Profiles
Meet Adrian Lee: Angela and Christian Lee’s brother looks to carve his own name in MMA
Adrian Lee, the youngest sibling of MMA stars Angela and Christian Lee, is set to make his professional debut with ONE Championship next week. Lee will face fellow newcomer Antonio Mammarella at ONE…
Remembering Tenzing Norgay, the unsung trailblazer of Mount Everest
Nepalese Indian mountaineer Tenzing Norgay played an equally crucial role in the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. Despite this monumental achievement, his contributions — and the broader…
How a Fendi saleswoman became Europe’s first Chinese princess
Did you know that Europe has a Chinese princess? Li Ran, who hails from southeastern China’s Guangdong province, made headlines in 2010 when she married Belgium’s Prince Charles Joseph de Ligne-la…
Will Ireton: What to know about Shohei Ohtani’s new translator
Will Ireton, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ resident hype man and former translator, is now officially serving as Shohei Ohtani’s new translator. Key points:
How Jensen Huang went from washing dishes at Denny’s to founding a tech company now worth $2 trillion
Jensen Huang, the president and CEO of Nvidia, recently shared his humble beginnings as a dishwater before co-founding a tech company now valued at $2 trillion. Key points:
Pho saved his life. Now he serves it and pizza in his restaurant empire
The path to success for renowned Texas restaurateur Khanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese American immigrant, has been guided by two savory dishes: one saved his life as a child and the other sets his business…
Jenn Tran: What to know about the first Asian American ‘Bachelorette’
Jenn Tran made “Bachelor” history Monday night after being named as the first Asian American lead of “The Bachelorette.” Described as “a sweet and compassionate woman who has dedicated her life to…
She could be the first Filipina elected to California’s Legislature
Jessica Caloza, a proud immigrant and women’s rights advocate, could make history later this year as the first Filipino woman elected to the California Legislature. What she’s running for: Caloza is…
Supreme Court rejects case alleging discrimination against Asian American students in Virginia
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case alleging discrimination against Asian American students in admissions at the elite Thomas Jefferson (TJ) High School for Science and…
Behind Chinese rapper Psy.P’s musical and culinary quest in New York [Interview]
After delivering an electrifying NBA half-time solo performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 26, Chinese rapper Psy.P of hip hop group Higher Brothers found himself in a…
She survived the Vietnam War. Now she’s won ‘Squid Game’
Of 456 competitors, one stood out to win the largest prize on reality TV history. Mai Whelan, 55, better known as Player 287, emerged victorious in the inaugural season of “Squid Game: The…
Subtle Asian Baking founder Kat Lieu is building community through shared culture and tasty treats
Kat Lieu, creator of Subtle Asian Baking, talks trolls, appropriation and the joys of online community and content creation. Craving Asian baked treats during the COVID-19 pandemic and inspired by…
How drunk fanboying led to Psy’s collab with Suga: ‘He appreciated me for paving the way’
It’s been over a decade since PSY revolutionized the K-pop scene with “Gangnam Style,” but the artist never set down the reins from that iconic horse dance. Across his eight studio albums, PSY has…
Meet Fanny: The Filipina rock pioneers who redefined American music
While it seems as though Asian artists have only recently permeated the musical mainstream, their artistic impact extends far deeper into the fabric of American music than one might realize. In 1969,…
‘That’s what America is about’: Sugar Bowl Bakery co-founder reflects on his family’s pursuit of the American dream
“How come all the houses look the same?” then-24-year-old Andrew Ly wondered while touring San Francisco for the first time. The air was colder and the streets were quieter — completely different…
Interview: Elephante’s electric quest for artistic liberation
Amid the fame seekers and glory hunters of the music industry, Tim Wu, the electronic artist and producer known as Elephante, finds solace in his craft, which he turns to as a refuge from the depths…
Artket Goods’ Asian-inspired candles tap into nostalgic scents of childhood
Francesca Chan of Artket Goods found a unique way to honor various Asian cultures through candles, with scents that range in inspiration from classic snacks to traditional medicines. Chan, a…
Meet the Gen Z entrepreneur who wants to help alleviate the mental health crisis through sound
With Travis Chen at the helm of the music therapy app SoundMind, thousands of users are lulled into a blissful trance, soothed by lush soundscapes composed of purported healing frequencies that are…
Discover Spill tab: the LA-based French Korean indie-pop sensation here to make music and eat cheese
