 1.8 billion South Asians at risk to extreme heat by 2030
More than 1.8 billion people across South Asia could face life-threatening exposure to extreme heat by 2030, according to a new report from the World Bank. The region, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most heat-exposed zones due to accelerating climate change.
Health and livelihood risks
The report warns that rising temperatures could trigger widespread heat-related illness, especially among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and outdoor workers. Extended exposure can lead to heatstroke, dehydration and worsened chronic health conditions.
More than 60% of households and businesses in South Asia have experienced extreme weather in the past five years. Over 75% expect conditions to worsen within the next decade.
Economic and infrastructure strain
Extreme heat is projected to reduce economic productivity in labor-intensive sectors such as agriculture and construction. Workers in these industries face increased physical stress, reduced capacity and higher rates of absenteeism, which may lead to measurable declines in output.
The report outlines significant infrastructure challenges linked to rising temperatures. Increased demand for cooling may overwhelm power grids, while prolonged heat can weaken roads and railways through material expansion. Higher evaporation rates are likely to reduce water availability, compounding stress on public utilities and agricultural irrigation systems.
Urgent need for action
The World Bank urges South Asian governments to implement immediate adaptation measures to reduce climate risks, including early warning systems for heatwaves, climate-resilient construction and expanded access to public cooling centers.
The report also emphasizes the need for regional coordination on data, infrastructure and resources to manage threats that cross national borders. It concludes that without large-scale adaptation, rising temperatures will continue to threaten public health, economic productivity and essential systems across South Asia.
Smartphone smuggled from North Korea automatically censors “oppa”
A North Korean smartphone smuggled out of the country by Seoul-based media outlet Daily NK in late 2024 has revealed new evidence of the regime’s surveillance over its citizens. The smartphone contains state-installed software that censors language, monitors user behavior and restricts access to unauthorized content.
Automatic censorship
The phone, which resembles a standard Android device, replaces certain words typed by users with politically approved alternatives. For example, “South Korea” is changed to “puppet state,” and “oppa” is substituted with “comrade,” accompanied by an on-screen warning.
It also silently takes screenshots every five minutes and saves them in hidden folders. These files are inaccessible to the user but can be reviewed by authorities.
Controlled digital environment
Users are limited to a domestic intranet called Kwangmyong, which only provides access to government-approved websites. The phone is configured to block foreign networks and prevents the installation of unauthorized apps.
Attempts to alter the device’s software can trigger automatic shutdown or data deletion, according to analysts who examined the phone’s firmware.
Laws in North Korea prohibit access to foreign media, and violations can result in imprisonment, forced labor or even death. Devices capable of circumventing official controls are banned.
Japan bans baby names like “Nike,” “Pikachu”
Japan’s parliament passed legislation in late May establishing standards for children’s name pronunciations, addressing disputes over creative interpretations of traditional characters.
What you need to know: The law requires family registries to include phonetic guidance for all names, preventing parents from assigning arbitrary sounds to kanji characters. Officials will reject applications where proposed pronunciations lack connection to the written characters’ standard meanings. Registry offices can deny names like pronouncing traditional “Taro” characters as “George” or “Michael.” Households will receive postal notifications about existing name pronunciations, with a one-year window for appeals or modifications.
Why this matters: The legislation responds to administrative burdens at medical facilities, schools and government agencies struggling with unconventional pronunciations. Creative, unusual names — including examples that sound like “Elsa,” Naruto,” “Nike,” “Pikachu” and “Pooh” — have divided opinion between advocates of parental choice and critics citing potential social consequences. Still, the naming approach has gained popularity over past decades, with daughters receiving distinctive names more frequently than sons as families embrace personal expression. Previous naming controversies include a 1993-1994 legal battle over registering “Akuma” (meaning “demon”), which ultimately failed.
Meanwhile: The new legislation comes amid Japan’s population decline. Last year, births dropped to 686,061, the lowest annual total since national records began in 1899. Meanwhile, fertility rates fell to 1.15 children per woman, significantly below the 2.07 threshold needed to maintain population levels. Government officials have identified the 2030s as the critical period for reversing demographic trends.
