Business

March 7, 2025 0

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 […]

January 3, 2025 0

Asian Community Fund Aims to Bridge Gaps for Region’s AAPI Communities

by Yuchen Hong

When the Asian Community Fund (ACF) launched in 2020, it set out with a clear mission: to unify and empower the Asian American Pacific Islander community across Massachusetts.Founded during a period of heightened anti-Asian racism and in response to research showing less that 1% of philanthropic giving reaches Asian communities, ACF has become a vital resource for increasing visibility and support for local Asian communities. “We’ve been so invisible to date,” says Executive Director Danielle Kim, highlighting how the AAPI […]

December 20, 2024 0

Kairos Shen Has Big Visions for Chinatown

by Sampan Staff

Interview conducted by Ryan C. Lundgren Kairos Shen is a familiar face to anyone who follows development in the city. During his lengthy career, Shen worked from 1993 to 2015 at the city’s development and planning agency, at the time called the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Before leaving the BRA, he rose to the rank of director of planning, wielding influence over development in the city – including for the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the South Boston Waterfront Innovation District, and the […]

November 22, 2024 0

Immigration Attorney: Trump’s Plans Dire, But Not Unstoppable

by Adam Smith

The incoming administration of Donald Trump has vowed to purge the nation of undocumented immigrants and others, using unprecedented strategies. It’s promised to implement mass deportations, threatened a little-known concept of “remigration,” and even called for expanded efforts to denaturalize some groups of U.S. citizens. Trump’s pick for “Border Czar,” Thomas Homan, for example, recently said in a “60 Minutes” interview that one way to carry out mass deportations without separating families is to have families of mixed immigration and […]

November 8, 2024 0

‘Amnesty’ Offered to State Tax Payers, but Some Say More Help Is Needed

by Esther Wang

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue is offering taxpayers a little breather through Dec. 30: The tax amnesty program will waive penalties for certain eligible taxpayers as long as they pay the tax and interest owed before the end of the year. In order to enter the program, the taxpayer will have to submit an Amnesty Request, pay the total amount owed, and submit all required returns by December 31, 2024. Those who have received prior amnesty relief, are in active […]

August 23, 2024 0

Chinatown Bakeries Keep August Moon Tradition Alive

by DongDong Yang

The mid-autumn festival, also known as the August Moon festival, is often celebrated with mooncakes – round pastries with sweet or savory fillings that symbolize the full moon. But the tradition of hand crafting the delicacy is slowly changing, say some pastry chefs, who are keeping the tradition alive locally.“The most difficult part of making mooncakes is cooking the syrup, which needs to be prepared a month in advance. It’s a very skillful process. Traditional hand-made mooncakes are the most […]

August 23, 2024 0

Golden Monkey Cafe, a Cambodian Restaurant in Lynn, Is Full of History, Flavor and Family

by Christopher John Stephens and Ingrid Stendhal

The Golden Monkey Cafe is a small, cozy restaurant located at 468 Chestnut St. in Lynn. The restaurant speaks to the perseverance, resiliency, and history of the food it serves and the people that prepare and present it. Unpretentious, the cafe is decorated with soft pink pastel walls and white trim, and is neat and tidy in its simplicity. In addition to offering free parking, the place affords some seating both inside as well as outside on the veranda for […]

July 26, 2024 0

‘I Feel So Hopeless’ With No Severance and LimitedEnglish, Ex-East West WorkersFear for Their Financial Future

by Aurora Hao

The closure of East West Manufacturing in Boston in June has left 51 workers, many of whom are Chinese immigrants, uncertain about their financial and career prospects – and with no severance. “I feel so helpless and don’t know what to do right now,” one former employee, Mandy, told the Sampan. She asked not to use her last name. “Now I get unemployment benefits, but I don’t know so much English and I need someone to fill out some forms […]

July 12, 2024 0

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

by Yuchen Hong

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 […]

June 7, 2024 0

Sometimes Hard Work is Not Enough: So Expand Earned-Income Tax Credit

by Angela Divaris

The Earned-Income Tax Credit has been widely hailed as one the most successful antipoverty programs in the country, and it’s time our state allowed immigrants without Social Security numbers to benefit from the credit, too. The EITC is aimed at boosting the incomes of low-to-moderate earners, especially those with minor children. There is a rich body of research showing how the EITC lifts millions of households out of poverty and encourages employment. Massachusetts is among the 31 states that have […]

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