New America Media
Coming Out and Living As a Double Minority
Today is National Coming Out Day. In this International Examiner feature, Mike Chin shares his experience as a "double minority".
'Silent Crime' -- Defrauding Elders Grows in Ethnic Communities
Financial scamming of elders of color is on the rise. What can be done by individuals and advocates to help prevent this insidious form of elder abuse?
Chinatown Eatery Sam Wo Shuts Its Doors
San Franciscans mourn the closing of the historic Sam Wo restaurant last Friday, but could there be hope for a re-opening?
Muslim Women Slowly Breaking Sports Barrier
Growing exercise options for Muslim American women challenge stereotypes while recognizing the importance of faith.
San Francisco Murder of Five Spotlights Asian Gambling Addiction
Higher rates of problem gambling in the Asian American community can have devastating consequences on finances, family -- and have even led to violence.
The World is Powerless Against Fukushima Fallout
Birthing Centers Cater to Expectant 'Dragon Year' Mothers
"Birthing Centers" are popping up in the US to cater expectant Asian parents aiming for Year of the Dragon birth.
Obama’s America: More Warren Buffett’s Secretary, Than Warren Buffett
Sandip Roy explains why the dialing back of American exceptionalism in President Obama's 2012 State of Union address is a good thing.
Burmese Refugees in Oakland Living in Extreme Poverty
A report from San Francisco State University and the Burma Refugee Family Network finds that 60 percent of refugees from Myanmar in Oakland are living in extreme poverty.
Chinese Community Joins Occupy Wall Street Movement
The Irvine 11: Disturbing Free Speech
New America Media hears from both the Orange County DA office and a lead defense attorney for the Irvine 11 -- found guilty last week on misdemeanor counts -- on the outcome of the case.
How Do Ethnic Media Say 'Illegal Immigrant'?
Over the years, there has been debate over how to address those immigrants who have moved to America without the right paperwork. Each culture has its own unique way of and reason for describing them, from ‘living in hiding’ in Punjabi to ‘illegal overstayer’ in Korean.
Obama Nominates Judge Jacqueline Nguyen to US Court of Appeals
President Obama has nominated Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Asian Pacific Americans of Conscience on the Impending Execution of Troy Davis
Asian Pacific Americans of Conscience is urging the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to reconsider their rejection of Troy Davis's clemency petition. Davis faces execution tonight, September 21, at 7:00 pm.
Asian GOP Officials Ascend -- With Little Republican Help
The Asian Republican Leadership Conference, convened by State Board of Equalization Vice Chair Michelle Park Steel, brought together officials who were, by and large, elected without the Republican Party's help.
Workers Sue Local Salon Chain for Labor Violations
Workers with the nail salon chain Natalie Salon filed a class action lawsuit in San Mateo Superior Court Tuesday, accusing their employers of not providing overtime pay and other labor violations.
Post 9/11, Is Coming to America Still Worth the Journey?
Is coming to America still worth the journey? Author Andrew Lam reflects on this question first posed by his cousin shortly after September 11, 2001.
Undocumented and Korean at UC Berkeley
An estimated 600 undocumented Korean students at Berkeley struggle more and more to pay for college or even find a job. Thankfully, the community, as well as new legislation, give them hope to continue to study.
Latest CA Redistricting Maps Satisfy Most Minorities -- But Not Latinos
New California districts that have been mapped out spell political gains for the Asian community, but losses for the Latino community.
Illinois a Sign of Hope for National Dreamers
In light of the failed passage of the Dream Act in Congress, Illinois passed a state version of the act on Aug 1, allowing low-income immigrant students to receive financial aid for college. Called the Dream Fund, the state is relying on private donors to set up scholarships to aid the undocumented students.
CA Ethnic Parents Not Ready for New Kindergarten Readiness Act
Samantha P. Yang discusses the possible effects of California's new Kindergarten Readiness Act on Hmong American communities.
The Perils of Anti-immigration Politics: Lessons From Oslo
Motivated by a white Norwegian's anti-Muslim sentiment, the Oslo massacre caused immediate speculation of a Muslim terrorist attack before Anders Breivik's capture. Sandip Roy discusses the complexity of the recent tragedy and anti-immigrant politics.
Rights Advocates Balk as San Jose Police Consider Federal Surveillance Program
San Jose Police Department officials are considering participation in the Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) program which is causing alarm among immigrant-service organizations. The minority-majority city has large immigrant populations, including those from South Asian and Muslim communities.
Islam-Baiting Doesn’t Work: It Failed in Campaign 2010 and Will Do Worse in 2012
In state after state, 2010 midterm election candidates who traded on illusory Muslim “threats,” tied ordinary American Muslims to terrorists and radicals, or characterized mosques as symbols of Islamic triumphalism, went down to defeat.
Freedom From Fear Awards: UCLA Student Sheds Light on Shadow Population
Freedom From Fear Awards: Welder Frees Workers From Texas Labor Camps
Lured by the promise of a well-paid job, an Indian guest worker soon found himself in a labor camp in Texas. This is part three in a six-part series profiling winners of the Freedom From Fear Awards.
Journalist Vargas to Media: "Immigrant Struggle Is About Us, Not Them"
Shortly after the publication of his tell-all essay in the New York Times revealing his undocumented status since age 12, Filipino-American journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize winner, sat down at his New York apartment for one-on-one interviews with television anchor Odette Keeley and editor Anthony Advincula, both of New America Media.
