By Michelle Phipps-Evans Asian Fortune magazine’s 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.   APIAVote Joins Coalition to Protect Voting Rights As November’s general elections approach, the organization Asian and Pacific Islander …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Asian Fortune magazine’s 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.   D.C. street to be renamed after imprisoned Chinese dissident The U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted late June to …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans The state of Maryland hosted their primary elections at the end of June. Reports put Maryland’s voter turnout as the lowest in years for a primary, many postulating that interest in the candidates were low. However, one organization that wants to continue lending a political voice to the democracy of the state is the Coalition of Asian …

  Compiled by Michelle Phipps Evans 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. May Recognized as AAPI Heritage Month DC Mayor Vincent C. Gray designated the month of …

  By Michelle Phipps-Evans Photos courtesy Grace Han Wolf City Councilmember Grace Han Wolf believes that her philosophy as a governmental leader on the Herndon Town Council is simple, yet impactful. “My job is to make sure our community is well run, that the community is safe, and that there’s economic development,” said Wolf, 49, a Korean-American, and one of …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Satya Narayana Nadella, an Indian American, recently made history when he was named the third chief executive officer of Microsoft on Feb. 4, 2014. According to Microsoft, the multinational computer giant, Nadella brings “a relentless drive for innovation and a spirit of collaboration to his new role.” At the company for 22 years, Nadella was executive vice-president …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans The 2014 Olympic Winter Games—the 22nd Winter Olympics—will run from Feb. 6 to 23 in Sochi, Russia, marking the first time the Russian Federation will host the winter games. Team USA will send several athletes, and among them there are several Asian Americans representing the country. Who are they? J.R. Celski J.R. Celski is a short track …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans The small island nation of Jamaica, West Indies, erupted in celebration on Dec. 17, 2013, when its homegrown performer, Tessanne Chin, snagged first place in the reality singing competition show, “The Voice,” Season 5. At Half-Way Tree, a neighborhood in the capital city, Kingston, hundreds of people gathered around a large theater-like screen to see Chin win …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year in many Asian countries. The D.C. metro area will celebrate the occasion with parades, dragon dances, live musical performances, and more. This year the Lunar New Year is a 15-day event that starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year, which …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans   Edward Wang is changing the face of the history of the National Football League (NFL). In the 93-year history of the professional football league, Wang has the enviable distinction of becoming the first Chinese player ever drafted in the NFL. He was drafted by New York’s Buffalo Bills, who snagged him in the fifth round of …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans As a math teacher in Virginia’s Prince William County school system, Atif Qarni sees a lot of things that could be improved about the education system. Qarni recently announced his candidacy to represent the 13th District in the Virginia House of Delegates which is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. The General Assembly is the …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans Hung Nguyen generally refers to himself as a small business owner and as a community activist and leader. The immigrant from Vietnam knows one thing for certain: he’s not comfortable being referred to as a politician. “Politicians have a bad ‘rep.,’ and I’m not running to be a politician,” said Nguyen, 41, who recently announced his candidacy …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans A warm Saturday in June attracted several people to the annual Lotus & Water Lily Festival at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Northeast Washington, D.C. Visitors enjoyed a display of lotus and water lilies in full bloom, gardening workshops, traditional Asian and African dancing performances, face painting, lotus tea tasting, art creations and more. Co-sponsored …

 By Michelle Phipps-Evans More than 110 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since February 2009. The Tibetans have publicly self-immolated in protest against Chinese oppression; many accusing the authorities of repressing their religion and eroding their culture. They have chosen this route because not enough attention is being paid to the Tibetans, said Lobsang Nyandak, the North American representative to …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans When Nina Un and Virginia Cheung connected about two years ago, they dreamed of revamping the DC Asian American nonprofit scene.     “The nonprofits are homegrown in the area, and they’re duplicative,” said Un, a Chinese American who’s the founder of Care to Lunch, a charity-focused lunch series in Tyson’s Corner, Va. “They’re all trying to do the …