Crazy Rich Asians Returns
Also, Trump’s latest nomination is making waves, English is now officially the U.S. language (at least on paper), and an Ohio school district faces a lawsuit after a heartbreaking tragedy.
The Rebel Yellow – Issue #38
Happy Wednesday! We’ve got a packed issue today—Trump’s latest nomination is making waves, English is now officially the U.S. language (at least on paper), and an Ohio school district faces a lawsuit after a heartbreaking tragedy.
Meanwhile, Vietnam jails a journalist for Facebook posts, Crazy Rich Asians is coming back—this time as a TV series—and Bowen Yang isn’t here for your SNL conspiracy theories.
Let’s get into it.
Trump nominates Vietnamese refugee Hung Cao for the Navy’s No. 2 post
President Donald Trump has tapped retired Navy Captain Hung Cao, a Vietnamese refugee turned combat veteran, to serve as Undersecretary of the Navy — the second-highest civilian leadership position in the service.
“Hung is the embodiment of the American Dream,” Trump declared on Truth Social last Thursday, adding, “With Hung’s experience both in combat and in the Pentagon, he will get the job done.”
From refugee to decorated officer
Cao, 53, fled Vietnam as a child in 1975 and served 25 years in the Navy before retiring as a captain in 2021. Following 13 relocations during his naval career, he settled in Purcellville, Virginia, with his wife April and their five children.
The retired captain’s service record includes special operations as an explosive ordnance disposal and deep sea diving officer, combat deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, and Pentagon experience helping manage the Navy’s $140 billion budget.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Cao earned a Master's in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed fellowships at MIT and Harvard.
“Thank you, Mr. President,” Cao wrote on X following Trump’s announcement. “It’s time to get to work.”
Political views and confirmation hurdles
Following his retirement, Cao launched unsuccessful bids for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District in 2022 and against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in 2024.
During his Senate campaign, Cao took aim at the Navy’s diversity initiatives. In an October debate with Kaine, he argued: “When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want. What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are young men and women that are going to win wars.”
Cao has also denounced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs as a “far-left ideological agenda” — a stance aligned with the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle DEI programs throughout government agencies.
His nomination requires Senate approval, where he’ll face scrutiny from former rival Kaine, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Seapower subcommittee.
Lingering questions
If confirmed, Cao faces immediate challenges steering a Navy contending with Chinese expansion while managing an aging fleet plagued by shipbuilding delays and budget overruns.
Questions also linger about aspects of his service record. A USA Today investigation noted that while Cao repeatedly referenced becoming disabled after being “blown up” in combat during campaign appearances, his service record shows neither a Purple Heart nor Combat Action Ribbon — decorations typically awarded for combat injuries. His record, however, confirms a Bronze Star and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cao’s journey from Vietnam refugee to potential Navy leadership represents a remarkable chapter in an ongoing American story — one that would make him one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans in the Defense Department, should he secure confirmation.
Trump makes English the official U.S. language
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 1 designating English as the official language of the U.S., marking the first time in American history such a designation has been made.
Key points
The directive rescinds President Bill Clinton’s Executive Order 13166 in 2000, which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to people with limited English proficiency.
Trump’s order includes the following key provisions:
Making English the official language of the U.S.
Allowing federal agencies to decide whether to continue offering documents and services in languages other than English
Directing the Attorney General to rescind policy guidance documents issued under the Clinton order
The order also states that “establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society.”
Impact
Asian Americans may be significantly affected by the order. Nearly a third (30.8%) of the group have limited English proficiency (LEP), according to the latest available census data. More specifically, households whose members speak Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese have the highest shares of limited English-speaking households (33%, 32% and 31%, respectively).
The potential reduction in translated materials could create barriers to healthcare, voting and other essential services. As anti-Asian hate surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, language barrier was frequently cited as a reason for underreporting crimes.
Reactions
Diverse officials have denounced Trump’s order. In a joint statement, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus — chaired by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) — Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus described the directive as a “thinly veiled attempt to allow federal agencies to discriminate against immigrants,” expressing concerns about access to vital government services.
“I’ve fought against English-only initiatives my whole career in public service,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), who previously chaired CAPAC for 14 years, wrote in a separate X post. “Our country should be a welcoming place for everyone and if you pay taxes into our government, you should be able to obtain services our government funds no matter what language you speak.”
Several Asian American organizations also responded with public statements. Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) called it an “assault on the fundamental rights of millions of Americans with limited English proficiency,” while the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) said Asians will be “especially harmed” as the nation’s fastest growing racial group.
