Can we get Michelle Yeoh more flowers please? Not only is she the first Malaysian to win the Golden Globes for Best Actress, she’s also 60-years-old and does her own stunts. Yeoh has set the bar in acting, martial arts, stunts, for women, and Asians. How did she get like this? Michelle grew up in a small town in Ipoh, Malaysia, where she dreamed of becoming a ballerina. When those dreams were cut short because of an injury, Michelle discovered martial arts. Since then, she’s set the bar for what women could do on screen: anything. She has performed in death-defying experiences, from riding a motorbike onto a moving train to being thrown off a car, that have even left co-stars like Jackie Chan in a panic. Her father was a tycoon, and even with the narrative of being a silver-spoon fed child, Michelle has moved through Hollywood with grace and grit. She may be a Crazy Rich Asian in her own right, but she’s also worked harder than ever to get where she is today. And her role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is just the beginning of Michelle’s journey to represent what she’s capable of.

1,200+ Iranian girls across hundreds of schools have been poisoned. As government investigations, still largely unknown, continue into who is responsible and what their motivations are, the death penalty has been promised–if the attacks are found to be deliberate. These girls reported symptoms consistent with toxic gas poisoning–like dizziness, headaches, heart palpitations, and difficulty moving. They also reported smelling rotten food, chlorine, or cleaning agents before fainting. While many people are pointing to fundamentalist groups targeting girls education, Iran’s government is blaming “foreign enemies” and their supreme leader is calling it an “unforgivable” crime. What is clear, Iranian girls are paying the price. Will the true perpetrators be found and held accountable? First arrests were announced on Tuesday.

‘Song for the Mute’ is an avant-garde clothing brand hailing from Sydney, Australia. They’re recognized as innovators by the Hypebeasts and tastemakers of the world, have graced fashion shows from Milan to Shanghai, and have die-hard fans tattoo the brand name on themselves. In the past year, ‘Song for the Mute’ have begun to leave their indelible mark on mainstream culture, including a collaboration with Adidas and having the likes of BTS’s Jungkook and Usher adorn their wild pieces. But Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty – founders of Song for the Mute – will tell you that the brand prioritizes sharing their own stories over inflated price tags and the exclusivity of the fashion world. That's why as they change, so do their collections.

Turkish authorities have arrested 184 building contractors and property owners, who were allegedly involved in shoddy construction methods. However, the government knew about these unsafe practices near the faultlines for years. Who's really responsible? Since the initial earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, there have been over 10,000 aftershocks and over 50,000 people have died. 1.5 million people are living in makeshift shelters and 160,000 buildings collapsed. But corrupt building practices and flawed urban development can’t be solely pinned on construction contractors when the government continues to focus on speed more than safety.

TW: gun violence & PTSD⚠️ When a 72-year-old Chinese man shot and killed 10 people on the eve of Lunar New Year in Monterey Park, after the years of Asian hate we’ve experienced, many were quick to assume it was a hate crime. Today, the Asian community is considering the tragedy as an alert to destigmatize mentalhealth and heal--especially for men. Many people, especially after Covid and the isolation it forced, are going through the hardest, loneliest times of their lives. The Monterey Park killer had indicated clear signs of paranoia, reporting to police twice in January that someone was trying to poison him. He was in emotional turmoil, had no support system, and owned a lot of guns. As PTSD riddles our communities, who have seen war, dictatorship, famine, genocide, and poverty, we are expected to be “good” because we are in America now. But without acknowledging our feelings, suppressing and internalizing will only lead to detrimental — and sometimes dangerous — outcomes. Not only do we face a communal and cultural issue with lack of vulnerability and sharing, our men are socialized to be angry and avoidant–not intimate or safe. Will we finally put down the “boys don’t cry” mindset and begin to heal?

Is the Asian community experiencing a mental health crisis? Issues like PTSD are on the rise in our diaspora for many reasons, including long standing racism and cultural shame seeking help. How have immigration and gentrification impacted our mental health? In the past year, five major killings have been by Asian men. This includes last week’s U-haul driver, Weng Sor, whose violent rampage left 1 dead and 8 others injured. Sor was 62-years-old, homeless, and estranged from his family. Experts point to the spur of Asian hate in the past few years, isolation and fear about being blamed for Covid, and the continued gentrification of places like Chinatown as factors to why these tragedies continue to occur. How will our governments address this–and more importantly, how will our communities handle it?