March 21, 2025 | Vol. 54, Issue 6

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Boston

From Dick’s Desk at the AACA LITC

Dear Dick I file my taxes on time by April 15. Then, in no time, I get a tax notice from the IRS. Some years, I get several tax notices from the IRS These IRS tax notices are really stressful to deal with. First, it’s hard to understand what the IRS wants. The writing is technical. The paragraphs list tons of numbers and calculations of tax deficiencies, big penalties, and interest charges they say I owe. The IRS tax letters […]

Massachusetts Senate Passed the Work and Family Mobility Act for Lack Federal Status

Not everyone in Massachusetts has the right to drive. For some residents without federal immigration status, the inability to obtain a legal Driver’s license can totally prevent them from working and providing for their families. There are many jobs throughout Massachusetts where public transportation essentially does not exist and therefore they cannot get to them. And still there are other jobs where the employer actually requires a driver’s license and even a car. Also, consider the plight of newly arrived […]

From Dick’s Desk at the AACA LITC
(Asian American Civic Association Low Income Taxpayer Clinic)

Dear Dick Massachusetts is one of the 46 states in the US that has legalized marijuana.  So, I decided to petition my City of Cambridge to open a medical marijuana dispensary.  Medical marijuana can effectively treat pain, headache, muscle spasms, eye disease, and many other medical problems. I received a good deal of support locally and from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in forming my cannabis business. That is, until I heard that the federal government still has not legalized marijuana. […]

Free Tax Advice and Representation for Non-English Speaking People

Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC) assist low-income individuals who have a tax dispute with the IRS and the Mass  Dept of Revenue and provide education and outreach to individuals who speak English as a second language (ESL). According to the 2021 LITC Program Report from Taxpayer Advocacy Services, LITC represented 19,413 Taxpayers, brought 2,398 taxpayers into filing compliance, provided consultation or advice to 17,792 Taxpayers, and brought 2,990 taxpayers into collection compliance. The Asian American Civic Association (AACA) has launched the […]

Society’s Other Covid-19 Symptom, Bigotry, Takes a Toll

Low-income Asian American families have faced disproportionate hardships since the Covid-19 pandemic began, as I reported here in the last issue of Sampan. “Many people are surprised to learn that Asian Americans have the highest poverty rate of any racial-ethnic group in Boston — it’s about 29%, ” Carolyn Wong, a researcher at the Institute of Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, told me. Wong is the co-writer of a recently published report on the struggles faced by Asians in the Boston area from the pandemic. “The lowest paid workers […]

From Dick’s Desk at the AACA LITC
(Asian American Civic Association Low Income Taxpayer Clinic)

Dear Dick I am a journeyman finish carpenter. I spent the whole week sorting through my lumber supply invoices and pay records for my construction helper. But….I am relieved.  I managed to file my income tax returns by the April 15 tax deadline this year. At the same time, I am worried that the IRS is going to audit me again. I’m being audited for last year.  When I went to my mailbox, I noticed a thick letter with the […]

Failure to Fund Successful Health Services Program Leaves 30,000 Vulnerable Residents, Communities of Color Without Vital Care

On March 29, 2022, ABCD—Action for Boston Community Development—received the shocking news that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, was terminating funding of the anti-poverty organization’s Title X Family Planning program as of March 31, 2022. For more than 50 years, in collaboration with a vital community health center network, ABCD has done an exemplary job of delivering critical health services to more than 30,000 low-income residents and communities of color. Where are our […]

Asian Hate Is on the Rise in Massachusetts, but the True Number of Threats, Attacks Remains Elusive

Last July a Chinese American attorney was approached as she left her office at Tremont Street and Washington Street in Boston. A person came up to her, pulled on her reusable mask, and let the force of the elastic bands slap the mask back against her face. The perpetrator then ran away as the attorney demanded to know: Was she attacked because she was Asian? “I can do whatever I want,” was the response. After the attack, the attorney, who requested […]

The Air That We Breathe: Testimonies From the Frontlines of Chinatown’s Air Pollution Battle

Chinatown continues to be one of Boston’s more vibrant communities. However, behind that curtain, the residents, workers, and businesses breathe the dirtiest air in Massachusetts. Joan didn’t know that Chinatown had the dirtiest air in Massachusetts when she moved here eight years ago. But when her two twin girls were diagnosed with asthma two years ago, she was shocked. She couldn’t understand why. No one in her own family had asthma and no one smoked at home. Then her children’s […]

The Warmth of Community Strength: How Organizations Are Helping Solve Boston’s Home Heating Oil Crisis

The worst kept secret for most homeowners, renters, or landlords today is that energy prices were on their way up well before Russia invaded Ukraine. It’s raised prices on everything from Uber rides to children’s toys. The current (as of March 21, 2022) price of oil at above $110 a barrel is down slightly from this month’s high of $130. Gas to run your automobile is precariously priced from a low of $4 a gallon to a high of $6 […]

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