Asia on Edge / Dream Dying / Ph.D. Expelled
Is America’s word still gold? As Trump pivots on Ukraine, U.S. allies in Asia are quietly questioning their security.
The Rebel Yellow #40:
Is America’s word still gold? As Trump pivots on Ukraine, U.S. allies in Asia are quietly questioning their security. Meanwhile, 1 in 6 Americans want out—citing high costs and fading dreams. And in Minnesota, a Chinese Ph.D. student fights back after an AI plagiarism accusation derails his future.
Plus: Yuki Nagasato retires, racism’s toll on health, and why a K-pop star is begging fans to shower.
U.S.’ East Asian allies on edge amid Trump’s abandonment of Ukraine to Russia
Asian allies are increasingly reassessing their security relationships with Washington as President Donald Trump’s dramatic policy shift toward Russia and Ukraine upends decades of U.S. foreign policy commitments.
State of play
The Trump administration’s rush toward peace talks with Russia over Ukraine — excluding Kyiv from initial discussions — has sent shockwaves through Asian capitals. While officials from Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan have publicly expressed confidence in U.S. commitments, private conversations reportedly tell a different story.
Some believe Asia remains strategically different from Europe because China poses a far greater threat than Russia, necessitating continued U.S. engagement. Meanwhile, others fear Trump has yet to fully turn his attention to Asia and bring about similar disruptions.
Amid concerns, the administration has taken steps to signal its prioritization of Asia. Shortly after being confirmed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other key officials reached out to Asian governments ahead of connecting with European allies. Trump has already hosted the prime ministers of Japan and India at the White House, suggesting some continued focus on the region.
Sleepless nights
With Beijing considering force as a route to reunification, Taiwan would arguably face the most immediate concerns should the U.S. decide to deprioritize Asia. One official reportedly said he “cannot sleep at night” as he worries about Washington’s commitment to the island’s defense.
Still, Taiwan projects confidence in public. Joseph Wu, head of the National Security Council, told a high-level security forum in Taipei that the Trump administration’s support “remains very strong,” highlighting that key White House national security positions are held by longtime Taiwan supporters.
However, pressure is already mounting. Elbridge Colby, Trump’s nominee for undersecretary of defense for policy, criticized Taiwan’s military spending in his Senate confirmation hearing last week, saying it “is not doing nearly enough” to defend itself.
Keeping quiet?
Unlike European leaders who have voiced criticism openly, Japanese and South Korean officials have largely kept their concerns private. They reportedly fear drawing unwanted attention from an administration known for unpredictable responses.
“They are both asking themselves if they too are about to be abandoned by Washington and ‘get the Ukraine treatment from [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping,’” Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo, told DW.
Japan’s approach reveals this caution. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru promised to boost Japanese direct investments in the U.S. from roughly $800 billion to $1 trillion. Last week, he stressed that he had “no intention of taking sides” in the Ukraine crisis, avoiding any stance that might antagonize the White House.
At the recent Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul affirmed that South Korea has “no doubts about the U.S. commitment to the ironclad and robust alliance,” citing strong bipartisan support in Washington despite Trump’s “transactional” approach to foreign relations.
What’s next
As uncertainty grows about U.S. commitments, Asian nations could consider alternative security arrangements. Last September, Japan’s Ishiba highlighted the significance of an “Asian NATO” as a means to deter Beijing’s military aggression in the region. However, the long-proposed idea has largely been met with skepticism, with critics pointing to differences in state interests as a primary reason for its unlikely establishment.
The shift in the U.S.’ approach to Russia has also raised questions about potential changes in its North Korea policy. Trump’s history with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — which includes three face-to-face meetings in 2018 and 2019 — adds to these concerns. Those meetings temporarily paused Pyongyang’s weapons testing but failed to move North Korea toward denuclearization.
The coming months will likely prove decisive for the Indo-Pacific security landscape. As Washington recalibrates its global priorities and China continues to assert regional dominance, Asian allies find themselves at a strategic crossroads — balancing longstanding security relationships with the U.S. against the need to develop more independent defense capabilities and regional partnerships.
Survey: 1 in 6 Americans want to leave the U.S.
One in six Americans would pack their bags and leave the country if given the chance, according to a new survey highlighting growing dissatisfaction with life in the U.S.
The Talker Research poll of 2,000 American adults, which was conducted from Feb. 7-10, found that 17% are considering moving abroad within the next five years. Five percent plan concrete steps toward relocation soon, while 2% have already started the process.
