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March 29, 2024 0

The Crisis in Haiti, Explained

With additional reporting from Milourdes Augustin and Kery Forges EDITOR’S NOTE: The developing story of Haitian Prime Minister Aryel Henry’s March 11th resignation has resonated throughout the Haitian community stateside, especially the estimated 14,000 who have come to the Greater Boston area in the past few months. The violence that has erupted in Haiti in recent weeks has been fueled by an explosive mix of government corruption, emboldened gangs and a string of natural disasters on the deeply traumatized Caribbean […]

March 16, 2024 0

Laurence Louie is Making Big Waves as a Chef at Rubato

by Harmony Witte

Sampan went to Rubato, a Hong Kong style café, in Quincy to speak with Chef and co-owner Laurence Louie about his busy year as a Chopped champion, being a James Beard semifinalist, winning both Bon Appétit and Eater Boston’s Best New Restaurants awards in 2023, as well as being an expectant father. Of the items that we tried, the real stand out was Rubato’s signature dish—the fried chicken bolo bao. It was the perfect blend of succulent, perfectly cooked, fried […]

March 16, 2024 0

Interview with Greenway Artists Ponnapa Prakkamakul and Zhidong Zhang

by Harmony Witte

The Greenway Conservancy recently announced two new public art installations that celebrate the Year of the Dragon which will be installed at Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park. The installations are Year of the Dragon by Ponnapa Prakkamakul and Far Away, From Home by Zhidong Zhang. Sampan sat down with the two artists to talk about their work, which is part of the annual Chinese Zodiac series. Sampan: What does it mean to you to have your installation on […]

March 16, 2024 0

Lot Used by Church, Community Groups Denied Parking Permit Amid Push for Cleaner Air

by Sampan Editor

The Boston Air Pollution Control Commission voted at a December 2023 meeting to reject an application to keep in use 30 exempt, longtime parking spaces on a strip of land along Harvard and Hudson Street near the future site of affordable housing. The land currently is part of a lot used by Tufts Shared Services, the non-profit corporation that handles infrastructure needs for both Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center. The lot has been, for about 20 years, used as […]

March 16, 2024 0

Wild Coyotes Are in Cities and Suburbia: How To Protect Yourself

by Jeff Millman

The cries came from over the hill, past the trees, but it was pointless to determine the exact location. It was nighttime, and the only light was the small campfire we’d made. The sounds were ominous but oddly rhythmic: one long howl, followed by shorter, higher-pitched screams, over and over, for several minutes. Then silence. The coyotes were out, and it was time to bring the dogs in. This scene replayed itself many times throughout my childhood in rural and […]

March 16, 2024 0

Four Asian Americans Share Their Journeys in Interracial Marriage

by Brandon Wong

The marriage of two people from different cultures is becoming more common in the U.S.’ ever-evolving society. But it hasn’t always been this way. In the past, especially, interracial marriage had long elicited hostility and discrimination – and was even banned at times. Even states now known for progressive and liberal policies like California prohibited interracial marriage. But consider: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 had even restricted Chinese immigration for over a half century and Japanese Americans including U.S. […]

March 16, 2024 0

Physician Pathway Act Receives Favorable Report from Joint Committee on Public Health, Included in Economic Development Bill

by Yizhen Zhang

On January 11, Massachusetts General Hospital had 103 patients boarding in its Emergency Department, meaning that 103 patients in the ED that day were sick enough to be admitted to the hospital yet have to remain in the ED as there are no available hospital beds. January 11 is marked on the calendar as one of the most crowded days the hospital has experienced in its two centuries of service and caring for Boston and surrounding communities. Massachusetts General Hospital, […]

March 15, 2024 0

From Compassion to Contempt: Shift in American Attitudes Towards Current Wave of Migrants

by Aditya Venkatram

Sampan has been following the migrant crisis for the past four months. We have reported on emotionally charged issues including budget allocation, housing options for overflow arrivals, and discussions about the assimilation of these new families into Boston society. Today, Sampan shares the thoughts of 6 people who were eager to speak. It is recorded through research and studies that America is a country of immigrants. From the nation’s very beginning, immigrants have defined our culture and shaped this country’s […]

March 15, 2024 0

Hope is On the Rise For the Boston Housing Crisis

by Zoe Liu

On February 28, 2024, MassHousing and the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) announced their partnership in launching and growing a new $50 million Equitable Developers Fund. This fund aims to diversify and accelerate Massachusetts’ housing delivery system by providing enterprise-level financing to active but underrepresented developers from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This fund marks a huge moment as it is the largest publicly led financing program in the country. In Massachusetts, the median price for a single-family home was […]

March 2, 2024 0

‘Freckled Rice’ and ‘Our Chinatown’ Explore Chinatown’s Past and Future

by Harmony Witte

Arts Emerson brought back to life the local classic narrative film, “Freckled Rice,” on Feb. 18 at the Bright Family Screening Room over the Paramount Theater in a screening that included the documentary short, “Our Chinatown.” “We have found a diamond that was in someone’s treasure box and unearthed it,” said Susan Chinsen, creative producer at Arts Emerson, who is also the director of the Boston Asian American Film Festival. “Freckled Rice” is the coming-of-age story of a 13-year-old boy […]

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