News + Opinion

On Sunday, June 9th the International Leadership Foundation (ILF) welcomed their 2013 class of fellows. Thirty-five APA college students and recent graduates who have demonstrated the potential to become future business, community, and professional leaders were awarded Civic Fellowships. ILF Civic Fellows spend eight to ten weeks over the summer interning at federal agencies in Washington, DC, gaining firsthand knowledge …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans The early June meetings between U.S. President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China became the main topic of conversation for many speakers during Asia Society’s Washington Awards Dinner on June 12. The Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and …

By Amanda L. Andrei “Do you think it was a suicide?” my friend asked. “No.” I gripped my phone tightly at the thought. “No. There’s no way. It must have been a car accident. I spoke to him last Thursday. I told him I would call him back. Or a health problem. It must have been an accident. There’s no …

By Jenny Chen Rancho Mirage, Ca. – In the picturesque Sunnyland Estates in Rancho Mirage, California, President Obama greeted President Xi Ji Ping in a historic meeting that signified stronger communication between the United States and China. The two leaders met from June 7-8, 2013. “Our decision to meet so early, I think, signifies the importance of the U.S.-China relationship.  …

by: Mary Tablante 1.Fighting Hunger LOS ANGELES—Five Indian American freshmen at UCLA are competing for $1 million in seed funding for a student project with the goal of solving the global food crisis. The students, Aditya Aggarwal, Anushka Bhatia, Varadh Jain, Sajal Khanter and Sagar Patel, are developing an idea to purchase grain in bulk in India, package them into …

By Jenny Chen The term “glass ceiling” has been circulating since the late 80’s but there’s a new ceiling cropping up – the “bamboo ceiling.” The term is used to describe the difficulty Asian American professionals have in reaching the C-suite due to cultural and racial barriers. Jane Hyun, author of “Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling” described in a recent NPR …

By Tamara Treichel Everything is bigger in Texas. When it comes to celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this may be true: since May was officially made Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992, Houston has been celebrating it in a big way. Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and has one of the nation’s largest …

By Duncan Hardock In February, a series of tweets attacking former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao’s ethnicity had politicians and advocacy groups up in arms. The comments were made by the liberal PAC Progress Kentucky, as part of their campaign to oust Chao’s husband Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky. On February 14th, Progress Kentucky’s official Twitter account posted: “This …

There may just be too many women in Korea. Or at least, too many girls who fit the traditional ideal of beauty. A beauty pageant held in Daegu, South Korea has 21 contestants competing for the title of most beautiful. But many worried that the contestants looked too similar for there to be a fair competition. Daegu is home to …

by Khalil Abdullah, New America Media BALTIMORE — As one of America’s top 10 wealthiest states and one that trends heavily Democratic, Maryland was among the nation’s first to move full throttle to implement the Affordable Care Act. The decision puts the state well out ahead in expanding access to some 300,000 people who will qualify for free or subsidized …

Compiled By Mary Tablante 1) Tianlang Guan Augusta, GA—At age 14, China’s Tianlang Guan was the youngest player to ever compete at the Masters Golf Tournament, which took place April 11 to 14. Guan earned a 1- over 73 in his Masters debut. To put that number in perspective, Arnold Palmer debuted at the Masters in 1955 with a score …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Photos by Jennie L. Ilustre, unless otherwise indicated. Reform Bill Filed in the US Congress Washington, D.C.–A coalition of Asian Americans across the country–community, labor, immigrant rights and faith-based supporters–joined thousands of Hispanic American advocacy leaders and families in a rally on April 10, urging the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform legislation. They stressed that …

Washington, DC – It can be lonely to serve your country while you’re abroad, away from all your friends and family. Diageo, a global premium drinks company, has donated funds to iPads for Soldiers, a nonprofit organization that has provided iPads to hundreds of servicemen abroad so that they can connect with their families. To date the iPads for Soldiers program …

By CeCe Wang April 28, 2013 – Today, an enormous number of Chinese students and young professionals fly to the United States via airport with their legal student and work visa to seek better life opportunities. However, in the 19th century, Chinese civilians who were seeking to escape war and poverty by selling labor to American and Canadian railroad recruiters …

By Yi Chen The Historic Preservation Office accepted a proposal to increase the boundary of the Downtown Historic District that was submitted on January 8, 2013 by the DC Preservation League, a nonprofit organization. The proposal will affect 22 properties in Chinatown. Currently, Washington, DC’s Chinatown spans about 4 blocks. Its present boundaries are 5th Street NW on the east …

By: Lily Qi The two largest Asian communities in the Washington metro region, Chinese and Indians, are often being talked about by public figures in the same manner and even in the same breath. True, there are many similarities between them, including the highly-educated human capital, the large concentration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) talents, the amazing achievement …

Gathering Draws nearly 400 Participants By Jennie L. Ilustre The annual National South Asian Summit, held in the nation’s capital April 19-22, drew nearly 400 community and business leaders, educators, lawyers and students from across the country, discussing top issues and holding skill-building advocacy sessions. Held days after the Boston Marathon tragedy, SAALT leaders sent “our thoughts and prayers to …

 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 …

It’s official: Obama has signed a declaration to make May Asian Pacific Islander Month! Read the full declaration below. ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH, 2013
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION Each May, our Nation comes together to recount the ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) helped forge our country. We remember a time …

Washington, DC – On Thursday April 18, the District Department of the Environment is showing off their style with a Green Fashion Show featuring vintage pieces. “When we re-use and redistribute gently used clothing, we help reduce the impact of harmful global repercussions from manufacturing,” stated the DDOE’s website. Vintage clothes will be sold after the fashion show. The fashion …

By: Jenny Chen Washington, D.C. – In 2006 the U.S. housing market spiraled to an all time low, throwing roughly four million families into foreclosure. But our loss was another’s gain. Although the housing market is still merely 52% as strong as it was prior to the housing crash, according to the house sales website Trulia, Asian investors are snapping …

Washington. DC.  During a recent visit to Washington, DC, for high level discussions, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida engaged in US-Japan exchanges, including with members of the Japanese American community,  at the Crystal Room of the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Washington, DC, on February 22, 2013

Washington DC – When Frank H. Wu, Chancellor and Dean of the University of California, Hastings College of Law was a child, he was teased mercilessly for being Asian American. He was upset at his parents for not doing more to help but now he says he understands how hard it was for them. It was because of his experiences, …

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 …