As an acknowledgment of Asian Hustle Network (AHN)’s contribution to the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community, the California State Senate has extended its appreciation for AHN’s extraordinary efforts in fostering innovation and unity. Since its founding in 2019, AHN has continued to support and uplift the API community.

This year was a rewarding and progressive year for AHN, with numerous events and projects in the pipeline to build and strengthen the community while inspiring the next generation of future API leaders. 

One of the highlights was having our executive director Tristan Paule, and the AHN organization honored with a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate and Assembly for successfully hosting the 2024 Bloom and Harvest Market in San Jose, CA. In partnership with SHOPLINE, Flora Haven, and Hot Boi Chili Oil, the event truly aligns with our vision, creating a vibrant marketplace for local AAPI vendors, entrepreneurs, creatives, and influencers. 

In addition, we want to extend our gratitude to those who have contributed to the event’s success:

Community Partners and Sponsors

@nestleusa, @yelpbayarea, @yelpsiliconvalley, @drinklunar, @banhmioven_ca, @andy_nguyen_photography, @lovemeknots_bridal, @varoundtable, @aodaifestival.sj, @vietsteps, @steph.eatsntravels, @amberkimv, @angelinahong_

Retail Vendors

@daesignstudio, @behabbi, @oyucosmetics, @shop_farols, @thebillyguan, @muzmak.official, @ajarofpickles_, @jhcandleco, @thehungryslothco

Prepackaged Goods

@chartruffles, @thepategirl, @thisisbabas.house, @bonjerksnacks, @nokkifarm, @drinklivingflora, @drinknarra, @hotboichilioil, @helladacbiet, @myjinka

Food & Drink

@nhathecafe, @_hetsay_

Beer Garden

@matchpointbrewing

As we look back on this incredible month, we are grateful for the support and excited for what’s coming. Thank you to the local legislation for believing in and enforcing our mission. 

After years of working at odd jobs, Yang has found his first lead role and left Yu knocked back in tears during his audition.

A Lemon. The $1,500 Toyota Corolla with no power windows, a busted side door, and poor brakes is what Jimmy O. Yang rode around Los Angeles to prepare for his role as Willis Wu, an overlooked Asian American everyman in the series “Interior Chinatown.” 

The result? “Pull over, call whoever got you in here. If you can’t, you gotta go…” A rude remark from the studio’s guard as Yang recalled in a Zoom with the Los Angeles Times (LA Times) even though he was No.1 on the call sheet. 

The experience reminded Yang of his life story as a Hong Kong immigrant moving to the United States. Yang stated in the interview, “Willis’ journey is such a metaphor for the Asian American experience because we are the model minority, but at the same time we are invisible. People talk about Black and white, but where do we fall? You’re just not seen for who you are.” In an article by SCMP, the actor-writer-comedian further exemplifies, “Willis laments feeling like a background actor in someone else’s story and longs to be in the spotlight, but that’s hard if you look like me.”

At the age of 13, Yang relocated to Los Angeles feeling the intense culture shock. “My goal was to just assimilate so I don’t get made fun of,” Yang recalled. In the school’s locker room, he was mocked for wearing whities instead of boxers. During 8th grade, his peers had mustaches and dunked basketballs while he barely hit puberty. Using a fake address, he enrolled in Beverly Hills High School and immersed himself in American pop culture. Unable to rap, Yang learned to incorporate his violin into the hip-hop beats he made through a software named Fruity Loops.

Despite his parents’ harsh opposition, Yang acknowledges, “I don’t think they were, like, anti-art by any means. My dad probably wishes he could have been an actor or a musician. It just truly wasn’t a real job for him. He wanted me to be financially stable, and not be homeless.” Yang started working at a string of odd jobs from selling used cars to DJing at strip clubs. Stand-up comedy, which Yang has now become notorious for besides acting, became his informal acting, writing, and directing school. 