Canada makes top choice
Canada dominates as the preferred destination, with 19% of potential expatriates citing its healthcare system (41%), natural landscapes (28%) and work-life balance (21%) as key attractions. Italy placed second at 11%, followed by England (10%), Australia (10%) and Ireland (8%).
Millennials lead the potential exodus, with 25% considering international moves — significantly higher than other generations. Midwesterners (18%) showed slightly more interest than residents in other U.S. regions (16%).
For many, the interest is not sudden. The survey found 44% have long dreamed of living abroad, suggesting the desire reflects aspirational goals rather than merely escape plans.
American Dream no longer attainable?
The survey revealed deep concerns about American society and economic realities. Nearly seven in 10 respondents (69%) worry about the nation’s direction, while 65% describe American society as increasingly “toxic.” Economic factors also drive relocation interest, with 54% finding the U.S. unaffordable and 55% feeling wealth inequality limits their opportunities.
“Many professionals, especially younger generations, are questioning whether the traditional ‘American Dream’ is still attainable,” said Zapiy founder and CEO Max Shak. “Skyrocketing housing costs, student debt and healthcare expenses have made it harder for people to feel financially secure in the U.S.”
Clint Kreider, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Still Water Wellness Group, sees clients experiencing what he calls “invisible attrition,” or a sense that no matter how hard they work, systemic barriers — like steep healthcare costs and stagnant wages — “erode their ability to thrive.”
Demographic variations
Asian Americans represent an interesting case study in how different communities view international mobility. According to Pew Research Center data from October 2024, while 74% of Asian immigrants would choose America again given the chance, two-thirds express dissatisfaction with the country’s direction — echoing broader concerns in the Talker Research survey.
The Pew study found notable variations: Vietnamese immigrants show stronger U.S. attachment (83% would choose America again) than Indian immigrants (67%). Age creates another divide, with Asian Americans under 30 more likely to consider alternative countries.
Perhaps most tellingly, the data highlights declining faith in America’s promise of generational progress. A majority of U.S.-born Asian Americans (52%) believe their children will be worse off than they are — a perspective increasingly common across many American communities.
Potential impacts
If even a fraction of the 17% considering relocation follow through, the demographic impact could be substantial. Labor markets, housing demand and consumer spending patterns in the U.S. could be affected, while destination countries could see strengthened cultural and economic ties with Washington.
For a growing number of Americans, citizenship represents just one factor among many when deciding where to build a life. Whether the interest translates into actual migration remains uncertain, but the latest survey highlights a changing relationship with national identity that could reshape American society in the coming decades.
Was Chinese Ph.D. student Haishan Yang unfairly expelled by the University of Minnesota over a shaky AI plagiarism accusation? His lawsuit claims yes …
Haishan Yang, a third-year Ph.D. student in the health economics program at the University of Minnesota (UMN), has filed a lawsuit against the university alleging that he was wrongly accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat on an exam.
AI plagiarism allegations
Yang, a 33-year-old international student from China, pursued his studies at UMN after earning a doctorate in economics from Utah State University. In August 2024, he took an eight-hour online preliminary exam, a requirement for doctoral students to start their dissertation. While the exam allowed the use of notes, papers and textbooks, it explicitly prohibited the use of AI.
Weeks later, Yang received an email informing him that he had failed the exam. Four faculty graders expressed concerns that his answers were not written in his voice, included irrelevant details and used acronyms not commonly used in the field. Two instructors, Ezra Golberstein and Hannah Neprash, then used ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, to generate answers to the exam questions and compared them to Yang's responses. They presented their findings, including results from GPTZero, an AI detection software known for inconsistency, at a disciplinary hearing conducted by a student conduct review panel composed of several professors and graduate students from other departments.
“The first time I learned of the allegation was on August 29, 2024, when Professor Ezra Golberstein informed me via Zoom. The meeting lasted 5–10 minutes. I asked for details, but he refused to provide them,” Yang told The Rebel Yellow. “I was shocked because he used an unconventional method to determine my guilt — he generated multiple ChatGPT responses and selected the most similar version to compare to mine.”
Roxanne Krietzman, assistant director of student advocacy for the University’s Student Advocate Services, noted during the hearing that the question under suspicion represented only 6.6% of Yang’s total exam.
Legal claims and due process violations
In January, he filed a federal lawsuit against UMN and a defamation lawsuit against Professor Neprash, alleging altered evidence, lack of due process and discrimination based on his national origin.
