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January 13, 2024 0

Boston’s Vietnamese Community largely invisible in the news, civic leaders say Advocates point to lack of political representation, Asian journalists, vocal leaders

by guest

This story was reported and written by Boston University students Mitch Fink, Frankie Puleo, Audrey Tumbarello and Ella Willis. The students were participants in the Fall 2023 Race and Gender in the Media Class in the College of Communications. Photos are by Mitch Fink. The Vietnamese-American community has long been a thriving force in Fields Corner. They have raised families, built businesses and transformed a busy Dorchester Avenue stretch into Little Saigon, rich with cultural experiences. But aside from cuisine […]

January 13, 2024 0

Immigration Update 1/12/24

by Jeff Millman

According to government estimates, it takes three to four months for federal immigration authorities to process temporary employment authorization for most legal applicants. Many immigrants in Massachusetts have been waiting much longer. In an article published just before the end of the year, The Boston Globe spoke to a number of immigrants in Massachusetts who applied for work authorization. Some have been waiting six months, others nine. This is despite Massachusetts lawmakers’ attempts to improve waiting times by expanding legal […]

January 12, 2024 0

Chinatown YMCA Supports Migrant Families in Boston

by Tony Le

In the heart of Boston, where the city’s vibrant tapestry is woven with threads of diverse cultures, the migrant situation emerges as a narrative embodying the hopes, struggles, and resilience of those who have journeyed great distances in pursuit of a better life. At the forefront of this story is the Chinatown YMCA’s Migrant Support Program, integral to the city’s response to the challenges faced by migrants. Boston, historically shaped by waves of immigration, witnesses a resurgence of its immigrant […]

January 12, 2024 0

Over One Hundred Years Strong Through the Eyes of Two Centenarians

by Christopher John Stephens

The anxiety about growing old and dying can be obsessive for some but others embrace the challenge. Today, Sampan explores this duality through the eyes of two local centenarians and two experts on aging. On January 1, 2024, according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, Amy Guen turned 101 years old. She keeps health at the forefront of her mind. “If I don’t, the doctors will!” she chuckled as we wrapped up our long conversation about her family’s history as providers […]

December 24, 2023 0

Biweekly Immigration News, 12/22/23: Federal and State Updates

by Jeff Millman

It has been a difficult few months for immigrants in Massachusetts, but there is finally some good news. Lawmakers have approved millions of dollars in funding under a supplemental budget that allows immigrants in the state to access SNAP benefits. The legislation covers residents who are not citizens but are in the immigration process or have legal status. Massachusetts used to provide SNAP benefits to immigrants in the late 90s, but the state halted funding for this aspect of the […]

December 24, 2023 0

Women of Color Continue to Battle On-the-Job Discrimination

by Tracy Huang

As an Asian American woman, Lulu Shi says she has fallen victim to workplace disparities that continue to haunt women of color. She has over 20 years of experience working as an analyst in the oil industry and three master’s degrees, and yet despite these qualifications, Shi says she often faces discrimination — getting rejected for raises, paid less than her colleagues when promoted and treated differently than her male coworkers. “As a woman of color, there have been times […]

December 23, 2023 0

Lunchbox Moments Interview with Artist Aime Bantz

by Harmony Witte

Step into the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown before Feb 17th of 2024 and you will be greeted with colorful walls covered in metal lunchboxes with phrases painted on them. The phrases are distilled from stories by people in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community who attended workshops with artist Aime Bantz. She wrote down the encounters they shared with her during communal meal times throughout their lives. Some of these encounters were positive moments of cultural exchange, but […]

December 23, 2023 0

Jiaoying Summers is No Joke

by Jia H. Jung

Comedian Jiaoying Summers, 33, shivered on the Congress Street Bridge and gazed at a museum and ships commemorating the Boston Tea Party that happened almost 250 years ago to the date. As fife music trilled in the morning air and men in tricorn hats and leggings stood in waiting, she pondered how colonists threw tea into the harbor to protest British tariffs, catalyzing the American Revolution. Looking down into the water, she mumbled that she would have just pretended to […]

December 23, 2023 0

Bilingualism is Superpower

by Sabrina Yeung

At a Nov 16 2023 national conference organized by the Department of Education, bilingualism was recognized for its profound contribution to the economic and political power toolkits for America.. This event, as a part of the Biden-Harris administration’s initiative to promote multilingual education, brought together experts and policy-makers to discuss the burgeoning role of bilingualism in an increasingly interconnected world. A key focus of the conference was the cognitive and economic advantages of being bilingual. A study done by Michelle […]

December 23, 2023 0

Are Food Additives Bad for You?

by Jeff Millman

Potassium bromate, propylparaben, brominated vegetable oil, and red dye number 3: no, this is not a list of materials for an organic chemistry experiment. Instead it’s a group of food additives that will be banned as part of the California Food Safety Act, which California Governor Gavin Newsom signed in October. The legislation won’t go into effect until January of 2027, but it’s made nationwide news – after all, these are common food additives present in everything from fruit cups […]

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