LA spot accused of segregating Asian customers
A viral video posted by a content creator last week has drawn scrutiny to Los Angeles restaurant Great White after she alleged that Asian customers were seated together in one corner while...
The Rebel Yellow - Issue #129
As the government shutdown enters its second week, Asian American lawmakers are split over who’s to blame—mirroring deeper divisions across Washington. Trump’s approval among Asian voters has cratered by more than 60 points, even as his administration faces backlash over FBI firings tied to Pride flags. Abroad, Japan prepares to confirm its first woman prime minister, while closer to home, a viral bias claim at an LA restaurant sparks new conversations about race, and Simu Liu joins Hollywood’s growing revolt against AI “actors.”
Asian American lawmakers spar over blame as shutdown enters 2nd week
Lawmakers showed little progress over the weekend toward ending the government shutdown that began last Wednesday.
Catch up: The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1 after funding expired amid disputes over health care subsidies. While Democrats want Congress to renew them, President Donald Trump pushes to maintain current spending levels. Democrats also seek guarantees that the White House will not unilaterally cancel spending in any agreement. This follows the administration’s use of “pocket rescissions” to withhold $4.9 billion in foreign aid last month, blocking Congress from reviewing the decision before the last fiscal year closed.
The health care debate heavily impacts Asian American communities. For instance, more than 61,000 residents in Democratic Rep. Judy Chu’s California district will see premium increases if tax credits expire, while nearly 40,000 stand to lose coverage entirely from Republican cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The stakes have grown as Trump threatens to impose mass layoffs of federal workers, blaming Democrats.
What they’re saying: Asian American Democratic lawmakers have blamed Republicans for the shutdown as they control the House, Senate and White House. Ahead of it, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said American families are “staring down a health care crisis of Republicans’ own making” and criticized Trump for “a lack of leadership of epic proportions.” Meanwhile, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) stressed her party had been ready to negotiate, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) “sent his members home to do fancy fundraisers with billionaires” and refused to do their part.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) also slammed Republicans and warned that without urgent action from Congress, health care premiums will more than double for millions across the country in weeks. Needless to say, the financial impact is stark. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) shared that in Queens, a family of four earning $64,000 could pay $2,000 more in annual premiums, while a 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 could see their costs soar by more than $13,000 each year.
On the other hand, Asian American Republicans have pointed to their counterparts as the problem. Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) said “Washington Democrats decided to play political games and shut our government down at the expense of the American people.” She said she voted to keep the government open and supported a clean, short-term, bipartisan government funding bill. Rep. Vince Fong, also from California, took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging him to “put governing for ALL Americans ahead of appeasing his progressive base.”
Kim has requested her salary to be withheld. Across the aisle, Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey made a similar call. “It’s wrong that the President and Members of Congress get paid during a government shutdown when our military and public servants don’t,” he said, noting that more than 48,000 federal employees and 10,000 active-duty service members in his state could end up either working without pay or being furloughed.
The big picture: The current standoff plays out against an uncertain economic backdrop. While the economy continues to grow, data shows hiring has slowed and inflation remains elevated. Trump’s tariffs, as previously reported, have created disruptions for both businesses and consumers. For Asian American families, the shutdown’s impact is compounded by existing pressures. Many rely on the ACA subsidies at risk in the dispute, while those in the federal workforce face potential furloughs and missed paychecks.
The Senate is scheduled to vote today for the fifth time on competing funding bills, though neither is expected to reach the 60 votes needed to advance.
Trump’s Asian American support plummets by 63 points, new poll shows
A 63-percentage-point drop in President Donald Trump’s approval among Asian American voters between July and September marks one of the sharpest demographic reversals of his presidency, the latest AtlasIntel poll reveals.
By the numbers: Asian American voters were more evenly split in AtlasIntel’s July survey, with 57% approving and 43% disapproving of Trump. Around this period, Trump announced a new round of tariffs that hit Southeast Asian nations harder, especially Laos and Myanmar. By late August, Trump announced plans to allow 600,000 Chinese students into U.S. universities, more than double the 277,000 currently enrolled. Two months after the July poll, the picture had reversed: just 26% approved while 75% disapproved, flipping the president’s then-positive net rating to -49 points.
Timing proved significant in understanding the September decline. Aside from economic policy, immigration enforcement and political rhetoric compound the drop in support. AtlasIntel conducted its latest poll from Sept. 12-16, a week after federal agents detained more than 300 South Korean workers in Georgia before deporting them and sparking diplomatic tension between Washington and Seoul. Recent polling from other firms showed similar results: Washington Post-Ipsos measured 66% disapproval among Asian voters, while Harvard CAPS-Harris recorded 62%.
