After being a victim of what she described as an anti-Asian verbal incident in August 2020 in Los Angeles that went viral online, Hong Lee decided to take action for the Asian American community. After taking a self-defense class at Box for Change, Los Angeles, Lee began talking to a few friends about how they […]
Pioneering NYC taiko group Soh Daiko continues to transform itself
April 2, 2022 by Leave a Comment
It’s another snowy Saturday afternoon in New York, but this has not kept members of taiko group Soh Daiko from holding their normal practice. As the days relentlessly beat toward their Carnegie Hall citywide performance at the end of March, members follow hours of drills and practice with a run through of their performance, energetically […]
Asian Americans mark Lunar New Year amid ongoing hate crimes
February 17, 2022 by Leave a Comment
For two years now, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country have endured racist verbal, physical and sometimes deadly attacks fueled by the coronavirus pandemic. With the start of the Lunar New Year, many are looking forward to carrying out family traditions and joining in community celebrations throughout February. These include family dinners and […]
U.S. cities mark 1st anniversary of Thai grandfather’s killing
February 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment
SAN FRANCISCO — On their final night together, father and daughter watched the news and traded goodnight kisses on the cheek. The next morning, Vicha Ratanapakdee was assaulted while on a walk in San Francisco and died, becoming yet another Asian victim of violence in America. On Jan. 30, Monthanus Ratanapakdee marked the one-year anniversary […]
COVID-19 Q&A With Dr. Kimberly Chang: Get the Facts About COVID-19
February 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment
With COVID-19 cases reaching record highs due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, state officials are encouraging Californians to review the basics when it comes to protecting against and preventing the spread of this deadly disease. To answer the many questions on our minds — What should I do if I test positive? How effective […]
The ‘revolutionary Aunties’
January 1, 2022 by Leave a Comment
The Auntie Sewing Squad Guide to Mask Making, Radical Care, and Racial Justice Edited by Mai-Linh K. Hong, Chrissy Yee Lau and Preeti Sharma (Oakland, Calif.: University of California Press, 2021, 288 pp., $24.95, paperback) In every immigrant community, we can find skilled seamstresses and resourceful crafters. It’s a survival skill passed down in our […]
Vaccines, masks? Japan puzzling over sudden virus success
October 28, 2021 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO Almost overnight, Japan has become a stunning, and somewhat mysterious, coronavirus success story. Daily new COVID-19 cases have plummeted from a mid-August peak of nearly 6,000 in Tokyo, with caseloads in the densely populated capital now routinely below 100, an 11-month low. The bars are packed, the trains are crowded, and the mood is […]
Kotome’s sustainable Asian American threads
September 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Last year, when time seemed to slow to a halt and no one was sure how long the uncertainty and fear would last, two friends a world apart set out to make something sustainable and timeless, and they called it Kotome. Marketed as an environmentally conscious luxury clothing brand, Kotome is the brainchild of East […]
Activists campaign to protect seniors from eviction
September 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment
LOS ANGELES — Save Our Seniors Network, a community activist group dedicated to protecting the welfare of the Nikkei residents of nursing facilities and retirement homes, campaigned to stop the evictions of senior citizens from Pacifica-owned Sakura Intermediate Care Facility, as well as their transfer into Pacifica’s previously COVID-infected nursing homes. Nevertheless, according to the […]
Japanese American Citizens League joins Save Our Seniors Network to support Rep. Judy Chu’s call for an investigation of Kei-Ai Los Angeles
The Japanese American Citizens League joins the call for a complete and thorough investigation and oversight of Kei-Ai Los Angeles due to the disproportionate mortality rate resulting in 115 deaths largely occurring between November 2020 and May 2021. Rep. Judy Chu initiated the calls for an investigation with a letter sent to the Centers for […]