Public Charge Rule ends, more people should apply for public benefits
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) By Alex Milvae, Equal Justice Works Fellow Attorney The Biden Administration has ended the Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule. This change means that everyone who is eligible should apply for public benefits. Because the Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule made getting a green card harder for people who needed public benefits, many immigrants were afraid to apply. For many people, public benefits are necessary to daily survival. Benefits have become even more important during the pandemic. In the past […]
Peruvian Taste & Chifa: Peruvian/Chinese fusion
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Have you ever tasted Chifa cuisine? In the Greater Boston region, there’s about ten Peruvian restaurants, many with a couple Chifa dishes on their menus, usually Lomo Saltado and Arroz Chaufa. However, Peruvian Taste Restaurant, located in Charlestown and having opened in September 2020, has the most extensive Chifa menu of all, with easily over a dozen dishes available. But what’s Chifa? Around the 1850s, many Cantonese Chinese left China for the U.S. while others traveled to Peru, commonly working on sugar and […]
Tufts Medical Center address smoking issue in local communities
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) By Tufts Medical Center Tufts Medical Center’s (Tufts MC) Asian Health Initiative (AHI) was established in 1995 to identify health priorities of particular concern and importance to the local Asian community and to work collaboratively with local community-based organizations to address those health concerns. AHI’s focus in the past few years have been on tobacco/nicotine prevention and cessation support as a mechanism to combat the leading causes of death in Chinatown: heart disease and lung cancer. In 2020, Tufts […]
In Memoriam: Rev. Dr. William Edwards “Bill” Alberts (Oct 26, 1926 – March 22, 2021)
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Rev. Dr. William Edwards “Bill” Alberts passed away on March 22, 2021 at the age of 94 in Canton, MA. Alberts is remembered by his friends as a person of enormous generosity of spirit and compassion who had a continuing and ever growing appetite for justice and fairness. Alberts was born in Williamsport, PA. After serving in the Navy in World War II (1944-1946), he graduated from Lycoming College in 1951, and later from the Westminster Theological Seminary in […]
Turn the boat around: Understanding how to avoid the risks of Type 2 Diabetes
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Imagine we are on a river boat cruise. Sailing along, enjoying a beautiful relaxing day in the company of family and friends. None of us notices the changing current. No one has looked ahead to see the rocks or the waterfall we’re approaching. We have no time to turn around or get to the safety of the shore. Diabetes is like that. We sail along not noticing the rise in blood sugar, sometimes until it is too late. Luckily, […]
Immigration ban on H/J/L visas expired as of March 31, 2021
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) On March 31, 2021, the immigration ban on entry for H, J, and L visas officially expired. The Trump administration’s ‘nonimmigrant proclamation’ began on June 24, 2020 and was originally meant to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. However, right before leaving office, former president Trump extended the ban on entry and visa processes until the end of March. President Biden did not extend it further and allowed it to expire. According to Fragomen, a legal firm dedicated to immigration […]
Being Asian in the U.S.: Atsuko Toko Fish and Helen Chin Schlichte share personal experiences
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) In the past year since the pandemic began, there have been increased reports of Asians being attacked, regardless of their cultural identity, who have publicly experienced unwarranted harassment. While violence and hate crime remains a big concern since the Atlanta spa shootings, microaggressions and verbal harassment has also occurred more frequently. On one occasion, a Chinese American, born and raised in the U.S. was told to “go back to your own country” while he was in the supermarket. Worried […]
Tuft University’s decision to shut down Confucius Institute led to contrasted opinions
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) After years of campaigning by local activists, James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, and Diana Chigas, senior international officer and associate provost, announced the decision to close the Confucius Institute at Tufts University (CITU) on March 17, much to the delight of Tibetan student groups, but not without some measure of other students’ concern. CITU is a non-profit educational collaboration between Tufts and Beijing Normal University (BNU). It was founded on June […]
Bicultural awareness necessary in addressing depression and mental health among Asian Americans
(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Warning: potentially triggering and sensitive content. Includes talks about depression, thoughts of self-harm and suicidal tendencies. Under the climate of hate and anti-Asian sentiment, it is even more important to take care of one’s mental health. According to a study conducted by the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), Asian Americans have a 17.3% overall lifetime rate of any psychiatric disorder, yet are three times less likely to seek mental health services compared to white Americans. Emily Chen, […]