Persistent in his passion, Yang landed small speaking roles in series like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” where he was misunderstood as a background actor for his ethnicity, and “Silicon Valley,” originally a one-off guest role or a one-note cliché. Yang’s fame finally came in Crazy Rich Asians. Yang claims, “If I botched an audition, I never blamed the fact that they weren’t looking for an Asian actor. It didn’t deter me. But looking back, we had very limited opportunities. Since ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ I think there’s more.” The success has made Yang’s father, Richard Ouyang, proud – even helping him with commercial and acting gigs with his son. 

The series “Interior Chinatown” became an immediate connection to Yang. According to the LA Times, Charles Yu, creator of the series which was adapted from his National Book Award-winning novel of the same name, was inspired by, “people who have these backstories, but they don’t get to tell those stories”. He was astonished by Yang’s performance as he felt a connection between Yang’s multicultural background, multilingualism, and his natural ability for acting. 

Despite the grueling six months of shooting, doing comedy, drama, and Kung Fu every week, Yang happily states, “It was very grueling. But of course, it’s a beautiful story worth telling.” At the end of the day, whether it is for better or worse, Yang’s days of being a sidekick are finally over.

Featured Image Source: Mike Taing from The Wrap

NewJeans is onto another journey of global stardom, this time, it is towards a quite interesting, new audience. Their song “ETA” has surprisingly witnessed a resurgence after 1 year of its release, which many humorously referred to as “NewJeans Renaissance.” It all happened when Vietnamese American streamer Jason “theween” Nguyen, ranked 15th globally and 10th in the U.S. on Twitch, celebrated reaching 100,000 subscribers by playing the track during his livestream, becoming the 2nd most-subscribed Twitch streamer.

The viral meme of him and his friends passionately screaming the song lyrics “What’s your ETA?” took the internet by storm. Thanks in part to Jason’s live stream and the song’s inherent quality, this track’s daily streaming exploded. From September 29 to October 2, the song reached 322,985, 424,271, 563,295, and 659,860 streams on Spotify. On October 1 and 2, “ETA” became the most streamed song by NewJeans, despite its 1-year release. 

However, besides the song as an upsetting observation of modern romance, Jason has challenged a stereotype long-fixated on K-pop listeners. K-pop, especially in Western countries, was a novel concept until recent years. Since the global expansion of K-pop, it has gained a significant amount of popularity. Just when it seems like the world is more open to a new musical force, stereotypes remain or even worsen. 

K-pop was usually linked to cute, dreamy imagery, which widely attracted teenage girls and was often seen as un-masculine. Many, especially men, did not have a positive outlook on the genre, believing that its image went against their ideals of masculinity and lifestyle. NewJeans’ songs, which exude youthful femininity and often above-board quirkiness, could easily fall into the ‘no’ lists of many men chasing after that idea. By publicly showing his admiration for the group, Jason Nguyen has proven that K-pop is an open space for all ages, genders, and sexual orientations. 

While singing and dancing along to the cheerleader-chanting tunes of “ETA,” Jason has created a fun and free atmosphere, creating a welcoming space for everyone, including the male-dominated gaming and streaming communities. His open appreciation for K-pop has helped introduce the genre to a broader audience, particularly within the streaming and gaming communities, encouraging more people to embrace the music free from societal labels.

Jason Nguyen, better known as JasonTheWeen, is a Vietnamese American YouTuber and Twitch streamer. He is known for his in-real-life streams and gaming content. Jason officially joined FaZe Clan in April 2024 as part of their reboot. 

NewJeans has never really left the K-pop scene, even though it’s been almost five months since their last single album, “How Sweet.” Since they first caught the world’s attention with hit after hit, their coming-of-age, iridescent music has shaped a distinctive persona in the industry. NewJeans arrived on the K-pop scene as a group of teenage girls next door navigating young love and friendships, while a transcendental ambiance hovers around them, instilling a touch of nostalgia yet mystique. This unexpected renaissance is just one more proof that NewJeans is here to stay.