🍵 Japan-Style 7-Elevens Are Coming to the US... Kind Of

In case you missed it:

• Sunisa Lee and Team USA wins gold in the Women’s gymnastics team final

• Alena Olsen, part of Team USA win bronze against Australia in rugby with a final score of 14 v 12.

• Chuquin Wang and Yingsha Sun from China win gold in mixed doubles table tennis

Olympics

Suni Lee had stalkers after Olympics gold fame

Sunisa “Suni” Lee reportedly experienced multiple instances of stalking after becoming the first Hmong American to win a gold medal in the individual all-around event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Lee’s coaches revealed to the New York Times that one of her stalkers tried to track her down in at least three different states.

• Her stalkers: Jess Graba, Lee’s longtime coach, recalled how a Hmong man in his 40s or 50s followed Lee from Minnesota to Graba’s gym in Little Canada, Minnesota, looking for the gymnast. Graba noted that Auburn University hired security to escort Lee in public. Her security detail also reportedly had to sweep the hotel she was staying at during a meet in Georgia to look for two men who were allegedly stalking her. “It was scary. I don’t know if I can talk about it,” Lee told Sports Illustrated.

• Other experiences: Besides stalking, Lee’s newfound fame also brought unwanted attention from other students at Auburn University. Lee told the New York Times, “I couldn’t trust anybody because it was always like people wanted things from me, like, ‘Hey, can you do this for me or can you do that for me?’ I just started to feel like I couldn’t talk to anybody about anything. I had to learn to be alone.” Lee’s career was put on hold after she suffered from an undisclosed kidney disease in 2023. She returned to full-time training and competition in early 2024 after her illness went into remission.

Sports

Asian American ‘90s tennis icon gets well-deserved spotlight

ESPN's new "30 for 30" documentary features Taiwanese American tennis player Michael Chang, highlighting his career-defining moment at the 1989 French Open. The documentary series, titled "American Son," premiered on ESPN on Monday.

The docuseries: Directed by Jay Caspian Kang, "American Son" tells the story of Chang’s upbringing, “shaped by his family’s immigrant experience,” his rapid and unforgettable rise in the tennis world and the challenges he overcame to "achieve success," according to ESPN. The documentary was initially scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2023, but the sports network postponed it to July 2024.

About the star: Chang made history by becoming the youngest male tennis player to win a major title at the 1989 French Open at 17-years-old, defeating Czech tennis star Ivan Lendl, who was the world's No. 1 and a three-time French Open champion at the time. Since then, Chang has won a total of 34 singles career titles, become a three-time major runner-up and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008.

News

NYC Chinese community rallies against planned homeless shelter

Thousands from the Chinese communities of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan protested on Sunday, starting at Foley Square and marching to Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn. The demonstration followed the arrest of Brooklyn City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang, who bit a deputy police chief during a protest against a proposed homeless shelter in her district.

Demands of protesters: The proposed shelter, meant for 150 men with mental health issues, has raised safety concerns. Residents demanded the city halt construction and improve communication. Protesters chanted for “Safe Homes, Safe Schools, No Shelter!” and “Equal Justice for Susan Zhuang!” Organizers also emphasized broader issues, voicing frustrations over police brutality and the city's lack of engagement with the Asian community. Although Zhuang, facing multiple charges, did not attend, she thanked the community online.

Impact in office: Mayor Eric Adams’ office defended their communication efforts and commitment to building the shelter. The protest, notable for its scale, highlights the growing civic engagement among Chinese residents. Jacky Wong from the Greater Chinatown Civic Coalition warned that neglecting the Asian community could impact future elections. “If Mayor Adams continues to let the Asian community down, he will see the consequences reflected in the ballots,” he said.

Study

Suicide leading cause of death among AAPI youths, study finds

Suicide has become the leading cause of death among Asian American and Pacific Islander youths, with rates doubling over the past two decades, according to a March 2024 study. The alarming trend underscores the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions.

Rising rates and gender disparities: From 1999 to 2021, suicide rates among AAPI youth aged 5 to 24 years doubled, with 4,747 deaths recorded. The study also found that males had higher suicide rates, while females reported more depressive symptoms, including suicidal planning and attempts. Another study found that suicide rates increased significantly for males starting in 2009 and females in 2004, reflecting broader societal and economic impacts.

Methods and contributing factors: The most common suicide methods include suffocation, firearms and poisoning. Meanwhile, economic struggles, cyberbullying, online sexism and intersectional discrimination are identified as key risk factors. The findings emphasize the need for culturally sensitive prevention strategies and clinical interventions that address the unique mental health challenges faced by AAPI youth, considering both gendered and racialized factors.

