Top Three “Happiest” US Cities are Asian American

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Jeff

We have blogged how WalletHub rated the city of Fremont as the “happiest” in the United States. In a recent update to their rankings, WalletHub’s top three “happiest” US Cities are Asian American:  Fremont, San Jose, and Irvine. What do these cities have in common other than being in California?  All three are Asian Ethnoburbs with either an Asian American majority or plurality.

I can easily see Fremont at the top. It is a well-to-do city with plenty of parks. Irvine was not unexpected either. It is a university town with a well-off Asian American population. San Jose (where I live) was the real surprise to me. The city has a wide disparity in incomes among residents  and a major homelessness problem. I don’t see it being that happy.

I mentioned these rankings to The Daughter, and she asked me what were WalletHub’s criteria.  When I said that low divorce rates were a major factor for all three cities, she pointed out that low divorce rates do not necessarily reflect happiness.  Many Asian families have a taboo against divorce.  We know married couples who are desperately unhappy in their marriages but refuse to get divorced. You can see this also in the Didi movie, which is based in Fremont.

Another factor that WalletHub uses is the percentage of households making more than $75K.  All three of the the top cities have a high cost of living. $75K doesn’t go very far in these cities compared to other parts of the US, so it might not be such a great metric for happiness without some kind of indexing.

It will be interesting to see what WalletHub’s next update will show, especially to see if tariffs and anti-Chinese sentiment takes a toll. Meanwhile, I will try to be happy living in one of the US’s “happiest” cities.

 

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Lucy Guo is the World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Jeff

 

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In 2024, Taylor Swift became a billionaire at 34, but now Lucy Guo is the World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire. Creator of one of the first Twitter Bots, and a Thiel Fellow, Guo made her fortune as a co-founder of Scale AI.  Even after leaving the company in a dispute with her co-founder, she kept her equity stake, which is now estimated to be worth $1.25 billion.

I had not heard of Lucy Guo, so I asked Number Two Son and his girlfriend if they had.  Being far closer to her age than myself, they said that they did know of her.  They also  mentioned that some of her latest ventures generated controversy.  Guo founded Passes, a competitor to OnlyFans and Patreon that provides ways for creators to monetize their fans. Passes has been sued alleging that it hosted child sexual assault material. The company says that it has banned underage content creators and purged their content. She has also gathered a reputation as a Miami Party girl and fitness fanatic. Personally, I think it is great that she isn’t one dimensional!

Scale AI is  considering a tender offer to leverage the current interest in AI.

(photo credit:  Tracy Olson licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 2.0 license)

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Asian Americans are increasingly perceived negatively by other Americans

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Jeff

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) has released its fifth annual Social Tracking of the Status of Asian Americans in the United States (STAATUS) report. Asian Americans are increasingly perceived negatively by other Americans. Some key findings:

  • 1 out of 4 Americans thinking that Chinese Americans are a threat to the US
  • 40% of Americans think that Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin that to the US
  • Nearly 80% of Americans support solutions to uplift Asian American communities

A few years ago, this report made news by finding that 42% of polled Americans could not name one famous Asian American.  Five years later, the number is still the same. 54% could not name a famous Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

The STAATUS report polled 4909 respondents across the United States. In reading the report, my take is that the atmosphere for Asian Americans is generally getting worse.  In addition to the fact that Asian Americans are increasingly perceived negatively by other Americans, Asian Americans polled in the study are feeling increasingly unsafe in at least part of their everyday space. Then again, given the current political climate, that is not surprising.  There is a lot more in the STAATUS report, and you can read the whole report here.

(photo credit:  TAAF)

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Asian American Frozen Foods: On the Street Foods’ Beef Bulgogi

Posted on May 3, 2025 by John

On the Street Foods Beef Bulgogi at Costco

On the Street Foods Beef Bulgogi is another Korean dish that I found at my local Silicon Valley Costco. I don’t know if Costco still has its own prepared fresh bulgogi, but I do like refrigerated or frozen foods. I hate it when fresh food spoils when I don’t have time to cook it.

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San Francisco International Film Festival Premiere of ‘Isle Child’: Review and post-screening Q&A

Posted on April 30, 2025 by John

Last year at the San Francisco International Film Festival, I got to see on opening night Sean Wang’s feature length directorial debut of Didi , which premiered at Sundance earlier in 2024. At this year’s 2025 festival, I got to see the world premiere of Isle Child, the feature length directorial debut of 24 or 25 year-old director Thomas Percy Kim.  A synopsis of Isle Child:

“Si Miller (Ethan Hwang, Riceboy Sleeps) leads an idyllic life as a teenager in Concord, Massachusetts, reveling in the camaraderie of his baseball teammates and blessed with the unyielding support of his loving parents (Samantha Mathis, Sam Robards). His self-assured personality comes crashing down when he receives a phone call from an adoption agency, informing him of his South Korean birth mother’s illness. The news complicates Si’s perfectly constructed self-image, thrusting him into a complex space between his Korean heritage and his American identity. In his absorbing feature debut, Thomas Percy Kim perceptively and compassionately examines the challenging feelings of otherness that manifest from Si’s precarious circumstances, along with the universal desire to belong. Gorgeous cinematography captures Hwang’s stunning performance and paints a breathtakingly beautiful portrait of Si’s search for his place in the world.”

