Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) Leadership Workshop AAPI across the Federal Government Enjoy Summer Fun at the FAPAC Picnic Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) President, Dr. Kin Wong, welcomed members and guests at the annual picnic at Wheaton Regional Park, Wheaton, MD on a beautiful morning on July 12. The group with over 500 members was founded in …

By Corih Kim On July 20, 2014 the La Salle University Philippines Alumni Association (LSPAA) and the Philippine American Foundation for Charities invited the first Filipino astronaut, 23-year old Chino Roque, to Washington DC to receive commendations for his achievements. In 2013, AXE-Apollo Space Academy (AASA) and Buzz Aldrin (Chairman of AASA) began a competition to send people on a free …

By Aurora de Peralta WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 21, 2014, the International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR) hosted a Global March Against Caste-Based Discrimination to raise awareness of the issues faced by Dalits and other victims of the caste system. ICDR is a Dalit-founded and run international nonprofit dedicated to promoting social justice in caste-affected countries. The organization planned …

The aroma of xiao long bao (steamed buns stuffed with minced pork), Chinese roast duck wafts from the open kitchen. The lighting is muted and reflects off of the red and gold decor and you can hear the sounds of table games from across the way. Dining at Maryland Live!’s newest Asian themed restaurant, Luk Fu, is truly an upscale …

By Jenny Chen Justin Tran is just a rising junior but he’s already making waves in the Richmond art community Justin Tran is obsessed with lines. He can tell you what kind of line work Foxtrot creator Bill Amend uses or analyze the line work of Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. That’s because line work is what drives most …

By Tamara Treichel Fairfax, Virginia – A simple granite boulder flanked by two turquoise butterfly benches has been silently sitting on the grounds of Fairfax County’s government office. The boulder seems quite inconspicuous, perhaps even humble. But the boulder and benches bear a greater significance. It is a Comfort Women Memorial, dedicated to thousands of women, euphemistically called “Comfort Women,” …

Seattle,  WA  –  Comments  from  Nathan  Adrian  (Olympic  Swimmer  2008  and  2012;  Three-Time Olympic  Gold  Medalist),  Norman  Y.  Mineta  (59th Mayor  of  San  Jose;  Member,  U.S.  House  of Representatives; 33rd US Secretary of Commerce; 14th US Secretary of Transportation), Grace Park (Actor  –  Hawaii  Five-0,  Battlestar  Galactica),  and  Manu  Tuiasosopo  (NFL  Player  –  Seahawks  and 49ers; Super Bowl XIX Champion), …

By Amanda Andrei Graphic novelist Nguyen Nguyen doesn’t limit himself to paper and pen – he uses music and animation as well. A multimedia graphic novel seems to be a paradox. In a medium dominated by the various ways you can shape a book—everything from tiny, hand-inked folded paper to massive cut and build your own stories—how can you infuse …

AJC’s Asia Pacific Institute hosted a Capitol Hill reception on Monday, June 23rd, 2014 inaugurating the week long exhibition in Washington DC on the life story of nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees sought and found refuge from the European Holocaust in Shanghai between 1933 and 1941 at a time when very few countries around the world were willing to admit European …

In a Forbes study conducted in 2011, 85 percent of the global enterprises surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that diversity is crucial to fostering innovation in the workplace. There are many reasons for companies to adopt more diverse hiring practices today. But diverse workplaces are often more than just hiring different people – it also means retaining those people and …

Asian Fortune magazine’s new column explores news, views and cues in the exciting political sphere. The column touches the three branches of the federal government, state-level political tidbits, little known historical facts, and on occasion, a dose of gossip.   Asian Americans Retain Congressional Seats In several primaries around the country on June 3, 2014, Asian-American incumbents held on to …

  Asian Fortune is an English language newspaper for Asian American professionals in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Visit fb.com/asianfortune to stay up to date with our news and what’s going on in the Asian American community.  

By Mary Tablante Nationally Recognized Slam Poet George Yamazawa Jr. talks about his journey to doing poetry full-time Spoken word artist George “G” Yamazawa, Jr., never had an Asian American role model growing up, so he decided to become one himself. Yamazawa is the youngest poet to become a National Poetry Slam Finalist, won the 2012 Kollaboration DC talent competition …

By Heidi Zheng American Girl announced last month that they will archive their first and only Asian American model, Ivy Ling, this September. A San Francisco native of Chinese descent from the 70s, Ivy Ling belongs to American Girl’s historical collection that aims to “bring to life important times for America.” Also pulled from the line is Cecile Rey, a …

By Derek Mong 55 eager teams and 1,500 paddlers from across the East Coast waited eagerly at the starting line at the gorgeous Thompson Boat Center on the Georgetown Waterfront. The two-day festival which was originally scheduled for May 17 and 18, but was rescheduled due to high waters in the Potomac River from frequent rain in early May. But …

By Jenny Chen The aroma of xiao long bao (steamed buns stuffed with minced pork), Chinese roast duck wafts from the open kitchen. The lighting is muted and reflects off of the red and gold decor and you can hear the sounds of table games from across the way. Dining at Maryland Live!’s newest Asian themed restaurant, Luk Fu, is …

  By Whitney Pipkin Dan Zhu grew up eating dumplings, both at his childhood home in Montgomery County, Md., and on biannual trips to see his grandmother back in China. He said he didn’t appreciate them or the homemade labor they required as a kid. But, when he decided to start a food business with his two best friends a …

In June, Virginia’s 8th Congressional District will be holding it’s primaries. Longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced that he would not be seeking a 13th term in Congress and since then, nine candidates have announced their intention to run in the June primary, setting the stage for the most expensive primary fights in recent memory. According to the Virginia …

  By Aurora de Peralta Photos Courtesy of APALA In the United States, the phenomenon of mass incarceration isn’t black and white. According to a 2006 Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) study, the API prison population rose by 30 percent from 1990 to 2004, while the white prison population rose by only 2.5 percent. On May 20, the AFL-CIO, …

Edmund Moy is no stranger to money. As the 38th director of the US Mint, he earned the Alexander Hamilton Medal for public service awarded by then Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. In addition, as the director of the US Mint, Moy oversaw the more creation of gold coins. So it’s no surprise that after he left in the …

By Derek Mong Shakespeare once wrote: “What’s in a name?”  Apparently, if you’re a minority in America’s workplaces, a name can mean the difference between the opportunity for success and rejection. A study from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in the early 2000’s studied the effects of names as a proxy for race or ethnicity on the …

On May 8, Gilead, APartnership, and Hepatitis B Initiative hosted a Q & A session with journalists in honor of hepatitis testing day on May 19. The Q & A session opened the remarks from Leslie Oh, the founder of the Hepatitis B Initiative, and panel discussion from panelists including Mark Li, Loc Le, and Theodore Kim. The panelists stressed …

By Leslie Hsu Oh The Tragic Story that Led Leslie Oh to Found the Hepatitis B Initiative I can still smell the bitter roast of the surgeon’s coffee, swirling black in his hands, as he walked towards me with dread. A freshman at UCLA, I had a wad of love letters from several boys in my purse when the surgeon …

On May 5 under a warm sun, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) opened its 29th National Leadership Training Program with several pre-conference forums in the beautiful city of Charlotte, NC, a few blocks from the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Changes are in the air but the organization is looking forward to a bright future. In the evening attendees …