Asian Americans are finding a ray of sunshine this year, amid the ugly and alarming racism occurring nationwide. Reason: The growing trend of candidates from both parties running for office, with Kamala Harris, an American of Asian ancestry, getting elected as the nation’s vice president last year. In the coming November 3 elections, a total of 45 Asian American and …
Read More »APIAVOTE Lauds Enactment of Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) has joined other top community organizations in lauding the signing of the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act into law by President Joe Biden. The president has consistently denounced the surge in racism against Asian Americans as “un-American.” Remarked APIAVote Executive Director Christine Chen: “APIAVote applauds Congress for passing this legislation, and President Biden …
Read More »5 Reasons to Celebrate Asian American Month
By Jennie L. Ilustre Americans of Asian ancestry have reasons to celebrate Asian American Month this May, given several developments lately. Although there’s still a lot more issues that need to be addressed, they can point to at least five recent developments that are a cause for celebration. 1 Senate Passes “The Covid 19 Hate Crimes Act” …
Read More »Surge of Covid-19 Infections and Deaths in India – Heartbreaking
“The surge of Covid-19 infections and deaths in India is nothing short of heartbreaking”, says Vice President Kamala Harris By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, May 8, 2021 – Vice President Kamala Harris has said the surge in coronavirus cases and fatalities in India “is nothing short of heartbreaking” and the US is determined to help its friend in its hour …
Read More »Asian American Solons File ‘Covid 19 Hate Crimes Act’ in the U.S. Congress
By Jennie L. Ilustre Two American lawmakers of Asian ancestry have introduced “The Covid 19 Hate Crimes Act” in the 118th U.S. Congress to address the surge in racist acts against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, or AAPIs, which began when the pandemic started last year. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D, HI) said the bill would, among other things, …
Read More »Asian American California Attorney General Vows to Fight ‘Forces Of Hate’
By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American leaders hailed the “historic” appointment of Assemblyman Rob Bonta as the first Filipino American California Attorney General, and linked it to addressing anti-Asian hate acts and violence. In his first statements, Bonta indeed vowed to combat hatred. “This will be one of my first priorities as your Attorney General: to ensure those …
Read More »Yang Runs for NY Mayor
By Jennie L. Ilustre Successful technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang is running for mayor of New York City. He launched his candidacy on January 14, with the grandson of America’s civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. as co-chair of his mayoral campaign. At the launch, US Congressman (NY-15) and campaign Co-Chair Ritchie Torres called Yang “a problem solver who’s …
Read More »Advocates Laud 5 Top Biden Policy Changes
By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American advocates have lauded President Joe Biden’s policy changes addressing their urgent concerns, which they assert are Mainstream America issues as well. These are: 1) Immigration reform, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA; 2) anti-Asian American racism; 3) the Census; 4) a fast-tracked, concerted pandemic response, and 5) the $1.9 trillion economic …
Read More »DACA Good News Spurs Hope for Immigration Bill
By Jennie L. Ilustre President-elect Joe Biden’s promise to reverse immigration policies, and to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on Day One–after his noontime inauguration on January 20, 2021–is welcome news to some 700,000 DACA recipients. The figure includes 16, 000 Asians. The DACA and immigration reform issue is in Biden’s stack of Day One …
Read More »5 Ways Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is a Winner
5 Ways Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is a Winner By Jennie L. Ilustre Kamala Harris became the nation’s Vice President-Elect when unofficial count showed Joe Biden had topped the required 270 Electoral Votes to win this year’s presidential elections. Incumbent President Donald Trump got 232 Electoral Votes.Biden garnered a total of 306 Electoral Votes. On December 14, the …
Read More »Signs Point to a ‘Blue Wave’ As Pandemic is Top Issue
By Jennie L. Ilustre Signs point to a ‘Blue Wave, a Democratic sweep in this year’s elections, according to polls and analyses by political experts. Reason: The pandemic, as well as the narrowing of President Trump’s base as women, suburbanites, and seniors have flipped for his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Three Asian American leaders, who have grassroots experience …
Read More »Big Turn-out Seen Among Asian American Voters; Could Provide Winning Margin
By Jennie L. Ilustre A recent survey showed that Asian American voters would turn out in record-breaking numbers, by mail or in person on November 3, for this year’s presidential election – and could potentially provide the margin of victory in some battleground states. “Asian Americans saw a record high level of midterm election turnout in 2018,” said …
Read More »Advocates: Asian American Issues at Great Risk in a New Supreme Court