The concept was initially in a short film,Si, that he directed a few years ago that was up for an Oscar and picked up by HBO Max.

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Asian American Frozen Foods: Pulmuone’s Beef Japchae

Posted on April 28, 2025 by John

I was at my local Costco in Silicon Valley the other day and came across this offering, Pulmuone’s Club Beef Japchae:

“Once considered a royal dish, Japchae is a flavorful noodle stir-fry and one of Korea’s most-loved dishes that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main dish. Pulmuone’s Beef Japchae is made with perfectly tender USDA choice steak, sweet potato glass noodles, colorful veggies, and lightly tossed in a savory sauce with a touch of sesame oil. Convenient & perfect for the whole family! Available at Costco.”

I’m a big fan of Korean food and do like a good Japchae, so I wondered how a frozen home made version would taste. I liked the fact that these came in two packages, but I assumed you could prepare them as separate servings, but that was not the case.

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Scientists Study World Record Setting 77 year-old Runner Jeannie Rice

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Jeff

77-year-old runner Jeannie Rice has broken every women’s distance world record for the 75-79 age group. Most runners slow down significantly after 70, but she has not.  So when British scientists heard that she was running in the London Marathon last year, they asked her if she would be willing to be studied to help understand how humans can stay fit regardless of age. Their tests hinted at ways that people can defy “conventional” aging processes, as well as the extraordinary conditioning of this grandmother and retired real estate agent.

It might not be easy for non-runners to understand how incredibly fit Rice is.  Her half marathon record time for 75-79 year-olds is 1 hour and 40 minutes (a 7:38 per mile pace).  As a point of comparison, Number Two Son’s best half marathon time is also 1:40, set when he was 25. A measure of cardio fitness that runners and cyclists often use is VO2 MAX. At the age of 76, Rice’s VO2 MAX was measured at 47.8, the highest every recorded for a woman aged 75 years or older.  This is better than the typical 20-29 year old male! The best VO2 MAX I ever achieved is a 46 during the first year of the pandemic, and that was after a difficult training regiment.

What lessons can we draw from Rice?  While genetics undoubtably pay a major role in her story, a key lesson is to just keep moving. It is never too late to start.  She started running at the age of 35, with Korean dance as her only organized physical activity before that. In addition to running, she works in weight training sessions for upper body strength. She avoids fried foods and sweets and eats a lot of fish and vegetables and nuts.  You might not think it with the amount of her training, but she is also very social. Healthy and active social connections are associated with healthier aging.

I would also add that she one advantage she has is that she isn’t very heavy.  She weighs about 100 pounds at just under 5’1”. Remarkably, she has never had an overuse injury, with her only injury keeping her from her 50 miles a week baseline training was stepping awkwardly on a rock.  Being light helps. I had various knee problems from running and solved those by losing weight. Sometimes people think that they will run to lose weight, but I would argue that it is not a good way to lose weight, and that you should do the reverse – to enjoy running with fewer injuries, you should get to a reasonable weight before starting.

When I did road races with my sons when they were younger, they would love to point out when someone in their eighties finished ahead of me. Jeannie Rice’s story makes me want to be that guy! You can read the recently published paper about her here.

 

 

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US Chinatowns Feeling the Effects of Tariffs

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Jeff

US Chinatowns from Honolulu and San Francisco to Las Vegas and New York are feeling the effects of the Trump Administration’s tariffs. Many business in these Chinatowns have low margins and price-sensitive customers, and cost increases have a tremendous impact.  Says Karen Liu of Manhattan Chinatown’s Grand Tea and Imports:

“Almost Every business in Chinatown is an import business in someway. These tariffs threaten our ability to restock, and for many of our neighboring business owners, their ability to stay open.”

Some businesses and consumers have tried to respond by stocking up on goods before more tariffs hit, but that will not be a sustainable strategy if tariffs remain in place for some time.

How are suburban Asian ethnoburbs faring? The big Asian American grocery chains like Ranch 99 and H-Mart have in the past passed on most of the increased expenses to shoppers. These chains, while larger and possessing more buying clout than independent stores in Chinatowns, do not have the buying leverage of the biggest Asian American retailer in Asian American ethnoburbs: Costco. Costco says that it will do its best to hold prices steady despite tariffs.

(Photo Credit: Antoine Taveneaux licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.)

