April 26, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 8

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Education

Thank You, Mr. Nixon: stories Gish Jen’s fiction looks at the complicated 50 year legacy of China/U.S. normalized relations

Going back to 1949, according to history.state.gov, the U.S.Ambassador had met with Communist Ambassadors to discuss U.S. recognition of the newly declared (as of October 1, 1949) PRC (People’s Republic of China.) Had Mao not declared his intention to side with the Soviet Union, recognition could have come much earlier than 1972. The United States stayed out of the Chinese Civil War, even though “the Truman Administration was prepared to abandon the Nationalists and allow the Communists to take over […]

A Song Everlasting: Ha Jin and the Absolute Cost of Creative Freedom

The status of a creative writer in their own culture is always tenuous, always in flux. Are they best as servants to the status quo, or are they only understood within the context of what they manage to overturn? Think of American authors like James Patterson or Tom Clancy, whose bestsellers over the course of their many decades follow standard formulas of handsome rugged heroes and clearly defined bad guys. Their creativity exists in their ability to define and perfect […]

Yung Wing & the Earliest Chinese Students in Massachusetts

Springfield was one of the first cities in Massachusetts where Chinese arrived in the 1840s, primarily fueled by the desire for education. The start of this tale though extends back about 30 years earlier. Reverend Samuel Robbins Brown was born in 1810 in Hartford, Connecticut and in 1818, his family moved to Monson, Massachusetts, a relatively short distance from Springfield. Samuel attended the Monson academy, which prepared students for college, and he was part of the Yalecollege class of 1832. Samuel became a missionary […]

From Dick’s DeskTax Credits and Deductions for College Education

Dear Dick: I have two children attending two high priced Boston colleges.  My son is a junior, and my daughter is a sophomore. So, I have two more years of tuition checks to write. Are there any tax writeoffs I can take to get some relief from the high cost of tuition expense? “Over-educated and Over-Taxed” —————————————————- Dear “Over-educated and Over-Taxed,” I agree, it costs a small ransom to send children to college these days. But you may benefit from […]

Justice Dept. Ends China Program

A Trump-era Department of Justice initiative that critics say unfairly targets Chinese Americans is ending, but some say the damage has already been done. The “China Initiative” was launched in 2018 when the DOJ was run by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The program was intended to defend the United States against what officials believed to be intellectual property theft conducted by the Chinese government, but it has been criticized for unfairly targeting Chinese scientists in the U.S., and some say […]

BrushMagic Kids, a Program for America’s Youth

BrushMagic Kids was created by Peter Ng, a well known painter living in Boston. He hopes the program will improve the future of students across America. Ng emigrated from Hong Kong to America at age ten. After finishing high school, he joined the Air Force, serving in Vietnam. After the war, He came home to become the first Asian American to pursue a career as an air traffic controller and went on to become Communications Director of the Federal Aviation […]

Anti-Asian Notes Target President of Harvard’s Undergrad Council

Michael Cheng, president of the Harvard undergraduate council, was the apparent victim of anti-Asian slurs at the campus late last month, in an incident that has been condemned by dozens of organizations and hundreds of members affiliated with the school. “It just crosses a line in many ways,” said Cheng, who’s pursuing a joint concentration in history and mathematics and a concurrent fourth-year master’s degree in computer science. “I just have seen casual stereotypes about Asian Americans thrown about at […]

BE AN INNOVATOR!: International Day of Women and Girls in Science

February 11th was International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It reminded me that the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are currently the fastest growing segment of the economy with employers desperately seeking talent— and that talent includes women!   When I received a job offer from the IBM Corporation as a Scientific Programmer, l was thrilled. So, I accepted without reservation. At that time, I was in graduate school studying mathematics with a focus on analytics […]

High-schoolers Struggle Mentally and Emotionally in Remote Learning Environment

Although severe cases of COVID-19 mainly affect the elderly and immunocompromised physically, young people have been challenged emotionally and mentally in the past two years. High schoolers ranging from freshmen to graduating seniors had shared and varying experiences. While all tried their best to adapt to a new normal of remote learning, each individual dealt with the sudden and unexpected changes differently based on their situations. Quarantine restrictions forced schools across the country to shift to remote learning. “No one […]

If You’re Getting a Tax Return, Here’s Why You Should Skip the Check

As the 2022 tax filing season begins, the Internal Revenue Service is asking taxpayers to file tax return electronically and use direct deposit for refunds. Here’s why that would be a good idea: Using a direct deposit is the safest and most convenient way to receive a tax refund. Choosing IRS direct deposit is the fastest way for taxpayers to get their refund. Getting your refund electronically is secure. Since refunds are electronically deposited, there’s no risk of having a paper check stolen or […]

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