Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
Compiled by Mary Tablante
1. Asian American Voter Turnout Low
Asian Americans voted less than whites and blacks in midterm elections since 1998, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data released April 9. About three-in-ten Asian Americans cast ballots in this time span. The Asian American turnout in 2010 was 31 percent, while the turnout for blacks was 44 percent and whites 49 percent. The analysis noted that those who attained a higher level of education were more likely to vote.
2. NYPD Drops Program that Spied on Muslims
NEW YORK—On April 15, the New York Police Department dropped a secretive program that put plainclothes detectives into Muslim neighborhoods to observe where people interacted, ate meals and what mosques they attended. During the program, police labeled mosques as “terrorism enterprises,” although investigations never found that a mosque or Islamic organization was a terrorist enterprise, reported the New York Times. The squad, known as the Demographics Unit, was established in 2003. It is still unknown if the files from the program will be destroyed.
3. White House Initiative Travels to Guam to Address Needs of Pacific Islanders
Mangilao, Guam—The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) and Payu-ta Inc., co-hosted a regional conference in Guam on April 3 and 4 to address the unique needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living in the Pacific Islands. Topics discussed included economic and business development, health equity, education and housing. The conference was held at Guam Community College and those who attended included federal officials from a dozen agencies and Pacific Islander leaders. Officials had the opportunity to learn about the history, natural resources and the spirit of Pacific Islander people, executive director of WHIAAPI Kiran Ahuja wrote in a White House blog.
4. Virtual Project Encourages AAPIs to ‘Pin’ Their Histories
An online project from Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation allows organizations and individuals to post photos, video, text and more of AAPIs’ cultural and historic achievements. The project, called East at Main Street, raises awareness of special locations important to AAPIs of different ethnicities, religion, class, occupation and gender. Go to historypin.com/project/51-east-at-main-street to learn how to contribute.
5. Filipino Americans Appointed as Republican Party Advisers
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Vellie S. Dietrich-Hall, a Filipino American from Virginia, Steve Austria of Ohio, Eduardo Navarra of Michigan and Cecilia Cortez Ramos of California, were appointed to the Republican National Committee’s Asian American Advisory Council in March. The RNC created the council to strengthen the party’s ties with minority communities and expand engagement efforts, according to a GOP statement. Dietrich-Hall has been involved with the RNC since 2009 and Austria is a former U.S. representative. Navarra is the national chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations and Ramos is president of Historic Filipinotown.
6. Korean American Poet Wins Walt Whitman Award
LOS ANGELES—A 27-year-old Korean American poet won the Walt Whitman award, an award given to first-time writers, the Academy of American Poets announced April 9. Hannah Sanghee Park won for writing a book, “The Same-Different,” which will be released next year. For winning, Park will receive a $5,000 award, a month-long residency at Vermont Studio Center and promotion on poets.org, according to the Associated Press. Park is a student at the Writing for Screen & Television Division of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.
7. Agricultural Organization Apologizes for Mistreatment of Japanese Americans
Sacramento, Calif.—The California State Grange, an agricultural fraternal organization founded in 1873, wrote a letter to apologize for the mistreatment of Japanese Americans before and after World War II. The group sent the letter to the Japanese American Citizens League’s national president, David Lin. The California State Grange was a leader in the opposition to Japanese immigration and passed a resolution in 1907 stating that immigrants would not be permitted to own or buy land. Part of the letter reads, “I hope this is a small step toward preventing a recurrence of racism and toward promoting equality for all people.”
8. Hundreds Protest Vietnamese Friendship City Proposal
Irvine, Calif.—A proposal to make Irvine a “friendship city” with the city of Nha Trang in Vietnam drew hundreds of Vietnamese American protestors to Irvine’s City Hall on April 8. Some protestors said they opposed the proposal because many Vietnamese escaped communism after the Vietnam War for freedom in the U.S., and did not want to associate with communism. The proposal also involved two other cities in Pakistan and China. The City Council voted 3-2 to not give any of the cities friendship city status because Irvine’s multicultural affairs department did not vet the cities, reported the Orange County Register.
9. Filipino American Model Comes Out As Transgender During TED Talk
Model and activist Geena Rocero came out as transgender while giving a TED talk that was posted online March 31. She revealed that she was transgender to honor International Transgender Day of Visibility. She told the audience she moved from the Philippines to San Francisco at age 17 so she could change her gender marker and pursue her dream of being a model in the U.S. At 19 years old, Rocero had two surgical procedures in Thailand to become female. She founded the campaign Gender Proud (genderproud.com) to raise the visibility of transgender individuals and fight for their rights.
10. Composer Fred Ho Passes at 56
BROOKLYN—Composer, jazz saxophonist, writer and activist Fred Ho, who composed musical productions with elements of jazz and Afro-Asian culture, died April 12 at the age of 56 from complications of colorectal cancer. Ho, who was of Chinese descent, was inspired by the 1960s Black Arts movement and formed an Afro Asian Music Ensemble.
11. Joyce Chang Named Editor-in-Chief of SELF Magazine
Conde Nast announced April 3 that Cosmopolitan executive editor Joyce Chang would be Self Magazine’s new editor-in-chief, effective May 1. The announcement comes after the magazine has experienced a decrease in advertising sales and a controversy involving a photo the magazine used in a feature. Self received backlash for publishing a photo of a woman who is a cancer survivor running in a tutu while mocking runners who wear tutus during races. Before Cosmopolitan, Chang worked for the magazines Marie Claire, People StyleWatch and Lucky. Vogue’s Anna Wintour released a statement saying she was excited to see the new direction Chang will bring to Self.
12. Interpretative Dance Explores WWII Japanese Internment Experience
SEATTLE—Gabriella Kazuko Nomura, a danger and choreographer, collaborated with Seattle Kokon Taiko, a taiko drum performance group, to create an 18-minute dance to tell the story of the Japanese American experience during World War II. The dance piece involves the internment of Japanese Americans and Nomura, a fifth-generation Japanese American, used different ancestors for inspiration, reported The Rafu Shimpo. The dance was performed at Seattle’s Cherry Blossom Festival on April 27 and will also be performed at the Wing Luke Asian American Museum on June 7. For more information, visit relaydance.org.