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Netflix Japan’s “First Love”

Posted on April 19, 2025 by tinabot

Utada Hikaru’s “First Love” was a big hit, but it was more popular within Japan itself than anywhere else in the world. It’s a testament to its indelible place in modern Japanese consciousness that an entire Netflix produced drama would be created inspired by this one song, making it its namesake.  

Starring J-drama veterans Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Satoh with new generation actors Rikako Yahi and Taisei Kido as their characters’ younger self counterparts, the story follows two high school sweethearts and their tumultuous lives in the tides of fate.

The merits of the show are many. The cinematography is a lovely balance of natural camera work while maintaining a professional stabilization base. The colors are cool and warm where needed, capturing the natural beauty of northern Japan’s Hokkaido setting while giving the life of the characters room to breathe. Actor performances were on point, their interactions heartfelt and convincing in building the texture of their lives. Spanning decades, the representation of the different periods of Japan society and history provides a realistic sense of time travel. Being inspired by the song “First Love”, the plot appropriately revolves around music, while the soundtrack is well matched with the lingering bittersweetness of young love on pause. 

The main weak point is the macro plot structure. Though the strands of the characters stories are intricately woven together, the big dramatic events that drive the story forward are too contrived. Perhaps there was no other option, and this may be a target-audience problem. Likely the average drama fan would not at all blink an eye at the use of cliched plot devices–after all, it is a drama, and what’s a drama if not dramatic? What bothered me about this show likely would not bother most viewers, so recommended for those who love a good love story with plenty of believable angst. 

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Kaitlyn Chen Drafted by the Golden State Valkyries of the WNBA

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Jeff

Kaitlyn Chen was selected on Monday April 14th by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA draft. She was drafted in the 3rd round and 30th overall.  We mentioned previously that she did not declare for the draft, but since her NCAA eligibility to play  expired this year, she did not have to declare.

The Golden State Valkyries are notable this year for a couple for reasons.  They are an expansion team in the WNBA and will play their first game this year.  The Valkyries’ head coach is Asian American Natalie Nakase, who has played professional basketball and been an assistant coach in the NBA as well as the WNBA. Nakase was also the first woman to sit as an assistant on an NBA bench. The Valkyries are owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber, who also own the Golden State Warriors.

Given that in less than a week and a half, Chen has won an NCAA championship and then been drafted as a pro.  A pretty good 9 days for Kaitlyn Chen!

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Former Navy SEAL and Doctor Jonny Kim Finally Making First Trip To Space

Posted on April 14, 2025 by John

2017 NASA Astronaut Candidate – Jonny Kim. Photo Date: June 6, 2017. Location: Ellington Field – Hangar 276, Tarmac. Photographer: Robert Markowitz

Back in January of 2020, I had blogged about the incredible Jonny Kim, who was selected by NASA to become an astronaut. Well, a few days ago of this writing, Kim finally made it into space and talks about it here:

“NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is making his first trip to space. It’s the latest accomplishment for the former Navy SEAL and Harvard-trained doctor. Mark Strassmann sat down with Kim before his launch and traces his remarkable journey to the stars.”

If you want to learn more about Kim, he did an over *four hour* interview on the Jocko Podcast back in March 2020. I hope Kim has aspirations to run for public office one day. He’s an incredibly inspiring role model.

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Netflix’s House of Ninjas

Posted on April 12, 2025 by tinabot

(Netflix)

Haru Tawara (Kento Kaku) refills vendings machines for a living and lives in a run-down old Japanese home compound with his motley family. Despite his father Soichi’s (Yosuke Eguchi) claims that they are a normal Japanese family, all evidence suggests otherwise. His sister Nagi (Aju Makita) steals and returns museum artifacts for fun. His mother Yoko (Tae Kimura) shoplifts for thrills. His grandmother Taki (Nobuko Miyamoto) delights in confusing their youngest Riku (Tenta Banka) with her inexplicable antics. It’s painfully obvious to the audience that they are a ninja family hiding their abilities from the world while poor little Riku, the only uninitiated one, wonders why the dimensions of their house don’t add up to the living space inside.

The series embarks upon revealing the reasons behind their comically suppressed ninja skills and the world that wants to exploit them. They soon find that their ninja calling simply cannot be avoided as old ghosts come back to haunt them.

Anyone who loves ninjas and ninja lore will get a kick out of this whole show. While Japanese dramas are mostly made targeting Japanese viewers, being Netflixed produced in Japan probably resulted in this particular series having many of the story structure and elements that are common in Japanese media packaged in a foreign friendly style, so generally it is broadly consumable and also widely available to anyone with a Netflix account, regardless of region.

In my humble opinion, the star of the show is really Grandma Taki who clearly was a talented and unapologetic assassin in her day while still retaining most of her murderous skills and her equally venomous crony with whom she can still carry out full conversations without uttering a sound. Though there’s no news of a second season in sight, I’d love to see a prequel starring the adventures of Grandma Taki dominating the world in her prime.

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