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July 21, 2023 0

Ruling on Admissions Invites Mixed Emotions From Sampan Readers

Editor’s Note: Sampan asked a cross-section of Massachusetts residents about the recent court ruling regarding Affirmative Action. We spoke with retired Executives, academics, students, parents, and teenagers. What follows are their emailed responses, edited for clarity and space. I am personally conflicted with how I feel about the overturning of affirmative action for college admissions. On one hand I can see the usefulness of affirmative action and how it creates a more diverse student body which is very important. As […]

July 21, 2023 0

Supreme Court: Harvard and UNC’s Use of Race in Admissions Process Is Unconstitutional

by Marina Qu

The Supreme Court ruled Friday, June 30th that Harvard’s and University of North Carolina’s use of race in the admissions process was unconstitutional, changing the impact of affirmative action in higher education. The 6-2 decision for Harvard and 6-3 decision for UNC ruled that both school’s admissions processes discriminate against Asian Americans and violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans institutions that receive federal funds from discriminating “on the grounds of race, color or national origin.” The decisions […]

July 8, 2023 0

Immigrants and Their Stories: A Series of Narratives

by Mary Wong-Sommer

In this series, we interview new immigrants to the US to hear their stories, struggles, and dreams. Here, we speak with Hu Yang (his name has been changed), from China. Hu Yang, from China Hu Yang comes from the city of Tai Shan in Guangdong Province, China. After graduating from college, he began working as an intern at the Bank of China. He remained at the bank for 17 years, rising to the position of Loan Officer Manager. Hu Yang […]

July 8, 2023 0

Government Support Must be Increased to Make New Technology Affordable

by Kristen Si

While it may be easy to forget in the summer heat, New England suffers from some of the most brutal winters in the country. With temperatures occasionally dropping below zero degrees Fahrenheit every year, the cost of living in Boston is underlined with the additional cost of keeping people warm in their homes. Annually, New Englanders pay hefty costs for utility bills, with the cost of energy being some of the highest in the country. Using 2022-2023 data, the website […]

July 8, 2023 0

Elemental Review

by Harmony Witte

Pixar’s Elemental is a sweet, transfixing tale of an immigrant family of fire elementals making their way through their new life in Element City and the unlikely love story that unfolds. The film follows two generations of a family who are new in a city full of anthropomorphic water, land, earth, and air residents. A city that its very infrastructure is not made to accommodate fire elementals. When the young, temperamental, Ember, meets an easy-going water elemental called Wade, sparks fly, and […]

July 8, 2023 0

DIGNIDAD Act: The First Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill Seen in Years

by Daniel Steinberg

With the nation bogged down in partisan, polarized debate surrounding immigration, the DIGNIDAD Act provides the first bipartisan effort at reform effectively transcends party lines with seemingly practical solutions and works to address security, documentation, and humanitarian aid. The system currently faces a backlog of 1.6 million cases and unprecedented humanitarian displacement in Latin America. The situation shows no signs of slowing. The evenly divided Congress could prove a barrier to this bill’s eventual enactment. For now, the results remain very uncertain, […]

July 8, 2023 0

The Mysterious World of Cirque Du Soleil: Behind the Magic

by DongDong Yang

Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company and the world’s largest theater production company. Known as Canada’s “National Treasure,” it is the fastest growing, highest-earning and most popular art group in the world today. Corteo is a centerpiece play from Cirque that combines elegant aerial acrobatics and shocking theatrical performances. “Corteo” means “cortege” in Italian, which means a process of joy and refers to a happy team imagined by the clown, Mauro, who envisions that his own burial will […]

July 7, 2023 0

All Immigrants Now Eligible for Standard Driver’s License in Massachusetts

by Sampan Staff

Work and Family Mobility Act will allow residents to obtain license regardless of status. Starting July 1, eligible Massachusetts residents will be able to apply for a learner’s permit and road test to obtain a driver’s license, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Newly translated materials are also being prepared under the Work and Family Mobility Act. Under the new law, residents can apply to obtain a standard (class D or M) driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. “The […]

July 7, 2023 0

Sumner Tunnel to Be Closed Through August 31, 2023

by Sampan Staff

Editor’s note: In an effort to better serve and inform our readers, Sampan will be publishing regular updates throughout the course of this closing in all print issues (starting with this one) through the end of August. Updates will also be posted online. Our focus will be on the purpose of the Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project and progress of the repair. In this issue, we are posting the current alternative means of travel options that will be available during the […]

June 24, 2023 0

Out of Control Inflation: The Devastating Impact on America’s Low-Income Families

by Aurora Hao

As of February 2023, more than 630,000 Massachusetts households faced a loss of about a third of what they had received in SNAP benefits over the past two years. For many, this means working extra hours and struggling to meet needs on a daily basis. For undocumented immigrants, it can mean finding informal work paid in cash under the table, often at rates far below minimum wage without the benefits of insurance and legal protection. The lack of accessibility to […]

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