Boston

March 11, 2023 0

Gambling Addiction: A Public Health Issue in Asian Communities

How much gambling has negatively impacted Asian communities nationwide becomes increasingly more apparent each time major casinos enter into bidding processes. In a 2019 chicagobusiness.com report, Wynn Resorts explicitly stated their interest in focusing on “high-end Asian gamblers” for their Encore casino in Everett. In a December 2022 New York Times article about Asians and casinos in the New York area, the “complicated relationship” the gambling industry has with its Asian customer base was even more clearly illustrated: “Many of […]

March 10, 2023 0

Chinatown’s Shops, Eateries Show Resiliency Amid COVID, Says Key Business Leader

by DongDong Yang

Despite the obstacles faced over the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinatown’s businesses remained strong, enduring the toughest months of the outbreak. That was a key takeaway from an interview with Chinatown Business Association President Teresa Tsoi. The Sampan recently sat down with Tsoi to discuss the livelihood of the neighborhood’s shops and restaurants. Following is a lightly edited transcript: No one was prepared for the pandemic. In the Chinatown Business Association, about 98 % of the members are businesses in the Chinatown, […]

February 25, 2023 0

Cannabis Shop Plans Fire Up Some in Chinatown

by Aili Liu

“I’m a recovering substance abuser,” William told Sampan. “My friends know this, my family knows this. I am all too aware of the problems that come when an addict’s drug of choice, like tobacco and alcohol, is legal and easily available. I’m also aware of the regulations in place for sale and distribution and the resources available for treatment to prevent addiction.” He is 67 yrs old, and has owned a Cannabis Shop in Lowell for over 6 years. He […]

February 24, 2023 0

Mayor Wu’s Rent Stabilization Effort Draws Praise, Criticism

by Kristen Si

In a city synonymous with high housing costs, residents of Boston have long dealt with the soaring cost of rent. In fact, for the past several years, Zillow has listed Boston as one of the top 5 most expensive rental markets in the nation. A recent 2022 report by the Greater Boston Association of Realtors’ showed that between 2019 and 2022, is the same time for the median cost of a single-family home rose by 26%. In the face of […]

February 11, 2023 0

Groups Gather to Mourn the Recent Acts of Violence in California Asian Communities

by Sampan Staff

On Jan. 21, 11 people were killed and nine wounded in a massacre during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, California. The mass shooting is now the worst in Los Angeles County’s history. Two days later, four people were killed and one other was seriously wounded in a shooting at the Mountain Mushroom Farm in Half Moon Bay. The gunman in that shooting then drove to a different farm that was nearby and killed another three people. Multiple Asian […]

February 10, 2023 0

Lunar New Year Celebrations Across Massachusetts

by Sampan Staff

Colorful Lion dancers, fireworks, and joyful noises were in abundance at Boston’s Chinatown Lunar New Year Celebration on January 29, with city and community speakers addressing the assembled crowd and a procession making its way through the streets. The celebratory sounds of drums, gongs, and cymbals followed troupes of lion dancers as they went door-to-door offering blessings to the neighborhood’s businesses and restaurants. Similar celebrations were held in Malden, Quincy, and (for the first time in its history) Lowell. Custom […]

February 10, 2023 0

“The Embrace”: A Figurative Abstraction of Love Between Two People Who Loved the World

by Christopher John Stephens

Boston played host to national media on Friday January 13th as the city unveiled “The Embrace” at the 1965 Freedom Plaza on Boston Common. This marked the start of 2023’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day weekend. While the holiday itself is a testament to the life and works of the slain civil rights leader, “The Embrace” is something special, something distinct from the many statues to King that have surfaced in the nearly 55 years since his death. It’s […]

January 21, 2023 0

Charting the Course for the Future of Boston Public Schools: Mary Skipper on the Road Already Traveled and the Roads Ahead

by Christopher John Stephens

Mary Skipper became Boston’s new School Superintendent in September 2022. She is the 6th person to assume this critical role in the past ten years. Currently, the Boston Public School system teaches 49,000 students. Skipper had most recently successfully led Somerville’s schools as its Superintendent. Among other accomplishments in her career, including nine years as a Boston Public Schools Latin and Classics teacher, she helped found Boston Tech Academy which scores today in the top percentile on state testing and […]

January 21, 2023 0

Josiah Quincy Upper School Raises the Final Beam

by DongDong Yang

Boston dignitaries including City Councilman Flynn, Mayor Wu, and School Superintendent Mary Skipper gathered on December 9, 2022 for the topping off ceremony of the Washington Street Josiah Quincy Upper School. It marked the end of approximately 18 months of construction and the start of preparation culminating in the planned fall 2024 ribbon-cutting. From its start in temporary housing at the old Lincoln School on Arlington Street and Bay Village to this new location on Washington Street, this should prove […]

January 7, 2023 0

Crossing the Digital Divide: Helping the Elderly Navigate 21st Century Technology

by DongDong Yang

For many of us, it seems like only yesterday that we faced the fears of a Y2K society. What would happen when all the ones and zeroes of our devices flipped over into a new century? Would our worst fears be realized? Would we find ourselves catapulted into a world where computers crashed and all data that comprised our lives vanished forever? Nothing so drastic happened, but those of us who came of age without the current ease of […]

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