Boston

June 7, 2024 0

Fond Memories of Jasper White Served Up by Local Chefs, Others

Jasper White, who died last month at age 69, was a pioneering chef who significantly elevated New England cuisine through his restaurants, Jasper’s and the Summer Shack. White’s culinary legacy is deeply rooted in seafood, particularly his signature dish, pan-roasted lobster. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, White honed his skills in dining rooms of several Boston hotels. He opened his first restaurant, Jasper’s, in 1983. At Jasper’s, White focused on modern American dishes using local ingredients, earning […]

June 7, 2024 0

Lunar New Year Now Holiday in Quincy As School Vote Bypassed

by Harmandeep Singh

Groups in Quincy fighting to establish the Lunar New Year as an official school holiday made a major win last month – but not in the way many expected. Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch overrode the decision of the school committee to oppose the proposal for a Lunar New Year school holiday, following an earlier city council vote to recognize the day. But that move surprised the school board, which saw the mayor’s decision as undermining the school group’s authority.Quincy residents […]

June 7, 2024 0

In Face of Protest, Skip Schiel Wants You to Picture the Plight of Palestinians, Refugees

by Adam Smith

Photographer Skip Schiel keeps a photo of a boat full of refugees hanging on his wall in his home in Cambridge. It’s not a photo that he took, but one that was sent to him in a fundraising campaign. “I’m looking at it right now,” he said during a phone call with the Sampan. “It was made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It’s a boat full of people of different colors, maybe a 100 or more, looking […]

June 7, 2024 0

Palestinian-American Speaks Out After Library Photo Reception Taken Over

by Adam Smith

Laila Kassis had never heard of Skip Schiel’s photography before she was asked to talk at the reception in mid-May for the exhibit “The Ongoing and Relentless Nakba, the Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948 to the Present.” Kassis, a Palestinian-American, said when she did see the 14 or so photos in the show, she noted how underwhelming it all was, given the subject. “It was very simple and innocuous.” There was no big statement or in-your-face message, just photos of the […]

June 7, 2024 0

Pride Month, and a Ways to Go for Some

by Tracy Huang

Two decades after Massachusetts legalized gay marriage and after decades of battles for equal rights for gays and lesbians, the struggle for acceptance still continues for some, especially in Asian American communities. “I came out to my parents in high school, where I hoped that they would be accepting of the fact that I had a girlfriend, instead of their Christian Korean boyfriend standard,” a Korean-American Boston College student, who wishes to keep her name private, told the Sampan recently. […]

June 7, 2024 0

Clean Energy Activist Frank Pao Sees the Light

by Kristen Si

The U.S. Small Business Administration is lifting a loan program cap for clean energy projects for small businesses. With these new regulations, small businesses will be able to take out as many loans as they would like for up to $5.5 million to fund energy reduction or clean energy projects. These new policies come as part of a series of policy changes urging for cleaner energy from the Biden-Harris administration.Amid these new policy changes, Sampan had the opportunity to speak […]

May 24, 2024 0

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

by Tracy Huang

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 […]

May 24, 2024 0

AstraZeneca’s Jab Ends; Officials Urge Getting Covid Boosters

by Kristen Si

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 […]

May 24, 2024 0

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

by Anita Yip

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 […]

May 24, 2024 0

Gov. Healey Honors Asian Heritage Month, Community Leaders

by DongDong Yang

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 […]

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