JoySauce

16/01/2025

With Trump’s inauguration coming up fast, many are prepping for the changes that will come with his policies. Asian international workers are especially worried about the discussions regarding immigration and H-1B visas. This uncertainty is leading many to question their futures in this country.

Writer Xintian Tina Wang () talked to a few Asian international workers who have had to deal with the already complicated visa process. What can they expect in the next four years? Link in bio for the full read.

Photo illustration by Ryan Quan ()

18/12/2024

After 26 seasons of The Voice, we finally have our first ever Asian winner: Sofronio Vasquez III. It's crazy that it took so long for this to happen, especially considering how hard some of y'all can belt. But Vasquez beat the odds and won our hearts—as well as $100,000 and a new record deal.

Writer Michelle De Pacina gave us a rundown of the Filipino singer's journey to first place. He has a bright future ahead, so keep him on your radar!

The Filipino vocal powerhouse made history by winning season 26 of the reality singing competition. Here's a quick look at his journey.

13/12/2024

Y'all are already familiar with Alisa Xayalith, even if you don't know it. She was the frontwoman of The Naked And Famous for a decade, but she's pursuing her solo career now that the band is on hiatus. Being a solo artist has granted Xayalith the creative freedom to reclaim her narrative and explore her own vulnerability.

Writer Sanaphay Rattanavong talked to the artist about her Laotian heritage, her recent singles, and how her family feels about her music career:

The former frontwoman of The Naked and Famous explores vulnerability and resilience through this new chapter of her career.

13/12/2024

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kashyap “Kash” Patel to be the FBI director. The Indian American attorney is a loyal Trump ally and has been a staunch critic of the FBI for quite some time. The nomination has sparked significant debate over partisanship and national security.

What could Patel's potential appointment mean for the future of the FBI and our country as a whole? Writer Michelle De Pacina gave us a quick look at what we can expect should Trump's nomination go through.

Trump's nomination sparks debate over partisanship and national security. What can we expect if his appointment is approved?

11/12/2024

On April 18, 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco, obliterating nearly all of Chinatown. It also destroyed city hall and its vital paperwork, including documentation records. The disaster created an opportunity that allowed Chinese immigrants to enter the United States through the "paper sons" system.

These immigrants took charge of rebuilding Chinatown, turning the neighborhood into an essential economic and cultural asset. This resulted in more acceptance during a time when anti-Chinese prejudice was unfortunately the norm. Read writer Sanaphay Rattanavong's full lesson on the 1906 quake and how it affected Chinese immigrants:

An earthquake in 1906 created a loophole that allowed Chinese immigrants to enter the U.S. and turn the neighborhood into a cultural hub.

10/12/2024

Basketball history is often defined by iconic duos: Magic and Kareem, Stockton and Malone, Shaq and Kobe. The latest great NBA pair to hit the court is Yuki Kawamura and Zach Edey. They're currently the shortest and tallest players of the NBA respectively, and they both ball for the Memphis Grizzlies.

They recently recreated an iconic photo of Manute Bol and Muggsy Bogues that showcases the original duo's severe height difference. Although the difference between Kawamura and Edey isn't as extreme, it's nice to see Asian athletes on the court for once. Writer Quin Nelson gave us a quick overview of what we can expect from this odd pairing:

The tallest (Zach Edey) and shortest players (Yuki Kawamura) in the NBA both ball for the Memphis Grizzlies, and they're an iconic duo.

06/12/2024

What happens when four women in 1992 get together to sell adult toys and lingerie? That's the premise of "A Virtuous Business," a new Korean drama on Netflix, and we're obsessed. But as promiscuous as the show sounds, it's a lot more wholesome than you think.

The series delves into the ways that women raise and watch out for each other, as well as the importance of their autonomy. Writer Lisa Kwon gave us a look at the K-drama and how it forced her to think about her own support system.

The series follows a group of women selling s*x toys in a rural town, but it's more wholesome than you might think.

03/12/2024

Almost everyone with a TikTok account has seen Bach Buquen on their feed in the last few months. With 6.9 million followers, the 19-year-old content creator went viral for putting on makeup in public and showing people's reactions.

Buquen isn't the first—nor will he be the last—to show that men can wear makeup, but he's certainly the most popular right now. Being straight and white-passing, the TikToker (who revealed he's half-Vietnamese last month) can get away with more than most, which will hopefully lead to more widespread acceptance.

Writer Ray Liu looked at Buquen's viral fame to see how it might impact the future of the men's beauty scene. Will more men embrace self-expression through beauty and skin care products?

The 19-year-old TikToker quietly braves public gaze by normalizing makeup for men in the loudest way possible.

03/12/2024

Have y'all watched "Wicked" yet? The film has had a phenomenal first week in theaters, and (almost) everyone we know has absolutely loved it! We were lucky enough to catch director Jon M. Chu () to chat about making this magical film.

