News + Opinion

Twenty eight companies and organizations took part in the Mega Diversity Job Fair on October 9th, 2014 at the Village Drive campus of Virginia International University located in the heart of Fairfax in Northern Virginia. The event showcased big names like Wells Fargo, Verizon, iTech, FedEx, Synchronisys, Hollywood Casino, FEMA, Tapestry Solutions, Manassas City Public Schools, Techligent, U.S. Department of …

By Devika Koppikar As a young man, Bill Imada didn’t want to identify as a Japanese American. “I wanted to be white,” said Imada. But on October 9, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)  recognized him for not only his leadership in the Asian American community, but also for promoting diversity in the media field.  Imada was one of four …

By Jenny Chen The humble photo ID. You show it at banks to deposit money. You show it at bars to get your drink. You show it before you board a plane. But in the last couple of years, the photo ID has been embroiled in a behind-the-scenes political tug of war. The tug of war goes all the way …

Compiled by Mary Tablante 1. Dao Nguyen Becomes First Buzzfeed Publisher Dao Nguyen, who was previously the vice president of growth and data at Buzzfeed, was promoted as publisher of the internet media company. As publisher, Nguyen, 40, will be filling a newly created role where she will lead publishing on the social web. In Nguyen’s two years at Buzzfeed, …

  By Lily Qi     The headlines and rhetoric are hard to ignore. A recent Washington Post editorial sounded the alarm, again, that the Chinese cyber attacks against the United States are ramping up and that as a nation, from lawmakers to citizens, we need to be much more vigilant about the cyber warfare that is posing eminent threat …

  By Devika Koppikar As one of the most diverse DC-area schools, 24 percent of Annandale High School’s students identify as Asian.  Nevertheless, the large Asian population does not necessary equate to the “model minority,” myth as 46 percent of the school’s population (including all groups) are classified as economically disadvantaged, according to the U.S. News & World Report. For …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Capital College held a graduation ceremony last September 19 in Gallows Road in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Founded in 2010, Capital College is the only known area healthcare school to include classroom instruction and the laboratory training component at the same site. Dr. Stephen W. Chang, president of United Medical Laboratories, Inc., also runs Capital College. He …

  By Vanessa Wang Over a hundred and fifty people gather at Bohrer Regional Park to worship what is believed to be the fullest and biggest moon of the year. Alongside the moon-gazing activity, a lively group of men and women anywhere between twenty to eighty years old lead a festive sing-along. There is an impressive all-you-can-eat buffet of bubble …

  By Devika Koppikar In Sterling, Virginia, a Sikh family receives a letter threatening to be “shot dead” if they don’t leave the country.  On a routine evening stroll, two elderly Sikh men are murdered in Elk Grove, California. Kentucky Senator David Williams criticized Govenor Steve Beshear for attending a Hindu groundbreaking prayer. And a major-party candidate for U.S. President …

By Jianying Wang “I could not sleep after I read it; I even could not walk and breathe” Corih Kim was talking to the audience of the book event about the fiction she translated from English to Korean, Daughters of the Dragon – A Comfort Woman’s Story, that narrates about the life story of a comfort woman from Korea. The …

  Lori Nam, a Potomac, Md. resident, was diagnosed with Stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009  at the age of 30.   During the 5 years following her diagnosis, Nam underwent surgeries, bone marrow biopsies and harvesting, countless scans and tests and 23 rounds of high dose chemotherapy and infusions. She achieved remission in February 2010, then relapsed in March 2012 and again in …

By Jenny Chen Another report released by Nielsen’s second quarter 2014 Cross-Platform Report indicated that Asian viewers ages 18 to 34 spent 51 minutes a day consuming online and mobile content, which is up from 38 minutes during the same period last year. African Americans ages 18-34 are close behind with 48 minutes a day of content on computer and …

Compiled by Mary Tablante 1. Department of Labor Releases Report on Economic Status of AAPIs The U.S. Department of Labor released a report with disaggregated data about how Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders fared during the Great Recession. The report examines the unemployment and poverty rate for AAPI subgroups and compares them to other major racial and ethnic groups. While as …

By Tamara Treichel Asian American students have the reputation of being high achievers, diligent, obedient, and, in short, any teacher’s dream – the “perfect students.” This has led to the “model minority” myth regarding Asian Americans. Yet one should regard all stereotypes with caution. As Kim Wong Keltner humorously and yet also poignantly pointed out in her memoir Tiger Babies …

As the Back-to-School Tax Free Weeks in Virginia and Maryland sailed by, it is once again time for kids aged 6-17 to put away the bathing suit and hit up the books. This school year will be an especially distressing one for rising juniors and their families, who are facing one of the most transformative events in their lives: applying …

By Heidi Zheng As one of America’s longest running American reality television shows, America’s Next Top Model just commenced its 21st cycle. More remarkably, this is the second season featuring both male and female contestants. Diversity, rejoice! …Not so quick. Given the producer and presenter Tyra Banks is black herself, diversity has never been an issue on ANTM. That being …

By Corih Kim On July 31, 2014, The International Leadership Foundation (ILF) and the Coalition of Asian American Business Organizations hosted the 2014 Awards Gala and Leadership Conference to recognize the leaders who dedicate themselves to promoting the welfare of Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and provide network of support for students at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. The Conference …

By: Derek Mong Established by the Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) in 2012, the TAP (Taiwanese-American Professionals) chapter in Washington, DC brings together Taiwanese American Professionals from across the metro area to enhance the Taiwanese-American community by connecting individuals interested in professional and career development. As a chapter still in its infancy at just over two years old, TAP-DC is …

By Jenny Chen After a year hiatus due to the government shutdown, MEDweek – a procurement conference hosted by the Minority Business Development Agency, returned in full force. The Minority Business Development Agency operates under the US Chamber of Commerce and provides services and advice for mid-sized minority businesses in MBDA centers across the United States. They help with exporting …

By Corih Kim The 2014 Annual VietFest took place at the Workhouse Art Center in Lorton, Virginia between August 16-17, 2014. Started in 2011 by five young Vietnamese-Americans, the event has become brighter and bigger than ever before, as the Vietnamese-Americans continue to spread their rich heritage throughout their community in vibrant ways. Led by the National Organization of Vietnamese …

On July 14 Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) President, Dr. Kin Wong, presented a plaque to recognize the Federal Aviation Administration as a new partner in its mission to promote career advancement for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and diversity in the federal and District of Columbian governments. As the largest of the AAPI employee group among the …

San Francisco, Calif. – On August 21, 2014, newly traded Los Angeles Lakers player and Palo Alto native, Jeremy Lin, unveiled his first ever wax figure at the city’s newest wax attraction, Madame Tussauds San Francisco. The renowned athlete will start as point guard for the Lakers in the spring of 2015. Captured in one of the most unique poses …

Editor’s Note: For those who have not been following the developments in Ferguson, Missouri, this is what happened. On August 9, 2014, Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old black man named Michael Brown. Since then the town has erupted in protests, police violence, and, as this piece mentions, riots. By Randall Yip A recent story …

  Compiled by Mary Tablante 1) Vietnamese American Becomes Brigadier General Fort Hood, Texas—On Aug. 6, Col. Viet Xuan Luong became the first Vietnamese American to be promoted to brigadier general.  In 1975, Luong and his family fled Vietnam to come to the U.S. as political refugees and Luong began his military career after graduating from the University of Southern …