Tag Archives: washington DC

Celebrations in the area began early this month, and are still on-going. Due to the snow and winter weather conditions this year, it is advisable to call organizers in advance if there are changes in the date or time. Most of the on-going events (in italics) are from dc.about.com by Washington, D.C. Expert Rachel Cooper. Chinese New Year Parade and …

By Yi Chen The A.C.T.O.R. (A Continuing Talk on Race) series is a monthly open discussion produced and hosted by Busboys and Poets. The February series featured Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, who talked about his own experience as an Asian American as well as his play Yellow Face, a comedy about mistaken racial identity. “I began writing because …

On Nov. 9, Parsadaan Bangso Batak (PBB) Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia hosted a performance of  traditional Batak culture featuring songs, dances, choir and traditional clothing to highlight the unique culture of this ethnic group. Photo credit: Will Kim

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 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 …

Several Asian American and Pacific Islander undocumented youths, members of Congress, and National AAPI leaders convened on July 31 on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building to raise awareness for immigration reform. The youths, recently approved under DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, demonstrated at the House Triangle today as part of their nine-city tour, “DREAM Riders: Road …

From Thursday July 18 – Saturday July 21, the Organization of Chinese Americans will host their largest event of the year – the OCA National Convention. The program includes a variety of workshops including health workshops, writer’s workshops, and more. OCA has created five different tracks: chapter advancement track, federal leadership training track, professional development track, college track, and youth …

By Yi Chen Washington, D.C. – Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s 2013 Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebration will take place on Thursday, May 30 at the historic Lincoln Theater. “Each May, our Nation comes together to recount the ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders helped forge our country.” President Obama said in his proclamation, “Their story is …

By Michelle Phipps-Evans WASHINGTON, D.C.—Mayor Vincent C. Gray administered the oath of office to newly appointed members of the District of Columbia’s Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Affairs, Feb. 8 at the John A. Wilson Building. D.C. About a hundred guests looked on as nine community members and 10 government agency ex-officio members were sworn in.   The …

By Andy Liu  

Case Against Korean Food Truck Dismissed  By Dottie Tiejun Li   (Arlington, VA)—The Korean fusion food truck Seoul Food will continue to roll, thanks to a judge’s decision completely dismissing a case against Hyun “Anna” Shil Goree, who owns the mobile eatery with her husband J.P. Goree. Shil faced up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine for …

By Dottie Tiejun Li Washington, D.C.—Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Chinatown’s business and neighborhood leaders have been struggling to find common ground since December when the Department cleaned out the longtime, but under-utilized, headquarters of the special Asian Liaison Unit (ALU) on H Street, close by the ceremonial arch. At a meeting January 7, the Chief faced …

Washington, D.C.—As of March 4, 2013, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will permit certain visa applicants to file for family unity waivers within the United States, reducing the amount of time families must spend apart. “We applaud the Obama Administration for prioritizing family unity by easing burdensome bureaucratic hurdles,” said Erin E. Oshiro, senior staff attorney at the Asian …

A-List watchers want to know: who’s that athletic-looking guy who has been popping up on national TV lately every time President Obama talks to the press? Moments before POTUS shows, there’s Kevin Xu, a 26-year-old White House press aide, arranging the boss’ notes on The Blue Goose, as insiders call the presidential podium. Here he is, looking businesslike behind the …

By Lily Qi Having lived in the National Capital region for 15 years and worked for two local governments on economic development and public policy, I have come to appreciate the need for serious collaboration across the boundary lines of our counties and state governments. It is essential, if we are to effectively deal with the area’s biggest problems, from …

By Devika Koppikar

We welcome D.C.’s newest A-Lister, Linda Schatz (2nd from right). A Kaimuki girl, she was born and raised in Hawaii by parents who had fled communism in China. Linda received her Doctorate in Architecture this year, while raising two children and caring for her parents. And, almost forgot, that’s her husband, Brian Shatz, on the left, the new U.S. Senator …

Director, Writer and Illustrator Natsu Onada Power Gives D.C. Theater a New Look By Stan Kang The buzz about Natsu Onada Power is overwhelming. A uniquely creative “theater maker,” as she describes it, the petite Japanese American is rapidly building a following which seems destined to propel her into the top ranks of directors, writers and illustrators. Washington Post theater …

Photos and text by Mary Tablante It’s happening all over the D.C. metro area: young Asian American professionals using social media to network, meet and find ways to advance their careers or just make friends. Making connections is one of the ways political Washington works; it’s one of the ways the business world works, too. And now the AAPI community …

Announces 2013 Summer Civic Fellowship Program for Asian Pacific American College Students in Washington, DC The International Leadership Foundation (ILF) is proud to announce that it is accepting applications for the 2013 Civic Fellowship program. For the fourteenth year, ILF will award over 30 fellowships to Asian Pacific American col¬lege students who the ILF identifies as exhibiting the qualities and …

By Amanda L. Andrei Ask any D.C. area resident for a recommendation on Vietnamese cuisine, and nine times out of ten you will be directed to Eden Center. Nestled on the northern edge of that legendary traffic nightmare known as Seven Corners in Falls Church, Virginia, Eden Center is more than a Vietnamese shopping plaza. It’s the largest Vietnamese commercial …

Virginia Virginia has some of the weakest regulations regarding guns of any state in the nation. State law preempts local gun regu­lation. The only firearms banned in Virginia are the Armsel Striker, also known as the Striker 12, similar shotguns, and plastic firearms. There are no limits on magazine capacity, although a concealed handgun permit is required to carry magazines …