News + Opinion

Twenty-three US lawmakers and three envoys address attendees in Senate office building By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, November 9, 2017 – Some two dozen US lawmakers, joined by three ambassadors, graced the fourth Diwali celebration in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room of the US Senate. Looking on were about 400 guests, mostly members of the Indian-American community and some Congressional …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Kelly Convirs-Fowler is a Virginia Beach local running for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 21st District. Women make up half (51%) of the U.S. population, she noted, adding, “But they comprise a much smaller percentage of representatives throughout our nation’s statehouses and the U.S. Congress. I am proud to be one of 43 women …

Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaims October 25 as ‘Diwali Day’ in Washington, DC By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, October 27, 2017 – The DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) held its third annual Diwali celebration at one of the finest venues in the nation’s capital: the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art. On a Wednesday evening, the 240-seat …

“I greatly value my very strong relationship with Prime Minister Modi”, Trump says By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, October 18, 2017 – ‘Diwali’, the festival of lights, came early at the White House as President Donald Trump lit the ‘diya’ (traditional Indian lamp) in the Oval Office on a crisp afternoon for early Fall. “We wish all of America’s Hindus …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American advocacy groups are unanimously condemning President Trump’s executive action on September 5, ending the 2012 Deferred Action for Children Arrivals (DACA) program signed by President Obama. They also strongly urged the 115th U.S. Congress to pass the 2017 DREAM Act, or a similar legislation protecting DACA. Remarked OCA National Vice President of Public Affairs …

By Jennie L. Ilustre If and when she prevails in the November 7 general election, Kathy Tran would be the third Asian American delegate to the Virginia State Assembly. She would also be the first Vietnamese American elected at any level in Virginia.   But this is not the reason Tran is running for public office for the first time. …

20-foot idol of Lord Ganesha, 1,000-pound Laddoo, fireworks among highlights of festival By Geeta Goindi Lorton, Virginia, August 25, 2017 – In one of the largest festivals of its kind in the national capital region, the Hindu god of beginnings, Ganesha, is at the heart and center of celebrations at the Workhouse Arts Center in the Washington area. The event …

Asian American organizations are united in their condemnation of the hatred and violence at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, which resulted in the loss of an innocent life. At press time, these organizations include the Migrant Heritage Commission MHC), OCA, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA), South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), and the National …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Advocates are urging Congress to approve the 2017 DREAM Act, introduced last July 20 by Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, and Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat from Illinois, in the 115th U.S. Congress. The bipartisan bill seeks to provide legal status, as well as a pathway to citizenship, to undocumented children or minors raised and …

SALDEF’s SikhLEAD class of 2017 raises 10,000 dollars, packages 500 meals for the needy By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, July 25, 2017 – The fourth annual Langar on Capitol Hill was co-sponsored by Indian-American lawmakers, Senator Kamala Harris and Congressman Ami Bera, both Democrats of California, and drew over 200 attendees on a Monday evening.  The event was held ahead …

Pai is the first ever Indian-American to head the Federal Communications Commission By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, July 17, 2017 – Ajit Varadaraj Pai, the first ever Indian-American to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), was conferred with the inaugural Zee Entertainment National Leadership Award at a special event on Capitol Hill. The 44-year-old Republican attorney was appointed to the …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American advocates are urging President Trump to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, following administration announcement in mid-June that the program remains in effect pending review, while permanently ending the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA). DACA, began in 2012 through an Executive Order by President Obama, allows adults who entered the …

Indian-origin children have won the iconic competition for ten consecutive years By Geeta Goindi National Harbor, Maryland, June 1, 2017 – In one of the most riveting contests, a young Indian-American girl, Ananya Vinay, 12, of California, has been crowned champion of the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee.  It’s a historic triumph: for ten consecutive years, Indian-American children have won …

  By Jennie L. Ilustre Ever wonder why the month of May was chosen to celebrate Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month? May honors two historic milestones: The arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in May 1843, and also the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869. In 1978, the U.S. Congress established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week through a …

Senator Harris credits her Indian grandmother and mother for being her role models at NDI event By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, May 5, 2017 – Senator Kamala Harris, the first ever Indian-American elected to the upper chamber of Congress, delivered the keynote address at the 2017 Madeleine K. Albright Luncheon held in the nation’s capital to inspire the next generation …

Sponsored Content The English for Heritage Language Speakers (EHLS) is a program in professional English for speakers of critical languages. The National Security Education Program (NSEP) which funds the program, seeks to broaden the pool of individuals (our scholars) with languages and cultural expertise who are interested in long-term employment with the U.S. government and specifically with agencies involved in …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian Pacific American (APA) organizations, outraged over the “use of excessive force” in the removal of Vietnamese American (initially thought to be Chinese American) passenger, identified by the media as Dr. David Dao, 69, from a United Airlines plane on April 9, are demanding: 1) a thorough investigation of the incident; 2) accountability on the part …

by Andrew Lam (New American Media) In America, when a source of authority says it randomly singles you out, you should always be wary. On Monday, video surfaced of a Vietnamese American, David Dao, being forcefully dragged from a United Airlines flight departing Chicago for Louisville, Kentucky. Dao, 69, had allegedly refused to voluntarily give up his seat on the …

By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, February 28, 2017 – After nearly a week of stoic silence, President Trump has condemned the shooting in Olathe city, Kansas, which left one Indian engineer dead and two other men injured. Under fire for not speaking earlier, the president opened his first major address to both houses of the US Congress, Tuesday night, by …

US lawmakers denounce xenophobic attack, bemoan uptick in violence against minorities By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, February 28, 2017 – In the wake of a tragic shooting in Olathe city, Kansas, which left one Indian national dead and two other men injured, the Trump administration is being tested for its fair treatment of minorities as well as its views on …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American leaders have denounced the expanded, expedited crackdown on the nation’s 11 million undocumented, as announced on February 21 – but some were heartened to know that President Donald Trump has so far decided not to touch the Deferred Action on Children Arrivals (DACA) program.   DACA was a program under an Executive Order signed …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Asian American advocacy organizations have lambasted the two memorandums by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued on February 21, which implement the immigration policies under President Donald Trump in line with his campaign promises on tightening border control. The move would increase the categories of people subject to priority deportation, as well as speed up …

In final White House event, First Lady promotes diversity, higher education, empowering youth By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, January 6, 2017 – An outstanding Indian-American teenager, Swetha Prabakaran of Ashburn, Virginia, has been appointed to the inaugural Student Advisory Board of First Lady Michelle Obama’s education campaign, ‘Better Make Room’. Swetha, whose parents immigrated from Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli in 1998, …

As part of its ongoing commitment to its customers and its obligation under the D.C. Language Access Act, the D.C. Department of Human Services (“DHS”) Economic Security Administration (“ESA”) announces language access improvements in its city-wide ESA Service Centers.  If you are an ESA customer with limited or no English proficiency, you should expect to receive: Assistance from an in-person …