News + Opinion

By Jennie L. Ilustre Photos by JLI Washington, D.C.–The US Postal Service unveiled two commemorative stamps honoring the nation’s Army and Navy Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients at an emotion-filled ceremony, held on November 11 on Veterans Day in this capital. Two of the honorees were the late US Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who was represented by his widow, and …

By Jennie L. Ilustre As an outpouring of assistance streamed from a stunned world, the Filipino American community in the area issued a list of organizations where people can send donations for the survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan. It has also mobilized organizations to help in the relief efforts. “A whole town was wiped out, and survivors urgently need our …

By Jenny Chen The construction dust has barely settled on the great hall of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Beltsville, but hundreds of parishioners are streaming into the door this Saturday morning for the Diwali ceremony. Inside, rows and rows of people are sitting cross legged, facing a stunningly lit display on stage at the front. There are …

by: Lily Qi Like many, I was surprised by the strong worldwide reactions to an October segment of the “Jimmy Kimmel Kid’s Table” show in which a young guest said we should “kill everyone in China” as a way to settle our national debt with China.  Not because the program aired without anyone raising the red flag in the media …

Compiled by: Mary Tablante  1. U.S. Holocaust Museum Displays “The Plight of the Rohingya” Washington, D.C.—Photographs showing Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims in exile were projected on the outdoor walls of the Holocaust Museum, in association with FotoWeek DC 2013, beginning on Nov. 4. The Rohingya have no basic human rights, including no legal status in Burma, and they face discrimination and …

By Vania Cao and Jenny Chen Councilmember Marc Elrich has proposed a bill that would increase the minimum wage in Montgomery County over a three-year period. “Maryland’s minimum wage at $7.25 per hour is the equivalent of $15,000 a year for a full-time, year-round employee, and that leaves a wage earner and their family below the federal poverty line,” said …

By Mary Tablante From discussing what makes D.C.’s Chinatown ‘Chinese’ to telling the stories of people whom the Chinese Exclusion Acts affected, the Talk Story series provides a venue for the community to share its histories. Every month, the free event takes place in Chinatown and allows for an open discussion to engage the Chinese American community and the general …

On November 12, 2013 President Obama spoke with President Aquino of the Philippines to express deep condolences on behalf of the American people for the lives lost and damage caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, one of the strongest storms to ever hit land. President Obama discussed with President Aquino the need for a speedy assessment of what further American resources …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Rosslyn, Virginia–“This 15th anniversary means so much to me,” DC Asian Marrow Network Founder and President Ida Wang remarked, as 150 guests began to trickle in at the Banquet for Life celebration, held on October 6 at the China Garden restaurant here. “When I started this organization to honor the memory of my nephew Andrew, I …

By Josephine Liang Making up around 5% of the nation’s whole population, and growing at a rate of 46% from 2000 to 2010, Asian Americans are a significant slice of the American pie. In the 2012 election, 73% Asian Americans cast their votes for the re-election of president Obama, which is the highest percentage ever for any candidate. However, as …

By Tamara Treichel Han Sung Oak, a popular Korean restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia, has closed its doors after more than two decades, eliciting a strong reaction among its patrons. The restaurant, located in Barcroft Plaza on Columbia Pike, has been shut down by Fairfax County because inspectors have found that the gas-fired system used for cooking Korean food at …

Compiled by Mary Tablante 1. Malala Releases Memoir; Visits White House Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work advocating for girls’ and women’s education, released her memoir, I Am Malala, on Oct. 8. The release date marks one year after a Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai when she was riding a …

By: Lily Qi I often come across people who wonder why I chose to work for a local government. After all, the Washington, DC region is the seat of the federal government, which offers better-paying jobs and greater latitude for professional development and career advancement to move up and around. In addition, a local government’s functions, jurisdictional reach and budget …

By Ngoc Nguyen Originally published on September 15 on www.newamericamedia.org SAN JOSE — After his eighth round of chemo, Trai Nguyen is exhausted, his body ravaged. The 60-year-old has a rare and aggressive form of cancer that he believes resulted from his contact with the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. His doctors believe his cancer may now be …

By Andrew Lam Nina Davuluri is the first Indian-American to hold the title of Miss America and it should be something for all Americans to celebrate. Her story, after all, is one of the more optimistic news about immigration in recent times. Alas, it’s a victory marred by waves of racist backlash in social media. Davuluri is called a “terrorist,” …

By Tamara Treichel   Rockville, Md. – The Muslim religion has always been treated as a sort of stepchild by Montgomery County’s Public Schools (MCPS) – the public school calendar only observes Judeo-Christian holidays such as Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover. MCPS stays open on the two annual Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and …

By Jem Palo On September 7, the Democratic Party of Virginia aimed to turn out more Asian voters for this November’s local elections, volunteers launched a full-scale campaign for three Asian candidates in the party. Through the use of ‘phone banks’ volunteers intend to turn out more votes by assisting Asian voters who speak more of their native language (more …

By Jenny Chen Stan Tsai, a member of the board of directors of the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC), has been following the Affordable Care Act closely – and he’s concerned about how much the Asian American community knows about what is going to happen come October 1. “I went to the information meetings [for the Affordable Care …

by: Mary Tablante 1. Shooting at Navy Yard Washington, D.C.—12 people died and many others were wounded after a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on Sept. 16. The victims are Michael Arnold, 59; Martin Bodrog, 54; Arthur Daniels, 51; Sylvia Frasier, 53; Kathleen Gaarde, 62; John Johnson, 73; Mary DeLorenzo Knight, 51; Frank Kohler, 50; Vishnu Pandit, 61; Kenneth …

By Lily Qi Something as mundane and common as giving and receiving compliments may be a serious challenge if you are an immigrant. Over the years, I have learned, often the hard way, the essential importance of receiving and giving compliments, at home, at work, and in social or semi-social environment. Generally speaking, East Asian cultures tend to be more …

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAulliffe is running for Governor in the state of Virginia against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Asian Fortune reached out to the Cuccinelli campaign for an op-ed essay but received no response at time of press. All those for political office in 2013 are welcome to send an op-ed essay about your platform for the …

By Michelle Phipps Evans It was a warm Saturday on Aug. 24, 2013, the day that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On Aug. 28, 1963, the vision of one man, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was delivered so eloquently that his speech ranks among the most memorable in history. King’s …

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By Niharika Chibber Joe “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss As of 2011, the United States was the only free-market OECD country where the current generation was less well educated than the previous. The number of adults who are classified as “functionally …