With teams like the Celtics and Red Sox, Boston houses some of the most passionate sports fans in the United States. As much as Boston is known for athletic excellence, however, the city has also been subject to criticism over its racist past and present. Legendary Boston Celtic superstar player and coach Bill Russell, who died July 31, 2022 at the age of 88, knew all too well the scourge of racism that was thrown at him during his time […]
To afford the average purchase price of a Boston home, a household would need to earn at least $181,000 a year, according to a recent Boston Globe story. In Chinatown, property values have skyrocketed since the luxury development boom and remain high despite the current recession. What has that meant for Chinatown’s immigrant, working class residents? The signs of gentrification now visible throughout the city took root early in this community. American Community Survey data for 2017 revealed that the […]
The Chinese August Moon festival is traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It is believed that the roundness of the moon represents the reunion of family in Chinese minds. For over 2000 years the usually three day celebration has been a time for a post-Autumn harvest celebration giving thanks to the gods for the blessings of hard work and family. Foods served include mooncakes, pumpkin, river snails, taro, wine fermented with […]
Nestled in the history of ancient China lies the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival. Filled with food, wonderful cultural traditions, and inspiring, team-oriented races, today’s Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Races and Festival offer more than entertainment. It connects people and draws them into a different culture. Strong leaders and advocates have worked to bring not only representation, but appreciation of Asian culture in America. Volunteer led and volunteer based, the leaders of Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival […]
“Post 328 is a living memorial to all the veterans, both Asian American and not, who have come from the Boston community and served America with honor and distinction.” -Post Commander Matthew Seto. Boston Chinatown’s Post 328 has advocated on behalf of veterans, service members, and the local community for more than 75 years. Founded after World War II, Post 328 originally helped negotiate benefits for veterans and their families, helping many take advantage of the GI Bill of Rights, […]
While thinking about the settlement of Asian residents in Chinatown, one must consider its role as an ethnic enclave. It means that there is a great percentage of the residents sharing the ethnic and cultural identity, as well as their economic activity. As you walk down the streets of Boston Chinatown, you cannot help to notice the advertisements and brands in Chinese, to smell the sense of ethnic food, to hear people speaking languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese. Yet […]
Marching through downtown Boston, the hundred or so men wore the same style navy shirts, khaki pants, and baseball caps. White masks obscured their faces. But during their demonstration of intolerance on July 2, the group performed more than theatrics: Some members allegedly harmed a man named Charles Murrell, a Boston-area Black artist and activist during an alleged altercation. Murrell suffered injuries to his head and hand, but no arrests have been made yet in relation to the alleged altercation, […]
“School is a place to learn, it isn’t a place for us to go and fear for our lives”. This was stated in an interview with Laura, a sophomore at Brookline High school. While Laura is just one person in the sea of thousands of pupils, her thoughts are on everyone’s mind. It seems that just like in the cold war, when kids were taught to duck under their desks in case of a nuclear bomb threat, so are kids […]
I can still remember the night the MBTA died. It was February of 2015, during one of the worst snowstorms Boston had seen in years. I boarded a Commuter Rail train at South Station at 6:15 PM hoping to beat the storm. I was too late. Just a few minutes after we left, the train stopped. The snow was walloping us from all directions, dropping in heaps from the sky. Then the lights went out. Sitting in the dark, trying […]
The highest court in Massachusetts on June 22 cleared the millionaires’ tax question. The next step will be made by the Massachusetts voters on the November ballot. The official title for the “millionaires’ tax” is the “Fair Share Amendment,” which requires that for the domestic income over $1 million per year, the taxpayers will be adding a 4% tax. How will it help the rest of the public, in this case, the non-millionaires like us? According to the proposed amendment: […]
