Features

president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden sworn in on inauguration day

February 19, 2021 0

Advocates cautiously optimistic about Biden’s immigration policies

City representatives and advocates have said that president Joe Biden’s newest immigration policies have brought them hope, but that there is still skepticism in the community. While Biden’s sweeping reforms have appeared bold, it will likely take time for the former Trump administration’s actions to be reversed. One of Biden’s first steps was to sign a memorandum on January 20 that ordered the attorney general and the secretary of Homeland Security to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood […]

February 5, 2021 0

H1-B workers on 4 years of Trump and new administration change

by Christine Mui

As the Biden administration works to reverse Donald Trump’s immigration policies, H1-B workers reflect on their experiences during the last four years and share hopes for the changes in store and their future in the country. From the start of his term, the Trump administration has tightened up on the skilled worker visa program, framing changes under the guise of protecting American jobs. In 2017, the former president called the H1-B program a “theft of American prosperity” and vowed to […]

February 5, 2021 0

Sampan Interview with Iron Chef Morimoto: Asian Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee

by Carey Lin

1. How did you decide on becoming a chef? (I learned about your baseball injury. You could have done anything in the world, but why a chef?) When I was growing up, I wanted to either be a professional baseball player or a sushi chef. When I injured my shoulder early on in my baseball career, I turned to sushi, which was always a very special food memory early in my life. I trained in the art of being a […]

February 5, 2021 0

Immigrant History Initiative hosts parent workshop on race

by guest

By Mandy Sun and Karen Mai On Jan. 22, the Immigrant History Initiative hosted a workshop that addressed how parents, specifically immigrant parents, could talk about Asian American identity and racism with their children. The workshop emerged in light of Asian racism during the pandemic and the language inaccessibility that prevented immigrant families from understanding how this might not only impact their children but how they would handle it. “This sort of space is sorely needed,” says Kathy Lu, one […]

Ralliers came together outside the JFK building to protest against deportations

January 22, 2021 0

Advocates respond to potential ban on work permits for immigrants under Orders of Supervision

by Shira Laucharoen

The Trump administration proposed a new potential rule on November 17 to ban work permits and limit jobs for people who are under Orders of Supervision (OSUP). To be classified as being under OSUP means that a person has been ordered to be deported but is not physically able to return to their country of origin. The rule has not yet gone into practice, but local organizations and groups across the Northeast have united to challenge the ban. Before it […]

January 6 rioters at Capitol building incited by Donald Trump

January 22, 2021 0

From Capitol violence to impeachment: Trump’s final days in office

by Carey Lin

Note: This article was written before Wednesday, January 20, 2021, inauguration day of President Joe Biden. Updates to this article may be made and can be found on sampan.org. (Print) Note: This article was originally written before January 20, 2021, inauguration day of President Joe Biden. It has since been updated (see below) to include the latest events up until our scheduled publishing date, January 22, 2021. (Online) On Jan. 6, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building and disrupted the […]

Nonprofit leader Eva Millona speaks at a podium to advocate for immigration reform

January 8, 2021 0

Local organizations, Mayor’s office, respond to restoration of DACA

by Shira Laucharoen

On December 4, Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the United States District Court in Brooklyn, New York ordered the Trump administration to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy to its original state during the Obama administration. Garaufis demanded that as early as December 7, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have to begin accepting applications again, not just renewals. The fight to have DACA reinstated has been a long one, according to the executive director of the […]

November 20, 2020 0

Bank of America Names Asian American Civic Association and La Colaborativa as 2020 Neighborhood Builders®

by guest

Program Provides $400,000 in Flexible Funding and Leadership Skills Development Training to Advance Economic Mobility in Greater Boston BOSTON – The Asian American Civic Association and La Colaborativa, formerly known as the Chelsea Collaborative, have been named as the 2020 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for Greater Boston. The nonprofits were selected for their work in Massachusetts to address issues fundamental to economic mobility, specifically improving the social and economic health of minority communities. As an awardee, each organization […]

November 20, 2020 0

Study from 2018 disproves “Model Minority” Myth

by Jun Li

By Jun Li A 2018 study conducted by Pew Research Center found that the largest wealth gap in America is among Asian Americans. The study, which was led by senior researcher Rakesh Kochhar and former research analyst Anthony Cilluffo, analyzed changes in wealth for whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics from 1970 to 2016, finding that the income gap among all Americans increased by 8.7 times since 1970. Most notable, however, was the change in income among Asian Americans. “From 1970 […]

November 20, 2020 0

Food for Thought: Melodias

by Anna Ing

Melodias, translated into English, means “melodies.” It is a lovely Colombian restaurant and bar in the Orient Heights neighborhood of East Boston (just steps from the Orient Heights Blue Line T stop). Melodias now serves take out and some limited dine in seating, at the already cozy restaurant. There is a flat screen tv playing Latin music videos in the background. For our drinks, we got the Guanábana, also known as sour sop milk, custard apple, and a blackberry milk, […]

404 Not Found