Korean American sues WestJet in $75K defamation lawsuit
WestJet is facing a $75,000 defamation lawsuit from Korean American actor Charlet Chung over a confrontation she recorded last year aboard a flight from Los Angeles to Winnipeg...
The Rebel Yellow - Issue #155
A Michigan Hmong community leader was released from federal immigration custody last week after nearly five months of detention, following a gubernatorial pardon and bipartisan intervention. In Oregon, a Korean American family is speaking publicly after a burglary ring targeting Asian-owned businesses wiped out their life savings. A Korean American voice actor has filed a defamation lawsuit against WestJet over how the airline handled an onboard harassment dispute. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance dismissed renewed speculation about his marriage, a new AARP survey shows rising loneliness among adults over 45, and an Indian model made history by opening a Chanel runway show in New York.
Hmong refugee leader released after months in ICE custody
A Michigan community leader detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since July walked free last Wednesday after bipartisan advocacy and a gubernatorial pardon ended a months-long ordeal that drew attention to the uncertain legal standing of refugees who aided the U.S. during the Vietnam War.
Reunited with family: Lue Yang, 47, was transferred from North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin to an ICE center in Grand Rapids on Dec. 3, where he was greeted by his wife, six children and elected officials who championed his case. “Oh man I couldn’t explain, just so great to be set free,” Yang told WILX shortly after his release. He described his time in detention facilities across Louisiana, Arizona and Texas as “rough” but credited family and supporters for giving him the strength to endure. Meanwhile, his wife Ancy Vue expressed relief that he would be home for the holidays, telling the Detroit Free Press about the family’s eagerness to see him “shower and come out of the same outfit that he’s been wearing since July 15.”
About Yang: Born stateless in a Thai refugee camp, Yang came to the U.S. in 1979 as a 1-year-old after his family fled Laos, where his father had served with American forces in CIA covert operations. He has since lived in Michigan and built a life as an engineer for an auto supply company that serves GM. He was serving as president of the Hmong Family Association of Lansing when ICE agents arrested him at his workplace on July 15. He was among 16 Hmong and Laotian refugees detained in a summer sweep, with the others being deported.
Yang’s legal trouble stemmed from a 1997 home invasion conviction when he was 17. He was charged for being in the car during a break-in, which resulted in a 10-month jail sentence. Michigan expunged his conviction in 2018 under clean slate laws, but because federal immigration officials do not recognize state-level expungements, his repeated citizenship attempts were blocked. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pardoned him in late October, and bipartisan advocacy from U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett and State Rep. Mai Xiong, herself a Hmong refugee, helped secure his release.
Why this matters: Yang’s release exposes a troubling reality for Asian American refugee communities. Under the Trump administration, it appears allegiance to the U.S. in wartime offers no immunity from deportation. For Hmong Americans whose families were recruited by the CIA in the 1960s to battle communist forces in Southeast Asia, the message is stark. Despite his father’s service, despite 46 years of residency, despite community leadership and a gubernatorial pardon, Yang spent nearly five months in detention and still lacks permanent legal status. The case reveals how criminal records, even those committed as juveniles and later expunged, can be weaponized against refugees who have spent their entire lives as Americans in all but paperwork.
However, the case also demonstrates what sustained, cross-partisan advocacy can achieve. Nonprofit Rising Voices called his return “a beacon of hope” for immigrant communities “facing persecution and violence from our government at an unprecedented scale.” The coalition that freed Yang, which includes Democratic and Republican lawmakers, immigrant rights organizations and Hmong community groups, offers a template for protecting vulnerable families.
Yang still faces legal hurdles, with a pending motion to reopen his case and remove his final deportation order.
Oregon family breaks silence on anti-Asian burglary that took life savings
A Korean American family in Oregon is speaking out after falling victim to a burglary in August that stripped them of their life savings and sense of safety at home.
Catch up: Chong Man Kim and his wife Byung Sook found their Eugene home violently ransacked after a long day at work at their Corvallis grocery store on Aug. 6. Aside from their life savings, they reportedly lost their wedding rings, family heirlooms and other valuables. Authorities say the thieves had been tracking them for weeks before striking during daytime.
The burglary was just one of at least 21 similar incidents targeting Asian American business owners in Eugene since late 2023. Beyond the city, schemes targeting the same victims have escalated in recent years, with the Asian American Foundation reporting 485 homes burglarized nationwide from 2018 to 2024.
What they’re saying: The Kims have spoken out about their experience in a recent interview with KVAL News. Chong Man, who has operated Rice ‘N’ Spice Oriental Foods 365 days a year for 45 years, expressed how the burglary changed his perspective. “I don’t know why those people target us. Otherwise, the house is most safe place in my mind. But it’s not now,” he said. He added that his anger keeps him awake and crying at night, and that his retirement plans now face an uncertain future.
Meanwhile, his daughter Gloria Kim, a member of the Asian American Council of Oregon, explained why her family chose to speak publicly. “Another reason why these crime groups have been targeting Asians is because there’s a lot of false racist stereotypes and narratives that Asians are quiet and submissive and won’t speak out,” she told KVAL.
Latest developments: Seven individuals linked to recent burglaries across Eugene and Salem in Oregon and Auburn, Washington state, were arrested at a Skyline Boulevard Airbnb in Eugene on Oct. 9. One of them, Derinson Martinez-Grandas, 34, was determined to pose a flight risk in a hearing last Wednesday. Chief U.S. District Judge Michael McShane ruled that he must remain in federal detention.
Prosecutors say Martinez-Grandas and his accomplices harnessed sophisticated means to carry out their alleged crimes, including the use of signal jamming equipment and coordination via seven-way group calls. They also allegedly maintained lookouts around target properties and gained entry by shattering their doors.
Challenges remain: A public safety forum centered on the burglaries was held at the Korean Presbyterian Church of Eugene in October, drawing more than 100 attendees. While such discussions are important, significant challenges remain. Six of the seven suspects, for instance, secured temporary freedom after posting just 10% of their $100,000 bail. Complicating matters further, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly took some of the suspects, all Colombian nationals, into custody after their release.
Jenny Jonak, who serves on the board of the Asian American Council of Oregon, explained the community’s preference for trials over deportations. “We want to see that process play out and see a trial, and I think that will be very cathartic to the community,” she said, as per Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
Korean American “Overwatch” actor files $75K defamation lawsuit against WestJet
WestJet is facing a $75,000 defamation lawsuit from Korean American actor Charlet Chung over a confrontation she recorded last year aboard a flight from Los Angeles to Winnipeg. The October 2024 incident resurfaced after Chung filed suit in California this month. The dispute began when a passenger behind her “repeatedly and forcefully” kicked her seat and told her, “Oh, chill out, fuck off.”
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