“I don’t think there is any strong evidence,” he said. “Generating a ChatGPT answer to compare with mine is not a method I think is reliable. Many of the questions in the exam only have a certain way to answer, I really can't escape similarity unless I answer something totally irrelevant.”
His lawsuit also claims that the university violated its own policy by relying on AI detection tools. According to Yang's complaint, the UMN explicitly discourages the use of AI detectors due to their known biases against non-native English speakers. Yang argues that when he ran his own analysis using GPTZero, the AI probability score was only 42%.
He believes he was discriminated against based on his national origin, as a non-native English speaker. He is seeking $575,000 in damages in the federal lawsuit and $760,000 in the defamation case, in addition to reinstatement and a public apology.
Allegations of evidence manipulation
Yang has also filed a defamation complaint against Neprash, alleging that she manipulated evidence to strengthen the case against him. His legal filings claim that Neprash manipulated the ChatGPT-generated response by removing a summary paragraph, altering formatting (bold text and italics) and omitting headers to make it appear more similar to his own writing.
“Neprash's edited evidence is the most unfair part,” he said. “They accused me of using concepts not covered in class, but in reality, only three words — ‘PCO,’ ‘regular audit,’ and ‘patient satisfaction survey’ — were questioned out of my 35-page response. Notice that my exam prerequisite is nine courses. They only taught me one course.”
Support from a faculty mentor
The university had previously cut Yang's financial support, citing poor performance and disparaging behavior. Yang appealed the decision with the support of his advisor, Professor Bryan Dowd, who called the department's treatment of Yang "an embarrassment" in a letter. The university later apologized to Yang and agreed to restore his funding if he agreed not to sue.
Dowd, who has been on the university's faculty for 45 years, remains a staunch supporter of Yang, calling him "the best-read student" he had ever encountered. He also described the evidence against Yang as "inconclusive" and wrote to the panel, "In over four decades in our Division, I never have seen this level of animosity directed at a student. I have no explanation for that animosity." He argued that expulsion — effectively a deportation for Yang — was "an odd punishment for something that is as difficult to establish as a correspondence between ChatGPT and a student's answer."
University response and legal proceedings
While UMN has declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing federal and state data privacy laws, a university spokesperson stated that they followed their policies and procedures in handling the matter and that the actions taken were appropriate. The university maintains that its Student Conduct Code prohibits the unauthorized use of online learning support, including AI tools like ChatGPT.
Yang’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the university was denied due to procedural deficiencies. His appeal against the expulsion was also denied, and UMN is expected to respond to the lawsuit soon. The University of Minnesota is expected to file their response to the lawsuit soon.
Impact of expulsion and future outlook
Yang's federal complaint states that the expulsion terminated his student visa, forcing him to leave the country and explore academic opportunities elsewhere. Yang tells The Rebel Yellow that his expulsion has had a significant impact on his academic and personal life.
“Now I have to look for new jobs in another country,” he said. “The expulsion probably ends my dream in academia unless I am reinstated. The sudden expulsion and visa cancellation also made it hard to find a job.”
The outcome of Yang's lawsuit could have significant implications for how universities handle AI-related academic integrity issues in the future. Yang hopes that institutions will change their approach to such cases. “I think both the AI detector tool and the method generating ChatGPT answers and comparing them should be prohibited to be used against any students,” he said.
Soccer legend Yuki Nagasato retires after 24 years
Japanese football icon Yuki Nagasato, a World Cup champion and advocate for gender equality in the sport, announced their retirement via Instagram on March 3. Over a career spanning more than two decades, they became one of Japan’s most decorated players, playing a key role in the national team’s historic 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup victory and earning an Olympic silver medal the following year.
An inter-continental star: At the club level, Nagasato’s journey began with Nippon TV Beleza in Japan before they achieved European glory, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Germany’s Turbine Potsdam. They later had a brief stint with Chelsea before making their mark in leagues across Australia and Japan. Their impact was also deeply felt in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the U.S., where they spent eight seasons with the Chicago Red Stars, Racing Louisville and Houston Dash.
Breaking transgender barriers: In 2020, Nagasato made history by joining the senior men’s team Hayabusa Eleven, a groundbreaking move inspired by Megan Rapinoe’s advocacy for gender equality. “I wanted to show that women can also play on a men’s team,” they said. A year later, Nagasato publicly came out as a transgender man via a YouTube video, sharing their journey of self-discovery and identity.
