As a blistering day faded into evening last week, a group of film students sat in folding chairs eating takeout by the Chinatown gate. Nearby, a group of elderly women chatted in Cantonese, disrupted by yells from a raucous game of tag. It was the final night of Films at the Gate, the film series that brings Chinatown locals and kung fu film lovers together from across the city to celebrate and revitalize the area’s history of community through film. […]

As a blistering day faded into evening last week, a group of film students sat in folding chairs eating takeout by the Chinatown gate. Nearby, a group of elderly women chatted in Cantonese, disrupted by yells from a raucous game of tag. It was the final night of Films at the Gate, the film series that brings Chinatown locals and kung fu film lovers together from across the city to celebrate and revitalize the area’s history of community through film. […]

In November, 2008, Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz won the general election to represent the Second Suffolk District, which consists of Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, Roxbury, Beacon Hill, Chinatown, South End, Back Bay, Fenway, and a small portion of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roslindale.  Chang-Díaz is once again.  Now she is seeking second term.  In the following interview, Senator Chang-Díaz talks to the Sampan about what stood out in the past two years, and what lies ahead. Sampan:  How has your experience been […]

CHINAOTWN Free breast and cervical cancer screenings Tufts Medical Center and the College of American Pathologists Present See, Test and Treat™ Organizations partner to offer free breast and cervical cancer screenings for Asian American women What:     Tufts Medical Center, the College of American Pathologists, the American Cancer Society and the Massachusetts affiliate for Susan G. Komen for the Cure® are partnering to offer free breast and cervical cancer screenings for women ages 21 and older.  The event is also sponsored […]

The Quincy Mayor’s Asian American Advisory Committee met in August to discuss the recent trend in armed robberies in Quincy, a Quincy Chamber of Commerce Asian Business outreach survey, and the Asian Business Partnership Outreach meeting. According to the MBTA transit police in a public alert, a series of unarmed nighttime robberies have taken place in neighborhoods adjacent to both North Quincy and Wollaston train stations in the last couple of months.  In four out of five reported incidents last […]

A ceremony honoring the Coalition for Asian American Voting Rights and its efforts spearheading the recent passage and signing of a bill requiring fully transliterated Chinese and Vietnamese ballots in Boston took place at Bingham McCutchen, LLP in Boston on September 3, the night of Hurricane Earl. The event was also a celebration for the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote).  APIAVote is the only national Asian American organization solely focused on civic engagement and voter engagement at the […]

Cathay Bank, along with Belin Economic Justice Project (EJP) and Ropes & Gray LLP, will be hosting a free basic legal considerations workshop for small businesses at 621 Washington Street in Boston, MA on Thursday, September 23, from 6 to 8 PM.  This workshop is the beginning of what the hosting organizations believe will be a vibrant, ongoing collaboration and of immense benefit to the Asian-American business community.  The workshop will provide an overview of a number of important business […]

Everyone loves animals. You could be a dog lover, cat lover, or even a ferret lover. Although some animals are fortunate enough to have a loving family, most aren’t. In reality, animals are usually abused, neglected, or overbred, and eventually make their way to the animal shelters, and if they’re unlucky, death. But even in animal shelters, some eventually die from euthanization. Animals go through so much abuse, ranging from rabbits and other small mammals in lab testing, dogs in […]

Hassan Williams is running for the State Senate seat of the 2nd Suffolk District against incumbent candidate Sonia Chang-Diaz on the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, September 14.  This former at-risk youth from Roxbury shares with the Sampan why he wants to run for office. Sampan: Please tell our readers about yourself.Williams:  My name is Hassan A. Williams and I am an educator, attorney and community advocate.  As a child, I was a troubled youth.  Born and raised in Roxbury, I resorted to hustling […]

There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer. But there are things all women can do that might reduce their risk and help increase the odds that if cancer does occur, it is found at an early, more treatable stage. Lowering your risk: You can lower your risk of breast cancer by changing those risk factors that are under your control. If you limit alcohol use, exercise regularly, and stay at a healthy weight, you are decreasing your risk […]