Asian American teens Win Big at LA Science Competition

Hello and good morning! It’s Thursday, May 30. Here’s some of what you need to know in our community today:

Asian American History

Today in history

Civil rights activist Fred Korematsu was arrested in San Leandro, California, on this day in 1942 for refusing to comply with a government order that would lead to Japanese Americans being incarcerated in concentration camps.

• Korematsu was tried and convicted in federal court on Sept. 8 in the same year for violating orders issued under Executive Order 9066. He and his family were subsequently locked up at the Central Utah War Relocation Center in Topaz, Utah.

• Following his incarceration, Korematsu filed an appeal that wound up in the Supreme Court and eventually lost. On Nov. 10, 1983, a federal judge reversed his conviction, and in 2018 the Supreme Court’s ruling on his case was overturned.

Science

Asian American teens win big at LA Science comp

Grace Sun, a 16-year-old from Lexington, Kentucky, won Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair’s top prize of $75,000 for developing a technique to enhance organic electronic devices. This could herald safer and more effective medical implants in the future.

• Michelle Wei, a 17-year-old from San Jose, California, won $50,000 for improving the speed and efficiency of a software used in fields such as machine learning, transportation and financial systems.

• Victoria Ou and Justin Huang, a pair of 17-year-olds from Woodlands, Texas, won $50,000 for inventing a device that removes microplastics from water using high-frequency sound waves. As we previously reported, microplastics — or plastic particles under 5 millimeters — pose dangers to our health and the environment.

Asia

North Korea sends South Korea poop

North Korea sent over 260 balloons carrying trash and excrement across the border to South Korea on Wednesday. The incident comes on the heels of Pyongyang’s botched satellite launch over the weekend, potentially aiming to embarrass South Korea in return.

• The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the act in a statement: "These actions by North Korea clearly violate international law and severely threaten the safety of our citizens. North Korea bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these balloons and we sternly warn them to immediately cease these inhumane and despicable acts."

• North Korea claims the balloons are in response to South Korean activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets and other materials across the border. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said the balloons were "gifts of sincerity" for South Koreans "crying for freedom of expression."

Entertainment

Indian woman director makes history at Cannes

Payal Kapadia became the first Indian filmmaker in three decades to win the Grand Prix at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 25 for her film "All We Imagine As Light." This is the second Grand Prix, Cannes’ most prestigious prize after the Palme d’Or, for India after Chetan Anand's "Neecha Nagar" in 1947.

• "All We Imagine As Light," centered on two Malayali nurses, received an eight-minute standing ovation when it premiered during the festival. "It was already a dream to be selected in competition and this was beyond my imagination," Kapadia said in her acceptance speech.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined other prominent figures congratulating Kapadia on social media: “Her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honors her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers.”

Entertainment

Hayao Miyazaki’s son hints at dad’s next film

Goro Miyazaki, son of legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, shared more details about his father's potential next film during a recent exhibition at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. Goro first hinted at the movie after accepting the honorary Palme d'Or on behalf of Studio Ghibli at Cannes last week.

• The Tokyo exhibit featured Hayao’s crafted panorama boxes, or miniature dioramas that help visualize scenes and settings in animation pre-production. Hayao developed his hobby of creating panorama boxes during the seven-year production of "The Boy and the Heron." 

• Goro told reporters that his father may be working on panorama boxes for a potential new action-adventure film. "I'd tell him, 'Make some for future projects. Only making them for your past stuff is boring.' He's making some now though. I don't know if it'll actually be for his next film, but it's looking like an action-adventure-type movie, nostalgic and reminiscent of the old days."

Entertainment

US parents are choosing the name “Chozen”

Chozen was the second-fastest rising boy’s name in the United States in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced. The surge is partly attributed to popular “Cobra Kai” villain-turned-hero Chozen Toguchi, played by Japanese American actor Yuji Okumto.

• Chozen was the 813th most popular name last year. The fastest rising boy name was “Eiden”; for girls, it was “Kaeli.” The top names were “Liam” and “Olivia.”

• “It’s pretty cool that people wanna name their kids after my character. I think it’s probably the redemptive storyline of Chozen. Prior to that, we’ve just known him as a bully, but now he’s gone from bully to kind of a protector,” Okumoto told TMZ.

Entertainment

Laufey tries Filipino snacks for 1st time

Environmental

In case you missed it:

A recent University of Tokyo study reveals that fish in the western North Pacific Ocean are shrinking due to climate change-driven shifts in their food supply. “The situation fish experience is much more severe than decades ago. If we cannot stop global warming, the quality of fish may decline. So, we need to take action so that we can enjoy a healthy ocean and delicious fish,” said study author Shin-ichi Ito.

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Until Tomorrow,

Alan Van