He spoke with writer Zachary Lee about how he ended up with such an incredible cast, expanding on our favorite musical number, "Defying Gravity," and how his restaurant background impacts his approach to moviemaking.

The "Wicked" director on telling fairy tales with a modern twist and expanding on our favorite musical number, "Defying Gravity."

02/12/2024

Cambodian food isn't as popular in the United States as other cuisines, but chef Nite Yun () aims to change that. She runs , the only Cambodian restaurant in San Francisco, and her story was recently showcased on 's "Chef’s Table: Noodles."

Yun talked with writer Samantha Pak about fermented fish paste, her journey so far, and her hopes and dreams for the future of Cambodian food. Watch episode four of "Chef's Table: Noodles" to learn more about the chef's heartwarming story.

The San Francisco-based chef was recently featured on Netflix’s "Chef’s Table: Noodles" and is on a mission to share Cambodian food with the world.

26/11/2024

"Moana 2" finally comes out tomorrow!! We loved the first one, so we have some high hopes for this sequel. The franchise brings some much-needed Pacific Islander representation to the big screen, but how does it hold up to the original?

Critic Siddhant Adlakha describes "Moana 2" as "a movie chock-full of great ideas, hampered by its messy production." The sequel was originally developed as a series before being reworked as a theatrical feature, which affected the final product. Regardless, it's still a fun watch with many memorable moments.

Critic Siddhant Adlakha shares his thoughts on the pan-Pacific-Islander adventure, which broadens its horizon, but The Rock gets in the way.

25/11/2024

Many Indian Americans have a close relationship with Taco Bell, but where did this connection come from? For many Indian families, the Mexican-inspired fast food chain was often a quick, easy, and vegetarian-friendly option. ⁠
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Writer Kahini Calcuttawalla explained the love affair that Indian Americans have with and the similarities between Indian and Mexican cuisine. The lore is deeper than you might think!
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Writer Kahini Calcuttawalla explains the love affair that Indian Americans have with the Mexican-inspired fast food chain.

19/11/2024

There's no doubt that the marketing for Jon M. Chu's "Wicked" has been absolutely killer. But how does the film compare to our expectations? Critic Siddhant Adlakha gave us his honest review.

To him, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande gave dazzling lead performances, but the film is depressing to look at, lacking vibrance, sensuality, and inspiration. Also, the two-hour 40-minute runtime is already longer than the Broadway musical, despite being only part one of two (and part two won't come out for another year). Find Siddhant's full review here:

Critic Siddhant Adlakha gives his full thoughts on Jon M. Chu's Broadway adaptation, which is excruciatingly long—and there's more to come.

12/11/2024

In 1932, Hazel Ying Lee became the first Asian American woman to earn her pilot’s license. But despite being more than qualified to fly for the U.S. military, women weren't allowed to join. She instead joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), a program founded by the U.S. Army Air Force that trained women to fly military aircraft to ferry planes to where they were needed.

Members of the WASP program weren't granted military status until 1977, decades after their contributions during World War II. Writer Samantha Pak gave us the full history lesson on Hazel Ying Lee's heroic life.

Writer Samantha Pak delves into how the Chinese American pilot helped pave the way for women in the U.S. military.

08/11/2024

Chef Edward Lee won our hearts on Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars." The veteran chef not only showed off his incredible cooking skills, he also showcased his authenticity, dedication, and humility.

He graced us with his time to chat about his experience on the show and how it has shaped his culinary journey. Read his full convo with writer Daniel Anderson:

Chef Edward Lee's journey on Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" became a delicious and tear-jerking story of identity and cultural heritage.

06/11/2024

With Donald Trump winning the 2024 election, many people are uncertain about the future. The election saw record turnout among Asian American voters, but it wasn't enough. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep fighting.

Writer Xintian Tina Wang talked to a few community leaders about their thoughts on the election. Now isn't the time to give up hope.

The community braces for a challenging future with Donald Trump winning the election, spotlighting the nation’s divisions on safety and equity.

05/11/2024

People have been debating whether or not there's a detectable Asian American accent. What do y'all think? Some say that we have an accent, but it's hard for them to pinpoint exactly what sets our speech apart from others.

Writer Teresa Tran did the research and even talked to a few linguists to see what they could add to the discussion. While there are common speaking patterns among Asian American communities, it may be a bit simplistic to say that we all have one accent.

TikTok users are claiming that Asian Americans have an accent. Writer Teresa Tran does the research to find out if it truly exists.

01/11/2024

Filipino American History Month may be over, but here at JoySauce, we celebrate Filipino culture year-round. If you wanna join in on the fun, you can start by visiting your local Filipino enclave. ⁠
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Writer Agnes Constante looked into a few of the Filipino districts across the country to see what they're doing to uplift their community members. Learn all about these vibrant, unapologetically Filipino neighborhoods:
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Writer Agnes Constante looks at Filipino cultural districts in the U.S.—how they formed, what they look like, and what their futures hold.