Why this matters: The decline challenges what Republicans viewed as a breakthrough with Asian American voters. While former Vice President Kamala Harris won 54% of the overall Asian American vote, Trump’s share grew to 39%, marking a five-point increase from 2020. The erosion, however, appears to have started months ago. In December 2024, 60% of Asians viewed Trump unfavorably, but this skyrocketed to 71% by June, an AAPI Data and AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed. The shift was especially pronounced among Asian independents, with unfavorable views reaching 70% and surpassing the 52% recorded among all independent voters.
The big picture: The Asian American trend reflects a broader pattern of declining approval. Nationally, disapproval climbed from 51% to 53% while approval slipped from 47% to 45% in another September poll by Echelon Insights. Likely more concerning for Republicans, every swing state Trump won in 2024 now shows negative approval ratings: Pennsylvania sits at -13, Michigan at -12, Nevada at -12, Georgia at -11, Wisconsin at -10, North Carolina at -9 and Arizona at -7. The November 2026 midterms will suggest whether Trump can reverse these trends.
Kash Patel fired longtime FBI employee over Pride flag display
FBI Director Kash Patel, one of the Trump administration’s highest ranking Asian American officials, reportedly fired a longtime bureau employee undergoing agent training over his display of a Pride flag at his previous workstation, a dismissal that critics say reflects a systematic effort to remove LGBTQ+ personnel from federal service.
What happened: The employee spent more than a decade working in a non-agent capacity at the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, where he served as a diversity program coordinator and earned an Attorney General’s Award in 2022. While training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, he reportedly received a dismissal letter from Patel accusing him of exercising “poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage” at his prior California assignment. The letter purportedly cited Trump’s constitutional authority under Article II to remove career federal workers.
Two FBI veterans told CNN that displaying a Pride flag at a workstation would not typically violate bureau policy, but Trump’s anti-“woke” agenda has become a priority. The reported dismissal, which came as the latest government shutdown began, prompted some Washington field office agents to review their own workspaces and online profiles for material that might offend Trump, his appointees or MAGA supporters.
Reactions: California Rep. Mark Takano, an openly gay Democrat who chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus, characterized the move as part of a persistent pattern. “Trump and his Administration have been obsessively trying to purge our community from the federal workforce since they took power,” he told The Advocate, adding that “they’re also firing people for simply being LGBTQI+ or doing work that supports the LGBTQI+ community.”
Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats said Patel should prioritize national security instead of “policing desk displays” and pledged to hold accountable an FBI director who “tragically deprofessionalizes and weaponizes the world’s strongest law enforcement agency.” Such concerns predated Trump’s inauguration: In the weeks before he took office in January, federal law enforcement personnel began warning colleagues to avoid revealing their sexual orientation or displaying support for LGBTQ+ rights.
The big picture: The alleged firing came just days after Patel dismissed more than a dozen FBI employees for kneeling during 2020 crowd control operations in Washington after protesters confronted them, despite a determination by then-Director Christopher Wray that the conduct was consistent with bureau policy.
Just two weeks ago, Patel sat for congressional hearings that questioned his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, his response to the Charlie Kirk shooting and claims of retaliatory firings. A federal lawsuit by three dismissed senior FBI officials alleges Patel admitted the terminations were “likely illegal” but justified them by saying “the FBI tried to put the president in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.”
Mamdani faces pushback over plan to end gifted program
Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism for proposing to end gifted programs for kindergartners in New York City public schools.
About his plan: If elected, Mamdani would eliminate kindergarten admission to the gifted and talented program, reviving a 2021 proposal by former Mayor Bill de Blasio that Mayor Eric Adams reversed in 2022. Current gifted students would remain enrolled, but kindergarten entry would end next fall. The city is one of few large U.S. districts offering separate gifted programming at the kindergarten level. Some 2,500 of 55,000 kindergartners currently participate in the program, which offers the same curriculum as general education classes but with accelerated instruction.
Meanwhile, in a reversal of his previous position, Mamdani now supports keeping the admissions test for the city’s eight specialized high schools, backing away from earlier concerns about the exam’s fairness.
“De Blasio 2.0”?: Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education co-founder Yiatin Chu, whose organization advocates for accelerated academic options, called Mamdani “de Blasio 2.0” over his plan. “It’s definitely going in the wrong direction … You’re removing a pathway for the brightest of our kids to be challenged,” she told the New York Post. “We should be expanding these programs, not eliminating them.”