Historical context
While English has historically been the dominant language in the U.S., the nation has a long tradition of linguistic diversity. After the Constitution was drafted in 1787, translations were printed for Dutch speakers in New York and German speakers in Pennsylvania. In the 19th century, Midwestern states translated laws into Norwegian, German and Welsh. California’s 1849 Constitution even required laws to be published in both English and Spanish.
Today, more than 30 states have already designated English as their official language, including Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida and Tennessee.
What’s next
For now, the practical impacts may be modest. The order does not prohibit agencies from providing services in multiple languages, and agency heads maintain discretion over language offerings. Unlike some restrictive state-level English-only laws, the federal order does not mandate English-only operations.
However, some early signs may indicate stricter implementation ahead. The immediate removal of the Spanish-language version of the White House website following Trump’s inauguration — a repeat of actions taken during his first term — has reportedly raised concerns among advocacy groups.
Ohio school district sued after 11-year-old’s suicide over anti-Asian bullying
The parents of an 11-year-old boy in Akron, Ohio, are suing local school officials after their son died by suicide following alleged anti-Asian bullying that school administrators purportedly ignored.
Kumari Gurung and Hem Thulung filed the federal lawsuit last week against Akron Public Schools, the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame STEM Middle School and several employees after their son Abyesh took his own life in March 2024. The suit alleges wrongful death, civil rights violations, negligence and failure to report child abuse.
Sean Sweeney, an attorney representing the family, stated, “The family believes this was an avoidable tragedy if Akron Public Schools had just followed their bullying policies.”
From refugee to bullying victim
Born in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, Abyesh immigrated to the U.S. at age 2 and became a citizen in 2023. Despite language barriers, he excelled academically and made the honor roll at Findley Community Learning Center before transferring to the STEM middle school for fifth grade that same year.
According to the suit, Abyesh began his middle school journey with optimism that was “systematically and repeatedly destroyed” as classmates targeted him with ethnic slurs based on his Asian heritage and Nepali/Bhutanese origin. Court documents detail a troubling pattern:
Abyesh visited the school nurse 11 times during the 2023-24 school year — four visits for injuries from physical assaults and seven for stress-induced headaches and stomachaches.
School officials allegedly took no disciplinary action against the bullies despite multiple reports from both Abyesh and his mother.
Abyesh grabbed the collar of a classmate who directed an ethnic slur at him in February 2024. He received detention while officials allegedly did not inform his mother about the racial slur that provoked the incident.
When he reported harassment later, officials allegedly moved his seat next to one of his tormentors and made him complete a “Fifth Grade Better Choices” worksheet.
After reporting bullying and racial slurs once again on March 20, 2024, Abyesh was suspended for two days. According to the suit, he expressed suicidal thoughts after being informed of the suspension, crying out that he would “run away and hurt himself” — warnings that school staff allegedly never shared with his parents. He took his life the following day, March 21.
Aftermath and legal claims
The harassment reportedly continued even after Abyesh’s death, with classmates allegedly posting celebratory messages on social media, including “LMAOOOO IDK HIS NAME BUT HE A 5TH GRADER [laughing emoji]” and “Aybesh (his fatass wannabe gangster).” The lawsuit characterizes these posts as “emblematic of the hatred he endured” with the school’s knowledge.
The legal filing also accuses the district of destroying surveillance video of interactions leading to Abyesh’s suspension despite being notified that litigation was likely. Nearly a year after his death, his family still has not received his complete educational records.
The suit contends both Ohio law and district policies were violated. State law requires schools to inform parents about bullying incidents, while Akron Public Schools’ policy mandates that each staff member is “required to report any situation that they believe to be aggressive behavior towards a student.” Additionally, the district’s Code of Student Behavior prohibits racial harassment and bullying, with violations carrying mandatory out-of-school suspension and recommendation for expulsion for perpetrators.
“Not a single APS staff member reported his bullying as the policy required,” the suit states, adding that proper intervention “would have put a stop to the bullying and prevented Abyesh’s wrongful death.”
The big picture
Abyesh’s experience mirrors disturbing patterns documented in research on bullying in Asian American communities. A 2021 survey by Act To Change, Admerasia and NextShark found that:
80% of Asian Americans have experienced bullying, either in-person or online
70% of Asian American youth witnessed increased cyberbullying during COVID-19
Only 38% of Asian American youth report bullying to adults, compared to 63% of their non-Asian peers
Only half of adults take action when informed about bullying
Abyesh’s case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge John Adams. Akron Public Schools and the teachers union have reportedly declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Christopher Nolan, another attorney representing the family, emphasized the preventable nature of the tragedy. “We feel that obviously this was a tragedy, but it’s something that could have been avoided if the school administrators would have followed their own rules,” Nolan said.
