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Leisure October 6, 2023 0

“Faces of Life” – The Fifth Annual Taiwan Film Festival of Boston

The fifth annual Taiwan Film Festival of Boston (TFFB) took place on September 23-24. TFFB is a non-profit organization established by a group of young professionals in Boston in 2019 with the goal of bringing Taiwan’s films to the U.S every year. This year, TFFB selected six different films that have not been screened in American theaters or on streaming platforms to represent the 2023 theme “Faces of Life,”. They explored a variety of issues and professions as well as […]

Arts October 6, 2023 0

Hao Ruoqi “Spellbinding” Performance of Mulan at the Wang Theater

by Harmony Witte

An ancient Chinese tale was told on the stage. For two nights only, September 23rd and 24th, China Arts and Entertainment Group brought the legend of Mulan to Boston for its US Premier. Winner of the 2018 Lotus Award for a Dance Drama, Mulan explores the folk story of a young woman who goes on a journey of self-discovery, taking her elderly father’s place in the army in the fight against the Huns. Mulan disguises herself as a man and […]

Leisure October 6, 2023 0

Humanity, Nature Shine Through Japanese Island’s Dark History

by Adam Smith

Surrounding Oshima, a tiny island in Southwest Japan, is the calm, blue Seto Inland Sea. The island itself is a place of beauty: Nearly everywhere are manicured trees and shrubs including matsu pines that look like over-sized bonsai, Japanese maples, mountain peach trees, and tsubaki, a type of camellia with deep green leaves that in winter blooms vibrant red flowers. Views of other mountainous islands further out at sea are visible from all over Oshima, especially along the winding trails […]

Health October 6, 2023 0

Cultivating Mental Well-being: The Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center’s Healthy Minds Project

by Sherry Dong and Lisa Hy

In an era where mental health awareness is taking center stage, community organizations play a pivotal role in ensuring that individuals of all backgrounds receive the support they need. One such organization, the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center (GBCGAC), has embarked on a remarkable journey through its “Healthy Minds Project,” aimed at addressing the mental health needs of Chinese-speaking Asian seniors in the Boston area. Overcoming the Stigma: Breaking Silence in the Asian Community Mental health challenges within the […]

Boston October 6, 2023 0

Chinatown Residents Strike back against the Opening of Cannabis Shop

by Tracy Huang

With over 250 cannabis stores in Massachusetts accumulating over 4 billion dollars in gross profits, it has been no surprise that Cannabis shops are aiming for Chinatown, a culture hub for a diverse group as their next target location to open their new store. In the past, there have been many attempts to open a cannabis store, with companies such as Sanctuary Medical, Royalty Group, and its latest attempt, Dragon Buds proposing ideas to the Boston Cannabis Board about opening […]

Front Page October 6, 2023 0

What the U.S. Can Learn From the Tragedies in Libya, Morocco

by Jeff Millman

While they are geographically close, Morocco and Libya are very different countries. And the tragedies that hit both recently hold some hard lessons for us all. In early September, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Marrakesh-Safi region of Morocco. Days later, Storm Daniel, a cyclone, made landfall in Libya. Dams along the eastern port city of Derna broke and 39 million cubic yards of water flooded the area. Storm Daniel is the deadliest Mediterranean cyclone in recorded history: Over 4,000 […]

Boston October 6, 2023 0

Residents Voice Concern Over Chinatown’s Future as New Zoning Proposals Unveiled

by Blair Hu

Boston Chinatown is at another crossroads. The historical neighborhood, long celebrated as a sanctuary for Chinese immigrants and a hub of cultural diversity and heritage, is facing an unprecedented transformation as gentrification takes hold. Threatened by rising rents, luxury developments, and a changing demographic landscape, the Chinatown residents speak up about their experiences and make their voices heard. Community leaders and advocates are working to address these challenges. They are calling for affordable housing initiatives, stronger rent control measures, and […]

Health September 16, 2023 0

Back to School Concerns as COVID Cases Increase: How to Stay Safe

by Jeff Millman

As children in Boston return to school, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has some tips to stay safe and healthy. In mid-August, BPHC noted that COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the city were low but that the average level of COVID-19 particles in Boston’s wastewater was increasing. This trend has continued over the last few weeks. With the cold and flu season approaching as well, preparation is key to illness prevention. BPHC “strongly recommends that all families stay up to date […]

Front Page September 16, 2023 0

Tradition Meets Gentrification: Livia Blackburne on Her Novel Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)

by Christopher John Stephens

The balance between creating a trendy world in Fantasy novels or contemporary Young Adult (YA) fiction and managing to say something that matters can be tricky. More often than not, genre fiction asks only that the writer provide strictly what their audience wants, nothing more and nothing less. In Livia Blackburne’s sweet new YA novel Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) that balance is front and center. Blackburne gives us Clementine Chan and Danny Mok. She’s a […]

Health September 16, 2023 0

Alarming Consequences for Asian Americans About High Exposure to “Forever” Chemicals

by Kristen Si

A shocking article published in August’s Environmental Science & Technology by the American Chemical Society showed that Asian Americans have disproportionately high exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The primary author, Dr. Shelly Liu who is an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, additionally noted that when compared to whites, Asian Americans had a median PFAS level that was 88% higher. To fully understand the consequences of these findings, it is important to note the significant […]

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