By Jennie L. Ilustre Americans of Asian ancestry mourned the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, noting that the nation and the community not only lost a unique American, but a civil rights champion as well. President Trump and the Senate have declared that a replacement would be named and confirmed sooner rather …
Read More »Kamala, US VP Candidate –‘Historic, Inspiring’ Choice
By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American leaders and friends have hailed the “historic” and “inspiring” choice of US Senator Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the party’s candidate for president in the November 3 elections, announced Harris as his running mate on August 11. Harris was among Biden’s several rivals …
Read More »#GOLDOPEN LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER #GOLDOPEN PREMIER ACCESS TO BRING THEATRES HOME FOR DISNEY’S MULAN
Los Angeles, CA, August 27, 2020 – #GoldOpen, the community movement created by Gold House that successfully catapulted Parasite, The Farewell, Crazy Rich Asians, Just Mercy, and nearly two dozen multicultural films to box office success, is debuting the first-ever #GoldOpen Premier Access for The Walt Disney Company’s Mulan. “We miss being together–and know the power communities unlock when they …
Read More »Haley Shines, Sparks Buzz for Presidential Bid in 2024
By Jennie L. Ilustre Nikki Haley’s star got even brighter with a knock-out speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention, which formally named President Trump as its standard bearer in the November 3 elections. One speech and Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, further elevated her profile as a …
Read More »Asian Americans, Saving Lives Amid the Pandemic and Racism
By Jennie L. Ilustre Across the country since the start of the year, Asian American healthcare professionals have been in the frontlines fighting the pandemic involving covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. They are doctors, nurses, hospital support staff, Emergency Medical Technicians or EMTS, and even volunteers. They are all dedicated and focused on healing their patients, day in and …
Read More »What Older Adults are Doing to Promote Racial Justice
By Dr. Jennifer Jimenez Maraña, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Broadmead www.broadmead.org In his video series “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man,” Emmanuel Acho reads a letter from a White woman who grew up in the 1940s. She wrote that racism was embedded in her experience growing up, but now she has been listening and is still learning. She …
Read More »Myopia FAQs: What Parents Need to Know
Authored by Treehouse Eyes Optometrist Dr. Kevin Chan in the Washington, D.C. area About Myopia Myopia, also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is the most common vision issue among children and young adults and it’s only getting worse. Approximately 20 million children in the United States, or one in every three, suffer from myopia and recent studies show that half the …
Read More »Flying Paintings The Zhou Brothers: A Story of Revolution and Art
By Amy Alznauer Paintings by ShanZuo Zhou & DaHuang Zhou The epic story of two Chinese brothers who became art-world legends, illustrated with stunning paintings by the artists themselves. First there was one Zhou brother, and then there were two. They lived in a bookstore with their grandmother, Po Po, whose stories of paintings that flew through the air and …
Read More »Advocates: Excluding Undocumented from Census ‘Unconstitutional, Will File Lawsuit vs. Administration
By Jennie L. Ilustre The nation’s Asian American civil rights organizations have strongly denounced President Trump’s Memorandum to exclude the undocumented from the 2020 Census as “unconstitutional,” and would take legal action to nullify the executive order. Remarked John C. Yang, Executive Director of Advancing Justice–AAJC, based in the nation’s capital: “There is no end to this President’s attempts …
Read More »Message to Immigrant Families during COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 has hit communities of color the hardest, including immigrant families. You need to be aware of programs you may be eligible for right now, including health care, cash assistance, food assistance, and unemployment insurance. 1) Immigration officials clarified that everyone can seek testing, prevention, and treatment for COVID-19 without fear of immigration consequences. 2) You can still see a …
Read More »5 Important Facts about the Supreme Court’s Ruling on DACA Program
By Jennie L. Ilustre Some 700,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).recipients, including 16, 000 Asians, can continue to stay in the U.S. to study and to work, albeit temporarily, based on a recent Supreme Court decision. Asian American advocacy organizations, such as the OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, hailed the decision and vowed to keep fighting for immigrant rights. …
Read More »Lawyers’ Hotline, Help Sites for Asian Americans Targeted with Hate Acts Due to Virus
By Jennie L. Ilustre You are not alone. We are here to help you if you experience verbal or physical assault, hate crimes or racial discrimination due to coronavirus (Covid-19) misconceptions or xenophobia, defined as prejudice against people from other countries. This, in effect, was the message of coalitions of Asian American advocacy organizations nationwide. In the nation’s capital, the …
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