Boston

July 12, 2024 0

At ‘Last’: Sneaker Co. Takes Big Step for Asian American Pride

For Adam King, his shoe line, 1587 Sneakers, is about more than just footwear. It’s about identity and pride. “We want all people to be unapologetically themselves,” said King. “For me, that’s being a loud, proud Asian American.” Growing up in Dover and Wellesley with few Asian Americans, King remembers the feeling of being from a different culture. “Sometimes you hide them a little bit, or you don’t celebrate them as much as you should. We don’t want any Asian […]

July 12, 2024 0

Attempts to Ban Books Hit ‘Record Number’

by Adam Smith

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom has a heat map of the United States that at first glance appears like the state-by-state map Americans grew so accustomed to during the Covid pandemic. Texas and Florida are dark maroon, while many other states are hot orange. Massachusetts is a tad lighter, but still fiery. The map, however, is not warning of the danger of disease spread. It’s warning of something just as perilous to Democracy: attempts to curb free […]

July 12, 2024 0

‘Librarian Burnout’ Rises as More Censorship Requests Flood System

by Sampan Staff

As libraries across then nation face ever growing pressure to remove books from their shelves, censor materials and cancel events, staff at these public institutions are taking the brunt of the stress.“I have strong concerns about librarian burnout,” a librarian in Greater Boston, who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak freely, told the Sampan. “I personally know of many librarians who are considering or have left the profession and moved on to corporate … or … retail positions […]

July 12, 2024 0

Corky Lee Photo Book Captures Half Century of Fighting for Justice

by Christopher John Stephens

Photojournalism at its best will do what the dedication of this book promises. It will afford recognition, respect, and equality to the subjects it presents. In this remarkably thorough and beautifully rendered new coffee table book from Penguin Random House, the life and legacy of photographer Corky Lee is on full display, Hua Hsu remarks, in his introduction, about the range and breadth of Lee’s work, going from the tight focus of Manhattan’s Chinatown to the diverse spectrum of Asian […]

July 12, 2024 0

For State’s New Migrants, Finding Housing Just One Part of Struggle

by Esther Wang

For the past year, migrants have been staying at Boston Logan Airport as Massachusetts’s emergency shelter system struggled with the influx of new arrivals. With the shelters full, they sleep on makeshift bedding spread across baggage claim under constant lighting and announcements, are carted out of Logan in the morning to welcome centers, then sent back at night. Authorities have limited knowledge and control of the situation. When asked, Governor Healey’s administration couldn’t state how many migrants were arriving at […]

July 12, 2024 0

Chinatown Parking Lot’s Use Ends, as City Commission Casts June Vote

by Tracy Huang

The Boston Air Pollution Control Commission voted last month in decision that would effectively end the use of 30, longtime parking spaces in Chinatown, which were deemed out of compliance with city regulations. The land in question, located on Tyler Street, has been used by Tufts Shared Services for decades, providing parking primarily for Tufts Medical Center’s medical patients. It was the site of Boston’s Chinese Church before its relocation outside of the neighborhood. “The Air Pollution Control Commission does […]

July 12, 2024 0

Vincent Chin Remembered in Hub

by DongDong Yang

Wearing T-shirts reading “STOP ASIAN HATE,” a group of residents and activists arranged candles in the shape of a heart and displayed a portrait of Vincent Chin with his name written in Chinese and “May 18, 1955 — June 23, 1982” last month under the Chinatown Gate. Wilson Lee, co-founder of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Boston Lodge and the Chinese American Heritage Foundation, said he and his wife Esther Zee Lee have organized a vigil for Chin every June […]

June 21, 2024 0

Asian American Ballet Project Dances to a Beat of Its Own

by Yuchen Hong

Elizabeth Mochizuki, the Asian American Ballet Project’s artistic director, distinctly remembers what was going through her mind during the group’s first time on stage. “I remember being like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s really happening. It’s just us. We’re doing ballet,’” Mochizuki told the Sampan of the all-Asian-American performance. “It was something I’ve never seen before. I just wanted to bring people together to create this idea, share our stories and our experiences.” Prior to the debut, Mochizuki said, she felt […]

June 21, 2024 0

Chinatown Nonprofit Celebrates57 Years at Its ‘Gala of Dreams’

by DongDong Yang

The Asian American Civic Association (AACA), publisher of the Sampan newspaper, celebrated its 57th anniversary with an annual gala on June 14 at the University of Massachusetts Club in Boston. This year’s theme was the “Gala of Dreams.” Among the many highlights of the night, Gov. Maura Healey was presented with the Dream Maker Award in recognition of her dedication to making Massachusetts a place of equity, opportunity, and inclusion.For nearly six decades, AACA has been working with immigrant communities […]

June 21, 2024 0

Special Guest Opinion: Rev. Dr. William Alberts Sacrificed Career, Reputation for Gay Rights

by Eva Alberts and Amy Warren

When celebrating Pride Month, we recall the major milestones, such as the June 25, 2015 decision that made gay marriage legal. But perhaps lesser known are the hard-fought struggles that led to that moment in history. One such monumental struggle began on April 7, 1973 at the Old West United Methodist Church, in Boston’s West End, when Rev. Dr. William E. Alberts performed the marriage of Bob Jones and Harry Freeman. The marriage was a well publicized event, covered by […]

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