A GoFundMe page organized by Abyesh’s uncle, Babu Gurung, remains live.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicide or mental health, call or text 988 (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) 24/7.
Vietnamese journalist gets 2 years in prison for Facebook posts
A court in Hanoi has sentenced former journalist Truong Huy San, 63, to 30 months in prison after finding him guilty of “abusing democratic freedoms” for posts on social media.
About the case
San, better known by his pen name Huy Duc, was found guilty of posting 13 articles on Facebook that allegedly caused “negative impacts on security, order and social safety,” according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency. One post declared, “A COUNTRY CANNOT DEVELOP BASED ON FEAR.”
San’s Facebook page had around 370,000 followers by the time of his arrest in June 2024. While he told authorities he did not intend to oppose the Communist Party, he admitted some content infringed upon state interests, “for which he said he was ‘very sorry.’”
Career and significance
San began as a military journalist after serving in the Vietnamese army during the border war with China that began in 1979. He later worked for influential state-run newspapers before becoming an independent commentator.
He is perhaps most known for authoring “The Winning Side,” a significant book about post-war Vietnam that scholar Peter Zinoman described in 2018 as “the best account available in any language of the history and significance of Renovation.” The book is officially banned in Vietnam.
Shortly before his arrest in June, San had criticized Vietnam’s new leader To Lam and his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong online, though it’s unclear whether those specific posts led to charges.
International response
Several international organizations condemned the conviction. Shawn Crispin, the senior Southeast Asia representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told the New York Times that San “was convicted and sentenced for gathering and publishing independent news, which Vietnam treats as a criminal offense.”
PEN America described his conviction as “a stark reminder that Vietnam fears the power of words.” Last year, Reporters Without Borders said his articles were “an invaluable source of information enabling the Vietnamese public to access censored information by the Hanoi regime.”
The big picture
Vietnam ranks as the seventh worst jailer of journalists worldwide according to the CPJ, with at least 16 reporters currently in custody.
San’s conviction follows recent cases including blogger Duong Van Thai, who was jailed for 12 years on charges of publishing anti-state information, and Hanoi lawyer Tran Dinh Trien, who was imprisoned for three years for Facebook posts.
In December 2024, Vietnam enacted new online rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities, part of what appears to be an escalating crackdown on political expression.
Jon M. Chu confirms “Crazy Rich Asians’” TV adaptation
Filmmaker Jon M. Chu is set to return to the world of “Crazy Rich Asians,” this time on the small screen. Chu, who helmed the groundbreaking 2018 film, recently confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that a television adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novels is in development at Max.
Expanding the universe: While casting details remain under wraps, Chu promises to expand the stories of beloved characters like Gemma Chan’s Astrid and Awkwafina’s Peik Lin. “Every character we wanted to explore needed more room, and just a movie wasn't doing it for us,” Chu said. The project also marks a reunion between Lim and Kwan, who will serve as an executive producer alongside Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.
Long-awaited return: Since “Crazy Rich Asians” grossed $240 million worldwide in 2018, fans have eagerly anticipated a follow-up. Warner Bros. quickly announced a sequel based on “China Rich Girlfriend,” the second book in Kevin Kwan’s trilogy, but the project has been stalled by years of delays. “Crazy Rich Asians” co-writer Adele Lim, who exited the sequel's development in 2019 over a pay disparity controversy, is now returning as co-writer and newly appointed showrunner for the upcoming series. Lim believes the franchise pushes boundaries in an industry where Asian representation remains an uphill battle. "I love what it did for Asian Americans," she told THR in 2023. "Whether or not I'm writing it or at the helm of it, I want it to do well."
Bowen Yang shuts down accusation he got Shane Gillis fired from “SNL”
Bowen Yang has publicly refuted a baseless claim that he played a role in Shane Gillis' firing from “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in 2019. The allegation, made by background actor Michelle Best, surfaced in a comment under an Instagram post promoting Gillis' March 1 return as the show’s host.
“I wrote your sketch”
Best, who appeared as an extra in a 2019 SNL sketch titled “Fashion Coward,” referred to Yang as a "whiny queen" and accused him of getting Gillis fired by “bitching him off the show.” Yang swiftly responded, writing, "Didn’t do any of this but I wrote the sketch you were a background actor in."
