Asian America: January 2014

Compiled by: Mary Tablante

1. First Gay Couple Granted U.S. Visa in the Philippines

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines granted visas to same-sex couples for the first time during the first week of December.  Noel “Aeinghel” Amaro and Robert Cotterman were the first same-sex couple that received a fiancé visa. Even though same-sex marriage is not recognized in the Philippines, the visas are part of a new U.S. State Department policy. The couple will marry in the U.S in January. Another same-sex couple that had a ten-year long distance relationship received a fiancé visa and married in California on Dec. 30.

2. The Asian American Consumer in 2013

NEW YORK—Asian Americans outspend the average American household, according to a Nielsen report released Dec. 4 about the Asian American consumer entitled “Significant, Sophisticated and Savvy: The Asian American Consumer.” Other highlights from the report include that 86 percent of Asian American households have a savings account, compared to 76 percent of the general U.S. population. Asian American buying power is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2017. The full report is on www.nielsen.com.

3. First Female Asian American Deputy Mayor Appointed in Seattle

SEATTLE—Seattle Mayor-elect Ed Murray hired two deputy mayors, one of who was Hyeok Kim, who is the first Asian American female deputy mayor in Seattle. Kim’s job is to bring information from Seattle’s different communities to the mayor’s office to advise his policies, according to Northwest Asian Weekly.

4. Indian American Freshman Wins Ingenuity Award

Washington, D.C.—An Indian American freshman at MIT, Saumil Bandyopadhyay, was honored with the Ingenuity award for working on nanotechnology that could affect industries ranging from automobiles to astronomy. Bandyopadhyay created an infrared radiation detector that is intended to be inexpensive and could be used for scientific, civilian and military purposes. The 18-year-old has five peer-reviewed scientific papers and spent much of his high school years in an electrical engineering lab at Virginia Commonwealth University. The infrared detector Bandyopadhyay worked on might also reduce car crash rates through allowing vehicles to sense each other in the dark.

5. Ronald Falconi is Ohio’s First Filipino American Mayor

Brunswick, Ohio—Ronald “Ron” Falconi took an oath to become mayor of Brunswick, Ohio, on Dec. 27. Brunswick has a population of 35,000 and about 90 percent of the population is Caucasian. Because of the city’s budget problems, Falconi chose to cut his own salary. He is also involved in Typhoon Haiyan relief. Falconi is a lawyer who was born and raised in the Cleveland area.

6. Private Danny Chen Honored with Name on Chinatown Street

NEW YORK—The New York City Council approved to name a Chinatown street “Private Danny Chen Way,” honoring a Chinese American Army private who died in October 2011 after racial harassment and hazing.  Chen was 19 years old and was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

7. To Be Takei to Premiere at Sundance

George Takei’s documentary is set to premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The film takes a look at Takei’s childhood, particularly his experiences at a World War II internment camp. It also explores his rise to fame playing Hikaru Sulu on Star Trek and into an Internet celebrity and LGBT rights activist. Jennifer Kroot directed the documentary.

8. Marvel Exhibit Explores Asian Stereotypes

LOS ANGELES—An exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum shows the history of Marvel’s depictions of Asian characters in several of their comic books. The selections explore archetypes, such as Guru, Brain, Manipulator, Alien, Kamikaze and Lotus Blossom, within a historical context and also include discourse from contemporary Asian American writers and creators. The exhibit ends with several works by Asian American artists and creators such as Jef Castro and Jerry Ma. The “Marvels and Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1989” exhibit runs through Feb. 9.

9. Hawaii Five-0 Airs Episode About Japanese American Internment

A Hawaii Five-0 episode that aired Dec. 13 told a flashback story about Japanese Americans during World War II. The episode began with the attack on Pearl Harbor and flashed forward to a present-day memorial service. About 2,000 community leaders were interned at sites in Hawaii such as Sand Island and Honouliuli. Producers of the show built an internment camp set in central Oahu.

10. Korean-American Artist Recreates Comfort Women Station

Taipei—Korean-American artist Chang-Jin Lee recreated a comfort station in Taipei as part of an exhibition in order to tell the story of the hundreds of thousands of comfort women across Asia. Because the number of former comfort women alive today continues to decrease, Lee wants to make sure that people in the present day remember the history. The exhibit, entitled “Comfort Women Wanted,” features an eyewitness account from a former Japanese soldier and testimonies of several former comfort women. Artist Lee is based in New York and held similar exhibitions in South Korea, Hong Kong and the U.S., according to Focus Taiwan News Channel. The exhibition runs through Feb. 16 in Taipei’s Bopiliao historic area.

11. Sriracha Hot Sauce Shipments Halted

Irwindale, Ca.—The California Department of Public Health halted the shipping of Sriracha hot chili sauce until mid-January. The announcement came after complaints about spicy food odor sparked health concerns in the nearby community. The city of Irwindale sued the factory because Irwindale residents complained of heartburn, asthma and nosebleeds because of the fumes that came from the factory. Huy Fong Foods also produces Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek. In 2012, the family-run company created by Vietnamese-Chinese founder David Tran saw $60 million in revenue, according to Forbes.

12. South Korean StarCraft Player Given U.S. Visa

The United States gave Kim Dong-hwan, who plays StarCraft II professionally, a special U.S. visa that is usually reserved for internationally recognized athletes. Kim traveled between the U.S. and South Korea for the past three years in order to compete in live matches. He is ranked 63^rd worldwide in StarCraft II and has won more than $95,000 in three years. Kim arrived in the U.S. on Dec. 16.

 

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