December 20, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 24

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Front Page

Hub Music Group Celebrates ‘Chinese Arts and Culture’ Boston Festival Orchestra Conductor Tells of show, group’s history

Sampan sat down with the conductor of the Boston Festival Orchestra, Alyssa Wang. Wang discussed the orchestra’s upcoming program, “A Celebration of Chinese Arts and Culture,” as well as her thoughts on inclusion and engagement in music, and what it means to her to be leading the performance as a Chinese American. BFO’s “A Celebration of Chinese Arts and Culture” will be held on July 28, 3 p.m., at Jordan Hall in Boston.Tickets can be purchased at: bforchestra.ticketleap.com/scheherazade/Sampan: Will you […]

Report: American Youth Dying at High Rates of Preventable Causes

Despite advances in medicine and vaccines, America’s young people are dying at alarming rates and by preventable causes, according to a recent investigation by a team of U.S. pediatric doctors. The report, published in May in the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that in particular Blacks are hit hard by gun violence, whites and Hispanics by motor vehicle accidents and Asians and Native Americans by suicide. Most every group saw a recent increase in drug-related deaths.Most startling: Between […]

Editorial: U.S. Is Failing Its Young People

America is failing its children.That is the undeniable takeaway from a report published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Kids age one to 19 are overall dying at a faster rate than they have been in the past half century, found the team of doctors who wrote the report, “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among US Youth.”Between 1999 and 2020, nearly a half million kids in the U.S. died, and many from […]

U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su Reflects on Family’s Immigration, Value of Unions

Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, spoke at a conference in honor of Asian American Heritage Month on May 13, reflecting on her family’s own path to the U.S., including her mother’s union job and trip to the U.S. from China on a cargo ship.Su is an American attorney and government official who has served as an acting United States secretary of labor since 2023. She’s also the 37th United States deputy secretary of labor, serving since 2021. Elaine Lan Chao […]

Dr. Gisela Velez Awarded for Vision Care to Hispanics, Others

After years of helping under-served Hispanic residents of central Massachusetts with eye care, Dr. Gisela Velez has been honored by the Small Business Association. Her clinic, Central Mass Retina and Uveitis Center, was recently named Woman-Owned Business of the Year.Velez says her ability to care for patients while also speaking both English and Spanish has helped her better serve her patients. Her practice provides specialized medical ophthalmic care to patients whose only other option would be to travel to Boston […]

AstraZeneca’s Jab Ends; Officials Urge Getting Covid Boosters

AstraZeneca is pulling its Covid-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, which had been OKed in several nations in Europe and elsewhere.The U.K. company’s official reason for withdrawing the vaccine was a lack of demand, as the pandemic has largely cooled since it first flared up in China after the first cases were detected in late 2019. The vaccine was granted full marketing authorization in the European Union in 2022.But just before the vaccine’s run was to end, AstraZeneca publicly admitted in court documents […]

Preview: Immigrant History Trail Paves Way for Chinatown’s Legacy

The Immigrant History Trail celebrates Boston Chinatown’s resilience and enduring cultural heritage on June 8 at 1 p.m. with its launch, marking a significant milestone toward efforts to designate Chinatown as a cultural district.Following decades of urban renewal, zoning injustice, and institutional expansion, Chinatown faces one of its biggest threats yet: the erosion of cultural identity. As luxury developments encroach, surging housing prices and rising rents are displacing long-standing residents and small businesses. Consequently, both the immigrant, working-class residential and […]

Amid Turmoil, Haitian Flag Day Stands Tall

Even as far away as Massachusetts, Haitian Flag Day is a festive occasion of national pride, even in times of trouble.Celebrated annually on May 18 the day honors the flag that was created in 1803 by Catherine Flon, who was involved in the Haitian Revolution. For Haitians, Flag Day is a time of pride and joy, marked by large family gatherings, parades, and dance parties that celebrate Haiti’s rich history. It is a day for sharing stories of Haiti’s great […]

Gov. Healey Honors Asian Heritage Month, Community Leaders

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and leaders from communities across the state gathered on May 20 at the State House to commemorate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Secretary Yvonne Hao from the Office of Economic Development presided over the event as the master of ceremony. Gov. Healey and Sec. Hao recognized the significant contributions of five community leaders: Lydia Lowe, director of the Chinatown Community Land Trust; Helen Chin Schlichte, co-founder and president emeritus and current board […]

Filipino Nurses Share Their Struggle of Working in U.S.

Ofelia Solem is the president of the New England Chapter of the Philippine Nurses Association of America and works for a major hospital in Boston. But not so long ago, she was a frantic caretaker – working per diem in a nursing home, while also working at a long-term acute care hospital in Roxbury. To make more money to send home to the Philippines, she faced long hours, a heavy workload and emotional exhaustion. As a recent immigrant from the […]

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