Nearly half of Japanese workforce engages in “quiet quitting”
Around 45% of full-time employees in Japan are “quiet quitting,” a practice where workers do only what their roles require, without extra effort, according to a recent survey of 3,000 workers by job-matching company Mynavi.
Younger workers lead work attitude shift
The poll found that 46.7% of respondents in their 20s identify as quiet quitters — the highest rate among age groups. Overall, 45.3% of full-time employees reported doing only the minimum required at work.
The trend marks a clear departure from Japan’s postwar salaryman model, which prized loyalty, long hours and self-sacrifice. Among younger workers, it signals changing values and a move toward prioritizing personal boundaries over traditional corporate loyalty.
Why workers are stepping back
Japan’s workplace culture discourages open criticism, making quiet quitting a subtle form of resistance. Rather than protest openly, employees pull back discretionary effort while still meeting expectations. Experts say this reflects growing dissatisfaction with rigid hierarchies and outdated norms.
Respondents cited protecting personal time and limited career prospects as key reasons for disengagement. Many younger workers say they no longer see value in going beyond their job scope without clear rewards.
“People no longer see the point in exhausting themselves for companies that don’t invest in their growth,” one participant told Mynavi.
Addressing the issue
A 2024 Gallup report found that only 6% of Japanese workers are actively engaged — the lowest rate worldwide. Analysts warn that continued disengagement could weaken productivity, innovation and talent retention if companies fail to adapt.
Experts recommend that employers respond by offering flexible schedules, clearer career paths and meaningful recognition. Without change, the gap between old work norms and new expectations may continue to grow, posing long-term risks to workforce stability.
K-pop label wins lawsuit against “cyber wrecker” channel
K-pop label Starship Entertainment, which manages girl group Ive, won partial legal victory against the operator of YouTube channel “Sojang” last week.
The latest
The Seoul Central District Court on June 4 ordered the 36-year-woman behind the controversial channel, identified only as Park, to pay 50 million won ($37,000) in damages. The award represents half of the 100 million won ($74,000) initially requested by the agency when it filed suit in November 2022.
Earlier this year, Ive’s Wonyoung — who is at the center of the case — won her own separate lawsuit against Park, with the court ordering the latter to pay 50 million won for personal defamation. From late 2021 to mid-2023, Park created 23 defamatory videos about seven celebrities, including fabricated claims about Wonyoung’s personal relationships.
The big picture
The verdict highlights mounting legal consequences for so-called “cyber wrecker” channels, which target celebrities in often controversial claims and sensational rumors. Park now faces combined damage awards exceeding 200 million won ($148,000) across multiple K-pop artists, including a 76 million won ($56,000) judgment to BTS members V and Jungkook.
Following the decision, Starship said the ruling “sends a clear and powerful warning to so-called ‘cyber wrecker’ creators who profit from content that defames, insults or slanders others for clicks and revenue.”
Park’s appeal of her criminal conviction, which resulted in a two-year prison sentence with three years’ probation, continues in court.
MIT engineers unveil robot that catches seniors from falling
MIT researchers have developed a robotic system designed to support older adults at home by catching them during falls and helping them stand or sit.
About the technology: The device, called the Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot (E-BAR), functions like a mobile handlebar that follows users from behind. It can support a person’s full weight and assist with transitions between sitting and standing. If the user begins to fall, E-BAR detects the movement and quickly deploys side airbags to cushion the impact.
Why it matters: Falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults, and with caregiver shortages on the rise, E-BAR offers a promising solution to help seniors remain independent while staying safe at home.
“Many older adults underestimate the risk of fall and refuse to use physical aids, which are cumbersome, while others overestimate the risk and may not exercise, leading to declining mobility,” said study author Harry Asada, the Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT. “Our design concept is to provide older adults having balance impairment with robotic handlebars for stabilizing their body. The handlebars go anywhere and provide support anytime, whenever they need.
What’s next: The current prototype is operated by remote control, but researchers plan to develop autonomous versions that can better navigate household spaces.