Meanwhile, the Washington Post editorial board criticized the proposal in an op-ed titled “Holding back gifted students in the name of equity.” It noted enrollment disparities: Black and Hispanic students represent 66% of overall district enrollment but just 21% of gifted participants, while White and Asian students are overrepresented. The Post argued the city should expand capacity for underserved populations, warning that politicians “tread on dangerous ground when their pursuit of equity comes at the cost of children’s opportunities.”
Zoom out: The dispute reflects ongoing tensions between educational equity and accelerated learning opportunities. Speaking to The New York Times, Brooklyn College professor David Bloomfield, who teaches education leadership, law and policy, called Mamdani’s proposal “the first step in an actual policy to promote desegregation.”
Meanwhile, Mamdani’s opponents Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa both said they would keep the gifted program and expand it if elected. The education debate comes as Mamdani, who would become the city’s first Muslim mayor if elected in November, has faced anti-Muslim rhetoric and even death threats during his campaign.
South Asian film screenings in Canada targeted with arson, shootings
A movie theater west of Toronto has stopped showing South Asian films after experiencing an arson attack and a shooting within seven days — both incidents authorities believe were deliberate acts targeting the venue.
What happened: Film.ca Cinemas, located in Oakville, Ontario, faced its first attack at around 5:20 a.m. on Sept. 25 when two masked individuals set fire to the building’s front entrance using liquid accelerant in red containers. Hours earlier, video surveillance recorded a gray SUV circling the Speers Road property multiple times before a white SUV appeared ahead of the attack. Firefighters contained the blaze to the exterior doorway.
The theater faced a second attack at 1:50 a.m. on Oct. 2. A different assailant, identified by Halton Regional Police as a heavyset man with dark complexion, fired a handgun nine times into the entrance, shattering glass across four of six doors. No one was injured in either attack.
Safety concerns: The theater’s response shifted between attacks. Following the arson, CEO Jeff Knoll, who is also an Oakville town and regional councilor, declared the cinema would continue programming without interference. “We’re going to play what we want to play, when we want to play it,” he said in a video. However, the shooting changed that stance. Film.ca announced it would cancel screenings of “They Call Him OG,” a Telugu action film that had just finished a sold-out run, and “Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1,” a Kannada epic scheduled to premiere last Thursday.
“Evidence seems to show that the participation in the exhibition of South Asian films has led to these incidents at our theatre and other theatres across the GTA [Greater Toronto Area],” the company said. It added, “We understand that these incidents may be connected to disagreements within the South Asian film industry. While we want to be clear that we do not wish to bow to threats, the situation has escalated to the point where we must take every precaution to protect our community.”
The big picture: The attacks apparently follow a broader pattern. Multiple venues in the GTA and British Columbia have reported similar incidents, including drive-by shootings, at theaters showing South Asian films. Distributors working with South Indian cinema have accused unnamed parties of running a coordinated effort to block certain films from Canadian screens, an alleged strategy to monopolize the market and preserve profit margins.
Apple caves to Trump by removing ICEBlock app
An app used to report possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings was removed from Apple’s App Store on Oct. 2 after the Trump administration said it posed safety risks to immigration officers. The app, called ICEBlock, had gained traction among users in immigrant communities affected by federal enforcement actions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department asked Apple to take down ICEBlock after reviewing safety concerns raised by law enforcement. “ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs,” Bondi said. Apple confirmed the removal, stating it acted “based on information we’ve received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock.” Google also took down similar tracking apps from its Android marketplace, though ICEBlock itself was never available on Google Play.
Many users relied on the app for alerts as ICE data shows nearly half of those held in detention have no criminal records or pending charges. Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based developer behind ICEBlock, said he received notice of the removal without prior warning. “I am incredibly disappointed by Apple’s actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move,” he said.
Japan to confirm its 1st woman leader
Japan is set to appoint its first female prime minister after Sanae Takaichi won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership election in Tokyo over the weekend. The 64-year-old conservative lawmaker defeated Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff vote, earning 185 votes to 156. Her expected confirmation by the National Diet later this month will mark a milestone in the nation’s political history as it prepares for governance under its first woman leader.
Party shift after Ishiba: Takaichi’s rise follows the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last month after the LDP suffered significant losses in recent elections and failed to maintain a parliamentary majority. The party, Japan’s dominant conservative bloc since 1955, still leads the government through coalition despite losing its majority. A veteran of the country’s conservative establishment, Takaichi has held senior cabinet posts, including internal affairs minister and economic security minister, and is widely recognized as a protege of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Ideological roots and policy direction: One of the most conservative members of the LDP, Takaichi is known for her nationalist views and strong stance on defense. A regular visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine, regarded by many Asian nations as a symbol of Japan’s wartime past, she is viewed as a China hawk whose approach may influence Tokyo’s relations with its neighbors. Domestically, she has opposed allowing married couples to use separate surnames and reforms to imperial succession, positions that have drawn attention in a country that ranks low in global gender equality indexes.
