Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
Compiled by Mary Tablante
1.Report Reveals Government Spied on Muslim Americans
At least five Muslim American leaders, all of whom are American citizens, were subjected to government surveillance, according to the news website The Intercept. The leaders included an attorney, a former political science professor and the executive director of a Muslim civil rights organization. The FBI and National Security Agency obtained the leaders’ email addresses. All five denied being involved in espionage or terrorism. In response, the Department of Justice said that U.S. intelligence agencies do not conduct electronic surveillance on the basis of religion, ethnicity, race, gender or sexual orientation and only collect communications if there is “legitimate foreign intelligence or counterintelligence purpose.” Muslim Advocates and other civil rights groups urged Congress and the President to reform the NSA surveillance program.
2.Orange County Has Third-Largest Asian American Population
Orange County, Calif.–Orange County experienced a 41 percent increase in the Asian American population from 2000 to 2010 and now has the third-largest population, with nearly 600,000 Asian Americans in the county. Orange County is only behind Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties in Asian American population. The population in the county has nearly equal populations of Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese residents. The data comes from the newest “Community of Contrasts” study from Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles and the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, which also points out that despite the successes of the communities, more than 57,000 Asian Americans living in the county live under the poverty level.
3.Leadership Program Combats the Bamboo Ceiling
Stanford, Calif.—The Stanford Graduate School of Business offered a five-day leadership program exclusively for Asian American executives to train them for leadership roles. Because of the disparity between Asian Americans in the corporate workforce and those who are executives, the program offers management and negotiation skills for Asian Americans, reported NPR. The Stanford Graduate School’s website says this is the first program of its kind to address the gap in executive training for high-achieving Asian executives. The program will be held in July 2015 and tuition costs $12,000.
4.Interned Japanese American Given High School Diploma
Newport Beach,Calif.—89-year-old Don Miyada received his high school diploma from Newport Harbor High School 72 years after he was supposed to attend his graduation in 1942, reported The Huffington Post. Miyada was unable to attend the ceremony because he and his family were sent to an internment camp. Miyada is a retired professor who taught at the University of California-Irvine. He spent two years in internment, went on to serve in the Army and attend school at Michigan State University.
5. Jeremy Lin Traded to Lakers
LOS ANGELES—The Houston Rockets traded first Chinese American NBA player Jeremy Lin, 25, to the Los Angeles Lakers on July 13. Wall Street Journal writer Jeff Yang noted there could be an advantage to getting Lin in Los Angeles, which has 2.4 million Asian American viewers and could draw in their viewership. Lin averaged 12.5 points and 4.1 assists last season with the Rockets.
6.Fil-Am Appointed to Journalism School Post
Eugene, OR—Filipino American Andrew DeVigal, 45, was named the first Chair of Journalism Innovation and Civic Engagement at the University of Oregon. Emmy-award winning DeVigal is a multimedia journalist who worked for the New York Times and as a creative director of content strategy at Second Story, a media company that focuses on interactive storytelling. The chair’s responsibilities are to create new journalism models and inspire citizens to build stronger communities.
7.Antarctica Mountain Named After Indian American Scientist
The U.S. Geological Survey named a 900-meter tall mountain in Antarctica Mount Sinha to honor Akhouri Sinha, a scientist and professor. In the early 1970s, Sinha was part of a team that studied bird, seal and whale populations for a biological research expedition. Sinha is a research scientist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Centre in Minneapolis and a professor at the University of Minnesota.
8.Project Showcases AAPI LGBTQ Families
NEW YORK–The Asian Pride Project, a group devoted to shaping the public narrative of the AAPI LGBTQ community, organized a group photography show to capture the stories of LGBTQ individuals and their families. The exhibit, “Our Portraits, Our Families,” ran at the Museum of Chinese America in New York City from June to July. The Asian Pride Project also worked on a public service announcement that was broadcast on television that consisted of Asian American parents sharing their love for their LGBT children. The group’s website, asianprideproject.com, contains more photos and videos about family experiences.
9.Theater Company Stages Play in Yellowface
SEATTLE—The Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society performed “The Mikado,” a comic opera in which an all-white cast portrayed Japanese characters. The play involves the use of stereotypical Japanese costumes and character names such as “Yum Yum.” After an editorial in the Seattle Times criticized the theater company’s choice to stage the play, commenters debated the play by writing on the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s Facebook page, with some calling for a boycott of the play. The producer claimed that context is important to consider, as the play was written in the 19th century as satire and mocks Victorian British society.
10.Documentary Will Tell Story of Vietnamese Americans and the Nail Industry
In 1975, actress Tippi Hedren helped 20 Vietnamese refugees learn about nail technology. Now, Vietnamese Americans make up 45 percent of manicurists in the U.S. and about 80 percent in California. This topic is a subject of an upcoming documentary called “NailedIt,” which is raising money through a crowd funding campaign on the website Indiegogo. The film will explore social and environmental issues Vietnamese Americans face in the nail industry, including workers rights issues and discrimination. For more information, go to naileditdoc.com.