News

Controversial Japan site granted world heritage status with S. Korea’s approval

The UNESCO World Heritage committee have registered Japan’s Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site after Japan agreed to include its dark history of abusing Korean laborers during World War II in the exhibit. The mine, which operated for nearly 400 years before closing in 1989, was once the world’s largest gold producer and linked to wartime abuses. 

The decision: The committee's unanimous decision, including South Korea's support, came after Japan provided additional information and consulted with South Korea about the mine’s history – a move that could hint at an improvement in Japan-South Korea relations. Japan installed new exhibits explaining the harsh conditions faced by Korean laborers, including annual memorial services. Japan's Foreign Minister celebrated the designation and its “extraordinary value as an exceptional cultural heritage.” 

Dark history: During Japan's 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula, hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers were forcibly brought to work in Japanese mines and factories, including the Sado gold mine, to address labor shortages during WWII, according to historians. However, Japan previously omitted its connection to these abuses, straining bilateral ties. Japan has long been criticized for its reluctance to acknowledge wartime atrocities at other UNESCO sites, such as the sexual abuse of "comfort women" and forced laborers. 

News

J-pop idol punished for accidentally posting photos with boyfriend

Momoka Tojo, a member of the J-pop girl group Katacotobank, was ordered by her management to post a “good night” photo of herself alone every day for a year after accidentally posting images with her non-celebrity boyfriend. Additionally, she was required to keep “a certain distance” from the unidentified man, while fans are asked to report his possible appearances in her future posts.

What happened: The photos were reportedly taken from Tojo’s 20th birthday celebrations on July 23 and mistakenly included in a subsequent live performance announcement. Tojo later apologized for her “careless action” and vowed to be more mindful. She posted her first solo “good night” photo on Saturday.

Reactions: Despite her “mistake,” fans quickly rallied behind Tojo. “Over the past two days, I’ve received many words of encouragement from people, and it has made me realize once again how blessed I am,” she wrote in part in another post. “It’s because of all the amazing people around me that I’m still here.”

Featured Post

Oscar-nominated, Taiwanese-American film director Sean Wang and lead actor Izaac Wang sat down with NextShark to discuss their new film, 'Dìdi (弟弟)' a heartwarming story about a boy learning important life lessons as a 13-year-old in 2008.

Final Bites

Hundreds of thousands of white people raise millions for Harris: White people are organizing en-masse in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for the Oval Office. A pair of Zoom calls titled “White Women: Answer the Call!” and “White Dudes for Harris” gathered 164,000 and 190,000 people, respectively, breaking platform records. By their end, each event raised $1.8 million and $4 million, respectively. The women’s call was attended by celebrities such as pop star Pink, actress Connie Britton, U.S. Women’s Soccer champ Megan Rapinoe and TikToker Arielle Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled). The men’s call, on the other hand, saw guests such as actor Jeff Bridges, film director J.J. Abrams, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, whose name is being floated as a potential running mate.

“Twisters” director explains lack of climate change message: “Twisters,” which premiered on July 19, highlights the devastating impact of tornadoes, along with elements such as scientific challenges and disaster capitalists. Interestingly, it omits direct references to climate change, despite evidence suggesting the phenomena’s influence on tornadoes and other weather patterns. Speaking to CNN, Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung explained it was a deliberate choice. “I just don’t feel like films are meant to be message-oriented,” he said. Drawing on his personal experiences with tornadoes from his upbringing in western Arkansas, Chung aimed to honor the power of nature, saying he wanted to preserve “that sense of awe and wonder.”

Unearthed Tang dynasty tomb shows mural of blond Westerner: A Tang dynasty tomb, discovered during a hillside road reconstruction project in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, in 2018 but only publicly revealed in June, reportedly features a mural depicting a “Westerner” man with blonde hair and a beard. The painting is among several murals found on the walls of the single brick chamber tomb, which Chinese archaeologists believe belonged to a 63-year-old man who died in 736 AD, during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). “Based on his facial features and outfit style, we can identify him as a 'Westerner,' likely a Sogdian from Central Asia,” Victor Xiong, a professor of history at Western Michigan University who was not involved in the discovery, told LiveScience, referring to the ancient Iranian civilization of Sogdia, which corresponds to modern-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

7-Eleven to bring popular Japanese convenience store foods to U.S.: 7-Eleven plans to introduce popular Japanese convenience store foods to U.S. stores, including chicken teriyaki rice balls, miso ramen and sweet chili crisp wings. This move aims to replicate the Japanese 7-Eleven model in the U.S., offering fresher, rotating food options. TikTok creators have already spotted milk bread egg salad sandwiches in Orange County stores, signaling the beginning of this shift. Japanese “konbini” (convenience store) culture has grown in popularity online, and 7-Eleven hopes to cater to this interest. No timeline has been given for the rollout, and specific store locations have not been announced.