Diplomatic focus and next steps: After her election, Takaichi said she intends to “immediately work on stemming rising prices” and will prioritize Japan’s alliance with the U.S. “It is essential to confirm the reinforcement of the Japan-U.S. alliance,” she said, emphasizing cooperation with South Korea, Australia and the Philippines to support a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” A parliamentary vote confirming her as prime minister is expected in mid-October, and her first major diplomatic engagement could come later that month during a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea.
Simu Liu speaks out against AI “actress” amid mounting Hollywood criticism
Chinese Canadian star Simu Liu has spoken out against Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated “actress” signed by a London talent agency that also represents real performers. British company Xicoia introduced Norwood in September with a digital portfolio that included headshots, casting reels and a fictional biography portraying her as an emerging film star.
Hollywood actors react: In an Instagram Story, the Shang-Chi actor took a jab at the artificial creation, noting, “Movies are great, but you know, what would be better is if the characters in them weren’t played by actual humans, but by AI replicas approximating human emotion.” Other actors, including Emily Blunt and Natasha Lyonne, described the project as “scary” and urged performers to stop working with agencies that represent synthetic clients.
Unionists raise alarm: The criticisms came as the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA warned that the move could set a dangerous precedent for studios seeking to replace human talent. Norwood’s unveiling reignited issues raised during the 2023 Hollywood strikes, when actors demanded protection against digital likeness replication. Union officials have warned that AI-generated characters could eventually be used to mimic living performers without consent, complicating existing copyright and contract laws.
Conversations continue: The impact of generative AI technology on film remains a sensitive issue among actors. Jet Li revealed in a 2018 interview that he turned down a role in “The Matrix Reloaded” after learning his martial arts could be digitally recorded and reused, explaining, “I was thinking: I’ve been training my entire life. And we martial artists could only grow older. Yet they could own [my moves] as an intellectual property forever. So I said I couldn’t do that.” Meanwhile, Jackie Chan has embraced AI in his 2024 film “A Legend,” which used digital effects to de-age him for flashback scenes.
LA restaurant Great White accused of segregating Asian diners
A viral video posted by a content creator last week has drawn scrutiny to Los Angeles restaurant Great White after she alleged that Asian customers were seated together in one corner while non-Asian diners filled the main area. The clip, filmed by Cassidy Cho at the restaurant’s Melrose location, has fueled public concern about potential racial bias in seating practices.
In the video, Cho films the restaurant and says, “I don’t know if it’s just me, but they put all the Asians in one corner.” She points out that “it’s all white people in the main seating area,” later adding, “They really put us all in one corner.” Cho followed up by noting that “another corner [was] filled with Asians too.” Her posts on TikTok and Instagram have been viewed millions of times and sparked widespread discussion among Asian American diners.
Diners share parallel accounts
Under Cho’s post, users shared similar claims, with a commenter writing, “My friends and I (Asians) were sat at the corner near the restroom at Great White Melrose and at the bar at Great White Larchmont.” Another said, “My boyfriend is Korean and they put us on the corner both times we went.” Others mocked the restaurant’s name, with one viral comment reading, “Not the name of this restaurant being the Great WHITE lol.”
Several users pointed to past Yelp reviews describing comparable treatment. One reviewer wrote, “Discriminated, racist against Asians,” while another said, “The chain operates with racism towards Asians. Spend your money elsewhere.” A longer post titled A Request for Clarification Amidst Staggering Allegations urged management to explain “the practice of seating all Asian customers in one specific corner of the restaurant.” Yelp later paused new reviews, citing increased public attention while it verified the content.
Creator alleges broader bias
As Great White remains silent on the allegations, content creator Ed Choi (@etchaskej) analyzed reviews and employee accounts from its Los Angeles locations. “It’s not a one-off, it’s a pattern of behavior of racial discrimination against Asian people,” Choi said, citing reports of slower service for Asian and Black diners and limited staff diversity.
Choi also examined Gran Blanco, a former sister restaurant in Venice operated by Great White co-founders Sam Trude and Sam Cooper. He said past employees alleged that one of the owners instructed managers “not to let too many Black people in because they didn’t want the place to get ghetto and trashy.” Choi said such reports and employee reviews describing “very white favoritism” suggest the issue may extend beyond a single location.