“Judgy two face”
Several Instagram users defended Yang against Best's accusations, with one user commenting: "Bowen didn't do anything to get him fired and they are still friends. So don't delulu over some fake drama." Best doubled down, saying, "Immediately was called out for anti-gay, anti-Asian comments… hmmmmmm. I smelled a rat. He gets cast that way to boot — his role in ‘Wicked’ — the judgy two face — yeah."
Controversy timeline
2018: Gillis makes offensive remarks on his podcast, “Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast,” including racial slurs against people of Asian descent and homophobic comments. One instance includes him saying, “Chinatown's fucking nuts. Let the fucking chinks live there.”
September 12, 2019: SNL announces Gillis as a new cast member alongside Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman. Shortly after, videos of Gillis' offensive remarks surface online, sparking outrage and calls for his dismissal. Gillis issues a statement apologizing to anyone "actually offended" but defends his boundary-pushing comedy.
September 16, 2019: SNL fires Gillis before his first episode airs. The show cites the offensive nature of his remarks and the failure of their vetting process. Gillis responds by expressing disappointment but gratitude for the opportunity, joking that he was always a “Mad TV” guy anyway.
September 2024: In a New Yorker profile, Yang reflects on feeling "incidental to this big national story about cancel culture." He shares that he apologized to Gillis during a phone call before his firing and recalls SNL creator Lorne Michaels telling him, "I don’t need you to be the poster child for racial harmony."
February 24, 2024: Gillis returns to SNL as a host, nearly five years after his firing. He jokes about his firing in his monologue, advising viewers not to Google his past.
March 1, 2025: Gillis hosts SNL for the second time, including a joke in his monologue that compares liberalism to the Sith from “Star Wars.”
Della Chen, Seattle filmmaker behind “She Marches in Chinatown,” killed in car crash
Seattle filmmaker and photographer Della Chen, known for her compassionate storytelling and dedication to uplifting the Asian American community, was killed on Feb. 23 in a car crash involving a suspected impaired driver. The 53-year-old artist had just returned from New York City, where she attended a screening of her debut documentary “She Marches in Chinatown,” when the vehicle she was in with her husband and daughter was struck on State Route 509. While her husband and daughter survived without injury, Chen succumbed to her injuries at Harborview Medical Center. The driver responsible is currently under investigation for vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and eluding law enforcement.
Championing representation through film
“She Marches in Chinatown” spotlighted the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team — a groundbreaking, 70-year-old organization founded by activist Ruby Chow to create extracurricular opportunities for Asian American girls. The film, which has been shown at educational screenings across the country, explores the team's legacy and its role in empowering generations of young women. The documentary was born out of Chen’s personal connection to the drill team, a group she long admired but never joined. "I want this film to make an impact on this generation, to take better care of our blending cultures and community," she wrote in her director’s statement.
A legacy of compassion and community
Beyond her filmmaking, Chen built a decades-long career photographing families, weddings and editorial assignments that centered human connection. She also taught photography to children with cancer through the Pablove Shutterbugs program. Former Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo, who was once part of the drill team, described Chen as someone who captured the heart of the community with care. "What she's done for our community and telling our story is so meaningful to so many of us," Woo told KING 5.
Tuyet Le, tireless advocate for Asian American communities, dies at 53
Tuyet Le, a revered advocate and activist who dedicated her life to amplifying Asian American voices, died on Feb. 8 at the age of 53 after a battle with lung cancer. As the longtime executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago (AAJC), Le's commitment to political empowerment and immigrant rights transformed the landscape of Asian American advocacy in Illinois.
Building political power
Le led AAJC from 1999 to 2018, steering the organization’s evolution from the Asian American Institute into a formidable force in local and state politics. Under her leadership, the organization helped form the Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition and organized the first-ever Asian American Caucus of state legislators.
Le is revered for fighting to strengthen Chicago's sanctuary city protections and championed the state’s TRUST Act, which curbed local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. She also played a pivotal role in establishing the annual Asian American Action Day at the Illinois state capitol, empowering diverse communities to advocate for their collective interests.
Life of courage
Le’s personal journey as a Vietnamese refugee and polio survivor shaped her empathy for marginalized communities. "Folks probably don’t know that she is the reason there is a progressive Asian American political movement in Illinois," said Nebula Li, one of Le’s proteges.
She is survived by her siblings Van Anh M. Le, Thu Anh Le-Schlecht, Huy Q. Le and Tan H. Le, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family members. She received a green cremation, honoring her wishes, as fresh snow fell softly over Chicago during her final resting ceremony.