March 21, 2025 | Vol. 54, Issue 6

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Boston

Nita Slay outside the Mission Hill Church; Photo by Adam Smith

Killin’ It: Musician Nita Slay Talks About Cambodian Roots, Love of Language & Christian Influences

Nita Slay, a musician and rapper from Lynn, said she finds pride in the lyrics of “Cambodian Ties,” a song by Foule Monk in which she also sings. In the song, Slay sings: “Cambodian ties / Cambodian in my skin / Breathing in this life / Rejuvenated skin / Cambodian gold / Cambodian sins / Breathing in this life to find the peace within.” “It gives me another lane that I can use that no else can,” said Slay, who […]

Nobuko Miyamoto Takes Fight for Rights to Boston Stage

Activist legend Nobuko Miyamoto came to Boston for the ArtsEmerson screening of the documentary about her – “Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement” – and the timing could not have been more appropriate. Amid the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 – which led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II – and just before immigration authorities began coming after pro-Palestinian protesters, Nobuko Miyamoto graced the stage and enraptured the audience by performing a set of four of […]

AACA Is Offering Free Tax Prep, Dispute Help

As the 2024 tax filing season is upon us, the Asian American Civic Association, publisher of the Sampan newspaper, is providing free, bilingual tax services vital to many low-income individuals and families.The program, sponsored by two initiatives implemented by the IRS, offers tax preparation help as well as assistance in resolving tax disputes. The Volunteer Income Tax Clinic, also known as VITA, provides free tax preparation services to clients ready to file their 2024 tax returns. For people who need […]

Zoning Plan to Boost ‘Affordable’ Units Will Still Price Out Many

As the light snow whispered down Harrison Avenue on the morning of Feb. 9, it seemed to carry some quiet promise. Soon, Phillips Square would warm up as hundreds gathered in clusters, their anticipation bright in the winter. Lion dancers moved with radiant grace, while firecrackers burst, clearing the path for good luck in a new year clouded by uncertainty. Chinatown is indeed facing its own uncertainties. Just two days before the parade, the City of Boston closed public comments […]

Behind the Drum, Cymbal and Lion, There’s Adrenaline, and Then Hunger

This is at once a specific story —one day in Boston Chinatown during the lunar new year parade — and an expansive one, which has played out time and time again in cities around the world. This is a story about colors, red fabric draped over a dancer’s back, golden sequins that catch the light, yellow fur in the lion’s mane, the whites of its eyes. This is a story about sound, the bright crash of red tasseled cymbals, the […]

Snake Mural Lets Viewers Send Wishes, Artist Hold onto Chinese Heritage

A red snake with gold “scales” is winding through the walls of the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown as part of a celebration of the Lunar New Year. “We invited people to come and cut out scales from a gold shimmery paper, and then we prompted them to write or draw their Lunar New Year wish,” said artist Amanda Beard Garcia, who painted the indoor mural over several days in January. “Some people made one wish and a few people […]

Order Said to ‘Criminalize’ Some Non-Citizen Students for Protest

With additional reporting by Harmony Witte and D.Y. Photo by Witte. In the spring of 2024, students at colleges all over Greater Boston called out what they viewed as a campaign of genocide in Gaza. The students objected to the U.S. paying for much of Israel’s military expenses. They protested their universities’ ties with U.S. companies who build the weapons and fighter jets used by Israeli forces, by calling for divestment and boycott. And they marched against Israel for dropping […]

Don’t Miss Out on These Credits

Tax season, regardless of the year, is both confusing and stressful. This can lead to some families putting off their taxes, incurring needless fees and penalties. However, tax season is also an opportunity for families to claim a number of tax credits that can be highly beneficial to them. A common misconception is that individuals don’t believe they have earned enough income to be eligible for tax credits. The reality is that every person’s individual situation is different and working […]

Time to Brush Up on Kids’ Dental Health

One of the most common questions I hear as a pediatric dentist is, “When should I start bringing my child to the dentist?” I remember a dad walking into my office, his chubby-cheeked one-year-old daughter perched on his hip. He glanced around, a bit unsure, and asked, “So… am I too early? Too late?” I smiled. “Actually, you’re right on time.” He raised an eyebrow. “Wait—you’re telling me my baby, who barely has any teeth, already needs a dentist?” I […]

All Immigrants Have Rights, Say Attorneys

Despite the fear and chaos created across the U.S. as immigration raids detain and deport more and more people, those living in the U.S. still have constitutional and legal protections, such as against illegal searches and warrantless home entries. That was a key takeaway from the media briefing “ICE Is Knocking. What Are Your Rights?” conducted by Ethnic Media Services. Just in the past few weeks, more than 200,000 people have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and at […]

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