Creating a lasting legacy: In their retirement statement, Nagasato reflected on their career: “For 30 years, ever since I first kicked a ball, football has been my life. The journey wasn’t always easy, but every moment had meaning. Retiring wasn't an easy decision, but I'm excited for what's next.” Although they are stepping away from professional play, Nagasato said they vow to continue pushing for progress in football and inspiring future generations.
Stress from racism linked to health risks among Asian sexual minority men
A recent study by researchers from Yale and New York University has found a significant link between racism-related stress and increased health risks among Asian sexual minority men, including higher rates of substance use and potential barriers to HIV prevention.
About the study
Published in Scientific Reports, the study analyzed data collected between 2017 and 2019 from 62 Asian American participants who self-identified as sexual minorities.
Researchers used the Asian American Racism-Related Stress Inventory (AARRSI) to measure the frequency and impact of racism-related experiences. Participants with higher AARRSI scores were significantly more likely to report increased use of alcohol, cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The mean AARRSI score among participants was 34.7 out of a possible 65, with 66.1% identifying race as a primary reason for experiencing discrimination. On average, participants reported 2.3 reasons for facing discrimination.
Despite high levels of awareness about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) — a critical medication for HIV prevention — only 6.5% of participants were currently using the treatment. While 75.8% were familiar with PrEP and 90.3% approved of its use, the low uptake suggests that societal stigma and the psychological toll of discrimination may act as significant barriers to preventive health care.
Intersectional vulnerabilities
The study adds to a growing body of evidence linking racism-related stress to adverse health outcomes, particularly among individuals with intersecting marginalized identities. Previous research has shown that sexual minorities experience higher rates of mental health issues and substance use, while Asian Americans have reported rising instances of racism — especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The researchers highlighted the unique vulnerabilities faced by Asian sexual minority men, calling for greater attention to these overlapping challenges. "Most Asian Americans in the United States reported discrimination against Asians as a major problem and that inadequate attention is given to racial inequities affecting Asians living in the US," the study noted.
The authors urged policymakers, healthcare providers and community organizations to adopt intersectional frameworks when addressing health disparities. They emphasized the importance of implementing targeted interventions to mitigate the health effects of racism-related stress and improve access to preventive care.
Arden Cho, Adeline Rudolph to lead upcoming K-pop psychological thriller
Korean American actress Arden Cho and Hong Kong-born actress Adeline Rudolph have been cast as leads in the upcoming psychological thriller “Perfect Girl.”
Set in the world of K-pop, the film, penned by Lynn Q. Yu, has been described as “Scream meets Black Swan” and follows a group of trainees competing for four coveted spots in a new supergroup. The hopefuls find themselves “hunted and attacked one by one” after a mysterious new trainee joins the competition. The film will feature an original soundtrack by K-pop hitmakers Sunshine and Moonshine, who have produced chart-toppers for groups like BTS, Aespa and Twice.
Cho rose to prominence on MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and recently starred in Netflix’s “Partner Track” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Rudolph, who is of Korean descent, is known for her debut performance in Netflix’s “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and will reprise her role as Kitana in New Line’s “Mortal Kombat 2,” slated for release on Oct. 24, 2025.
K-pop idol asks fans to take a shower
A video of NCT member Doyoung pleading for fans to take a shower has gone viral on social media.
The 29-year-old K-pop idol repeatedly made the request at NCT subgroup 127’s March 2 concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
“Take a shower, please,” Doyoung told the crowd. “Promise, take a shower, please.” He then turned his attention to fellow member Mark, saying, “Mark, take a shower, please.”
The moment has drawn attention to concert culture in K-pop, which often sees perspiring fans camp out around venues for hours — or even days — ahead of highly anticipated live events.
While the audience erupted in laughter, fans took to social media later to express their embarrassment over a K-pop idol having to “beg” them about personal hygiene. Others speculated that the idols may have smelled weed, which is legal to purchase in New Jersey.
“I wonder how bad the smell had to be for him to speak out oh my,” one Instagram user commented.
Beloved Jackie Chan Saturday morning cartoon returns to streaming (free): “Jackie Chan Adventures,” the animated series that introduced many to the Hong Kong action star, will begin streaming on Tubi starting March 25. Originally airing from 2000 to 2005, the show blends martial arts, Chinese mythology and humor across 95 episodes. Voiced by James Sie, a fictionalized Jackie Chan navigates globe-trotting missions to recover magical talismans, joined by his Uncle (Sab Shimono) and niece Jade (Stacie Chan). The series became a cult favorite for its action-packed storytelling and cultural references.