Archives - Sampan

Students and teachers of Boston String Academy. Photos by Adam Smith/ errorc1301.com

Arts 10 hours ago 1

On a High Note: Boston String Academy Tunes Into Youth Talent

When sisters Marielisa and Mariesther Alvarez grew up in Venezuela, they were part of El Sistema, the National System for Youth Orchestras and Choirs. But when they came to Boston, they soon discovered a similar program was lacking. “When we came to Boston to do our studies at the Boston Conservatory, we realized that even though it is a culturally rich city, there was the need for a program where creating musical excellence was a communal effort — a program […]

Boston 11 hours ago 0

Opinion: ‘Starts With the Keffiyehs, and Ends With the Pride Flags’

by Adam Smith

“It starts with the keffiyehs, and ends with the pride flags,” said Dr. Akiva Leibowitz during an interview with Sampan last week. A Brookline resident who has seen firsthand how even his neighbors could attack free speech, the parent was talking about the crackdowns of freedom of expression at every level of society over the past year and a half. Leibowitz, a critical care anesthesiologist, was just weeks earlier vying for a seat in the crowded race for Brookline’s school […]

Boston 11 hours ago 0

REVIEW: Beauty and Humanity Permeate Bioh’s ‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding Salon’

by Virginia Sun

The play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding offers its audience a seat in a Harlem Black hair salon. But the audience will come away with much more than a new style – in fact it might just come away with a deep sense of shared humanity, empathy, and even an immediate fear for the lives of those – so often in the shadows – around them. The immersive play reels the audience in to watch the stylists gossip, roll their eyes […]

Immigration 11 hours ago 0

A ‘Model Minority’ … and … Yet, Still a Threat?

by Adam Smith

If there’s a key takeaway from the newly released STAATUS Index on the nation’s attitudes toward Asian Americans, native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans, it’s that several longtime misconceptions have gotten worse. Released in time for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the comprehensive report shows Americans’ stereotypes and prejudices toward Asian Americans have persisted, in many cases, alongside ignorance.One glaring example stood out: A staggering 40% of Americans suspect to some degree that Asian Americans are more loyal to their […]

Boston 11 hours ago 0

Let’s Rename Phillips Square After Beloved City Activist Tunney Lee

by Lydia Lowe

As the Boston Transportation Department continues to engage community members in plans to improve Phillips Square in Chinatown, a new idea has caught on with neighborhood residents, community leaders, and advocates. At a hands-on design workshop last month, residents and community workers of all ages gathered around tables with maps and pictures to develop a vision for that section of Harrison Avenue with tables and chairs between Essex Street and Oxford Place. Five different groups reported on their ideas, and […]

Education 11 hours ago 0

Review: Omar El Akkad’s ‘One Day’ Puts West’s Hypocrisy on Full Display

by Christopher John Stephens

It would be trivial to start any discussion of the genocide in Gaza, now 19-months old and counting, looking at how the consequences of campus protests and journalistic free speech have decimated both the fourth estate — the media —and academia. Look toward statistics of over 53,000 killed and 100,000 wounded by Israeli forces, and nearly 2,000 killed since the breaching of a ceasefire. Palestinian forces reportedly killed 1,195 people, including 815 civilians in their initial invasion of Israel. Look […]

Arts 12 hours ago 0

Emily Feng on Political Crackdowns, the ‘Chained’ Woman and Dissidents

by Christopher John Stephens

In the previous issue of Sampan, we presented the first half of a two part interview with NPR reporter and author Emily Feng, who recently published her book, Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China. The book explores who we are as reflected by our political surroundings and as defined by our cultural baggage in its collection of stories about people in China. In the first half, we discussed “Document Nine,” an initiative set forth […]

Arts May 9, 2025 0

Emily Feng on ‘Eerie Parallels’ Between the State of U.S., China Politics

by Christopher John Stephens

Identity is a slippery, deceitful condition to define, even amongst ourselves. Look at your reflection on a Monday and you’re decisively one thing. Come Tuesday, that same image will provide different results. In reporter Emily Feng’s powerhouse new book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China, the question of who we are as reflected by our political surroundings and defined by our cultural baggage is clearly delineated through the narratives of approximately two dozen people […]

Boston May 9, 2025 0

A Force of Nature: Vivien Li has helped advocate for and shape treasured Hub parks, waterways

by Esther Wang

Vivien Li has not only witnessed the growth of the environmental movement in the United States since the 1970s, she’s participated in and helped shape it right here in Boston. As a waterfront and climate expert, Li has been involved in the cleaning of the Boston Harbor and the creation of more than 40 miles of public walkways and parks alongside it. She also advocated for the tidying of beaches from Boston to Quincy so they’re fit for swimming. In […]

Uncategorized May 9, 2025 0

Artist Fulfills Dream With Dragon Boat Museum

by DongDong Yang

As a child, Peter Ng often watched dragon boats as they sped by Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau island. He was filled with awe and envy. “But I was not allowed to join a team because I was too young. I always wanted to,” Ng told the Sampan recently. Now, his love of the races and dream of taking part in them has led to a major personal success: He founded the newly opened Dragon Boat Museum in Quincy – the […]

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