Boston

August 21, 2020 0

Taiwan appoints new Director-General Jonathan Sun to Boston office

Jonathan Sun is the new Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Boston. He arrived in Boston on July 28 after spending the past four years in Taiwan. Prior to that, Sun had spent six years in New York and another six in Washington D.C. As the new Director-General of TECO Boston, Sun hopes to continue the work of his predecessors to strengthen the ties between Taiwan and New England. “I believe my predecessors have done whatever […]

August 21, 2020 0

Reggie Wong Park brings local sports teams together during August Moon Tournament

by Lydia Lowe

September 2019, before the Covid pandemic shut the world down, was the 75th annual North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament, involving 162 teams from across the continent who gathered to compete in the traditional Chinese American sport of 9-man volleyball. Last year’s tournament was held in Toronto, but in 2024, the tournament will come home to Boston’s Chinatown. 9-man Volleyball History 9-man volleyball is a team sport utilizing nine players per side and a slightly larger (10 x 20 meter) […]

August 21, 2020 0

Mary Yick, a pioneering restaurateur of Chinatown who fought discrimination

by Richard Auffrey

From restaurant owner to blackjack dealer, Mary Yick, like two other Chinatown restaurateurs, Ruby Foo and Anita Chue, was another pioneering woman in the Chinatown’s restaurant industry, owning the Tiki Hut restaurant on Tyler Street. Mary Yick was born around 1934 and made her first appearance in a local newspaper, the Boston Herald, in November 1939. At age 5, she and two other young Chinese girls were photographed walking in a parade in Chinatown, part of the first rice bowl party for war […]

August 21, 2020 0

50 years later, a movement is afoot to restore the Chinatown Sampan mural as organizers reach out for support

by Nancy Lo

What lies forgotten or not known by many is the mural of a Sampan boat that was painted in 1970 in Chinatown for the celebration of the first August Moon Festival. The mural was covered up 10 years ago during the renovation of the adjacent public park, named after community activist Mary SooHoo. This vinyl wrap was taken from a tiny 14th Century Chinese traditional landscape painting on display at the Museum of Fine Arts. From what I can tell, […]

August 21, 2020 0

Chinatown Master Plan 2020 covers a broad spectrum of future development and community needs

by Lydia Lowe

The Chinatown Master Plan Committee released Master Plan 2020 with two recent launch events, involving more than a hundred participants from the community, local officials, and other interested stakeholders. Chinatown Master Plan 2020 is a 91-page report, with English and Chinese language versions, that includes data snapshots, updated community development priorities, and identification of four “opportunity areas” where development could support community health and stability. Drafted out of a year-and-a-half planning process involving residents, small business owners, community organizations, and […]

August 21, 2020 0

‘Lantern Stories’ public art will soon illuminate Chinatown’s Chin Park

by ehsieh

Lanterns represent light and symbolize a brighter future. It is the significance and meaning behind the tradition of hanging lanterns in Chinese culture that inspired artist Yu-Wen Wu to propose a public art piece, responding to The Rose Kennedy Greenway’s call for project ideas. When Wu’s concept was chosen, she began designing a work called “Lantern Stories” that would be installed in Chinatown’s Chin Park. “The concept proposed by the Greenway was for a light based artwork at Chin Park working […]

August 7, 2020 0

Councilor Flynn walks the streets of Chinatown while addressing ongoing issues: Street trash, crime and public safety

by Anqi Zhang

In front of a landmark tourist attraction, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn began a walk-through at the Chinatown Gate Friday, July 31. Flynn represents District 2, which includes Chinatown. The councilman conducted a walk-through in the neighborhood, while listening to and answering questions from residents and local advocates. Along with him were police officers in charge of the area, and other representatives from the business community, and local civic organizations. The gathering was in response to residents’ recent complaints about […]

August 7, 2020 0

Councilor Flynn walks the streets of Chinatown while addressing ongoing issues: Street trash, crime and public safety

by Anqi Zhang

August 7, 2020 0

College students voice frustration over pandemic restrictions; for some, it’s a lost fall semester

by Carey Lin

As the pandemic still remains a problem in the United States, universities are unable to reopen college campuses for all their students and staff. Harvard and MIT have chosen to go online for their courses with few exceptions to be on campus. Boston University has chosen to open with a hybrid model of classes, wherein most of the coursework would be online with only some exceptions for in-person coursework. Regulations vary between each university, but all are attempting to limit […]

August 7, 2020 0

2020 Census takers will be going door-to-door this month as the push is on to get household members to respond

by Ken Smith

Chinatown and Asians in Boston showing a low response rate If you haven’t responded to the 2020 Census questionnaire, then you could hear a knock on your door this month. The deadline for completing the U.S. Census Bureau questionnaire was extended three months because of the Covid-19 pandemic to Oct. 31, but that date has been cut back a month, and now will end Sept. 30. However, the Census Bureau is not waiting for households to voluntarily participate; it’s go-time for […]

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