L.A. based French Korean artist Spill tab put on an electrifying performance to kick off Day 2 of the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival, thrilling longtime fans and enticing festival stragglers…
Former Los Angeles Times editor Henry Fuhrmann dies at age 65
Henry Fuhrmann, former editor of the Los Angeles Times famous for fighting for grammatical equity, died on Wednesday. He was 65. Fuhrmann led the charge to eliminate the usage of hyphens in ethnic…
Meet 98-year-old George Woo, a last living member of the Flying Tigers’ Chinese American Composite Wing
Editor’s note: Edward Woo, one of George Woo’s children, spoke on behalf of his father for this exclusive interview with NextShark. On the Fourth of July in 1942 — nearly seven months after Imperial…
‘Nope’ star Steven Yeun on touching ‘the unknown’ when it comes to picking roles in Hollywood
Actor Steven Yeun sat down with NextShark to talk about his latest role as showman Ricky “Jupe” Park in the film “Nope,” as well as breaking the limits of what it means to be an Asian American in…
Meet Eric Bauza, the Filipino Canadian voice actor behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and probably your other faves too
Eric Bauza confides to me over Zoom that voice acting is not about speaking in zany dialects or crafting kooky cadences – it’s simply about delivering a convincing performance. It isn’t until the…
Hmong American journalist Chenue Her honors immigrant parents for putting him, 4 siblings through college
Chenue Her is celebrating AAPI Heritage Month by dedicating his and his four siblings’ accomplishments to their Hmong parents. The first Hmong male newscaster in the U.S. honored his mom Yia and his…
‘This Asian face’: The artist behind the #StopAsianHate illustrations
Jonathan Chang, a Taiwanese designer and illustrator based in Los Angeles, is the creator behind iconic portraits of anti-Asian hate crime victims that were shown on billboards in Times Square during…
Nintendo’s Masayuki Uemura, creator of the NES and SNES, dies at 78
Masayuki Uemura, the lead architect behind the creation of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the accompanying Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) passed away at the age of 78 on Dec.…
Hyun Sook Han, adoption trailblazer who helped connect Korean adoptees and families, dies at 83
A Korean social worker who dedicated her life to helping build families through international adoption has died at 83. What happened: Hyun Sook Han, affectionately known by friends and family as Mrs.…
Everything you need to know about ‘Squid Game’ star Wi Ha-jun to leave you satisfied
Warning: Contains spoilers Netflix’s “Squid Game” has audiences captivated by the show’s take on childhood games with a deadly twist. As 456 players compete for the ultimate cash prize, police…
South Korean superstar in ‘Squid Game’ once said Hollywood actors would avoid eye contact with him
Warning: Contains spoilers Prior to the release of Netflix’s global hit “Squid Game,” Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Front Man, was already one of South Korea’s top actors. And while the show has…
‘Squid Game’ actress went from 400k followers to 9 million in two weeks
Amid all the gruesome and disturbing yet brilliantly made scenes in the global hit K-drama “Squid Game” shines one breakout star that fans just can’t seem to get over. Playing the role of North…
Meet the First Vietnamese Woman to Be Crowned Mrs. World
For the first time since its inception in 1984, Mrs. World — a pioneering pageant for married women — crowned a Vietnamese candidate earlier this year. Born to immigrant parents and raised in…
Filipino-American Actor Who Grew Up Watching ‘Blue’s Clues’ is Now Hosting It
It was through watching “Blue’s Clues” and singing the “Mailtime” song with his little sister at the age of 7 when Josh Dela Cruz knew that he wanted to sing and act. Now, after more than 20 years…
From Boba to K-Pop: Why ‘We Bare Bears’ is So Relatable to Asians
When it comes to entertainment, I believe we’re all subconsciously searching for characters or plot lines we can relate to — something you can watch and say to yourself, “that’s so me.” Whether I was…
Her Mother was Vietnam’s Legendary Queen of Soul, Now It’s Her Turn
Certain artists live their whole lives dreaming to shine on stages: not Trace. She’d already seen the life firsthand as the daughter of legendary Vietnamese singer Carol Kim. She’s maintained a good…
Meet Flowsik, The Korean American Rapper From Queens Who Adopted Hip Hop Culture to Survive
There’s a popular clip on YouTube from Korea’s rap reality show, “Show Me The Money”, showcasing the Team Battle Mission segment in which contestants duke it out in a scripted rap battle on stage.…
Meet the Chef Using Food to Change the Way People See Asians
“I feel like I was put here to do this. When I cook, I feel something.” That’s something Jenny Dorsey told me about 30 minutes into our 40 minute interview over the phone. It’s hard to pick quotes…