Japanese American Eldercare Foreshadows Nation’s Aging Future
Some 21.5 percent of the 1.3 million Japanese American (JA) population is 65 or older, making it this country’s oldest ethnic group. The overall number of 65-plus residents in the United States, now 12 percent, will reach 20 percent about 2050. So the challenges of housing and caregiving for JA seniors foreshadow what the future will bring for the rest of the country.
ACLU Report Slams Arizona’s Abuse of Detained Immigrants
Solitary confinement, harassment, sexual assault and lack of medical care are just a few of the inhumane conditions that immigrants face in detention centers across Arizona, according to a report released Thursday by the Arizona American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Audit Finds That Tucson's Ethnic Studies Program Is Legal
Superintendent John Huppenthal deemed ethnic studies courses in the Tucson Unified School District to be in violation of the HB 2281 law, but an independent audit has concluded that the program is legal.
Ed Lee for Mayor -- Even If He Won't Run
Ed Lee, the current mayor of San Francisco, has declared that he won’t run in the re-election, but that doesn’t mean his fans and supporters will take it lying down.
Mandatory E-Verify Will Cripple America’s Economy
Connie Choi discusses the flaws of E-Verify -- a federal web-based program that offers employers a way to verify a employee’s work authorization -- and how its implementation will adversely affect the economy and the rights of Asian American and Pacific Islander workers.
For Intrepid Journalists, the Most Dangerous Stories Hit Close to Home
At a time when the media spotlight is often on the foreign journalist who is arrested and thrown into a prison in Iran or North Korea, Chauncey Bailey and Jyotirmoy Kumar Dey’s murders underline a simple and harsh truth. The most dangerous place for a journalist is often at home.
DREAM Ruling: High Court OKs In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to California's policy of granting reduced, in-state tuition at its colleges and universities to graduates of its high schools who are undocumented immigrants.
Virginia Fight Shows Redistricting Is No Longer a Black-White Issue
According to a civil rights group in Prince William County, Virginia, a redistricting map in their area unfairly undercuts the voting power of the county’ s growing Hispanic, Asian and black populations.
Saving Face Can't Make API Women Safe
HIV/AIDS continues to rise unchecked among Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs), especially among API women.
Ed Lee Changes City Policy for Undocumented Youth
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced Tuesday that the city will not turn undocumented youth over to federal immigration authorities when arrested on a felony charge
Will Gary Locke Be an Effective Ambassador to China?
As the next ambassador, Locke will face some challenges that might be uniquely his because of his being an ethnic Chinese.
On SF's San Bruno Ave, Businesses Promote Common Ground
On San Francisco’s San Bruno Avenue, Joe Johnson and Nelson Liang share a view of a rapidly changing neighborhood and a prescription for improving relations between African American and Asian American communities.
One Year Later: The Effects of the BP Oil Spill
New America Media looks at the health effects people are facing one year after the BP Oil Spill, particularly those impacting the many Vietnamese fishing communities in the Gulf Coast region.
The Green Mile
Despite having a lifestyle punctuated by an eco-friendly conscience (or so they believed), one desi couple became aware of the fact that their carbon footprint was among the highest in a US population approaching 300 million people.
My Father’s Waterloo -- Vietnam, Napoleon and Our Family Vacation
In his new book East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres from Heyday Books, New America Media editor Andrew Lam recalls teenage memories of how his father, once a South Vietnamese general, drove his family all over Belgium to find Waterloo, where his hero, Napoleon, faced defeat.
Korean Woman, Adopted as Infant, Facing Deportation in Arizona
A Korean woman in Arizona, who was adopted and brought to the U.S. when she was eight months old, is facing deportation after a second conviction for theft, reports the Korea Times. The 31-year-old mother of three is currently being held in a federal detention center in Arizona.
The Most Underreported Stories of the Decade
The last 10 years have seen unprecedented growth of ethnic media in the United States. Media serving the country’s immigrant and minority communities may be the new mainstream of American journalism, but many of the stories they cover still fly under the radar. Editors and publishers of ethnic media weighed in with their picks of what they felt were the most underreported stories of the decade.
Fear of Flying in Age of TSA Pat Downs
We’ve learned to live permanently with Code Yellow and Orange. It is perhaps why while some are complaining, a vast many more are complacent with the new full-body scanners at airports.
Aasif Mandvi Dishes Out Today's Special
Thanks to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Aasif Mandvi is perhaps the most recognizable desi face on screen today.
Filipinos Celebrate SF Giants' World Series Win, Tim Lincecum's Heritage
For Bay Area Pinoys, the unexpected and dramatic triumph of the San Francisco Giants became even sweeter because one of the stars of the show was Filipino American.
'Quiet As They Come' -- An Interview with Author Angie Chau
San Francisco author Angie Chau's debut short story collection, Quiet As They Come, depicts Vietnamese-Americans living in the [San Francisco] Bay Area. NAM contributor Thai Anh Nguyen spoke with Châu about the book and what it feels like to be a literary sensation.
Students Refuse to Give Up on Dream Act, Despite Latest Setback
High school and college students in New York, who for years have been lobbying Congress to pass legislation that would bring undocumented students closer to their dream of attending college and pursuing a career, said last week they are not giving up the fight after lawmakers again refused to consider the Dream Act.