News + Opinion

By Jennie L. Ilustre   “Parasite” made history on January 19 as the first foreign language film to win the top award as Best Cast. Will it make history again at the prestigious Academy Awards ceremony early next month? The South Korean film about greed and class discrimination between a rich and a poor family, has earned nominations for six …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   Americans of Asian descent, reflecting the nation’s increasing polarization, are strongly divided on the impeachment of President Trump by the House of Representatives on December 18. Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The impeachment issue has also galvanized Asian American groups from both political parties into intensifying their efforts in …

New York City Council approves bill naming major thoroughfares as ‘Gurdwara Street’ and ‘Punjab Way’ The renaming “is a long overdue recognition for the contributions of the Sikh and Punjabi communities both locally and throughout the City”, says Council Member Adrienne Adams By Geeta Goindi By Geeta Goindi December 22, 2019 – To honor members of the Sikh and larger …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   Annie Ai-Li Wu’s father is a physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital. But that is not the main reason she decided to be a doctor.   “My initial interest in medicine began when I was about age seven, when I learned that my nine-year old brother was battling leukemia,” she recalled. The gravity of his illness …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   Go to any Asian American party on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day and chances are, you will find round fruits on the dining table because they evoke coins or wealth. Or you will notice that a sumptuous noodle dish is always on the menu.   Who doesn’t know that long, unbroken noodles signify …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   Advocates and politicians like to emphasize the urgency of their causes by noting that it is about “the future of our children and our children’s children.” It is not a cliché at this turning point in the nation’s history.     Truly, too many issues have acquired fire-alarm urgency. And because globalization and technology have …

Last month,  district courts blocked the Trump administration’s rule that attempted to deny green cards to immigrants who fail to meet tough income tests or use public programs.  This victory for immigrants means that the rule that was supposed to take effect on October 15 will be stopped while the court battles proceed. It’s still important to understand how the …

Standing-room only at special event for Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary organized by the Indian Embassy in Washington By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, November 19, 2019 – To aptly commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, and to reach out to the Sikh community in America, the Indian Embassy here organized a special …

Artistes of Nrityaki Dance Academy rivet diverse crowd with myriad performances By Geeta Goindi Dulles, Virginia, October 29, 2019 – In a historic first, Diwali, the popular Indian festival of lights, was celebrated in the national capital region’s famed Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) — a riveting sight for passengers, visitors, airport personnel, flight and cabin crew. Akanksha Sharma, marketing …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   If a synonym for succeed is “go far,” consider this: Asian American showbiz talents have gone really far, indeed. To paraphrase “Star Trek,” some have even gone boldly where no one has gone before – like directing a James Bond movie, or starring in a hit TV show. Suddenly, Americans of Asian heritage are making …

In special Diwali message, Trump reiterates his commitment to religious liberty By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, October 27, 2019 – For the third consecutive year, President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali, the popular Indian festival of lights, in the White House by lighting the ceremonial ‘diya’ (traditional lamp). It was a private event held Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office with …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   Bravo, Washington Performing Arts! Take a well-deserved bow for conjuring up a magical night performers and audience alike will surely remember all their lives.   On November 15 at 8 p.m., Taiwan American virtuoso violinist Paul Huang and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO), which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, are performing a work by a major …

By Christian Oh   As a teenager growing up in Roanoke Virginia, I was a wrestling fanatic. I was glued for hours to the TV set, watching superstars like Rick Flair, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. But my hero at the time was Ricky Steamboat, the only Asian American wrestler. I cheered him on every time …

By Jennie L. Ilustre   ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media company promoting all disciplines of Martial Arts, will celebrate its 100th event on October 13 in Tokyo, Japan. Billed as “ONE: Century,” the championship event was broadcast “live” in the U.S. on TNT on October 12 at 11 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.  “It is a big milestone for …

The first thing you notice about Angela Lee is her mega-watt smile. Her bubbly nature is unexpected for a world-class MMA fighter. “After my debut, everyone was like, ‘Who is that little Asian chick who keeps smiling, doesn’t she know she’s about to fight?” Angela tells me over lunch. “But it was because […] I was enjoying it so much.” At 23 years …

By Geeta Goindi Washington, DC, July 19, 2019 – The Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives has passed a resolution condemning President Donald Trump for his “racist comments” urging four, progressive congresswomen of color to return to the countries they came from. It is an extremely rare move by America’s legislative body to reprimand a sitting president. Trump’s ire is widely …

By Jennie L. Ilustre The House of Representatives in the 118th U.S. Congress has passed The Dream and Promise Act, with features from past proposed legislation, as well as new provisions. The bill seeks to grant protections for Dreamers, also known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, or those who were brought to the country as children and …

By Jennie L. Ilustre Is Nikki Haley, former Ambassador to the United Nations, the first female governor of South Carolina, and one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2016, getting ready to run for president in 2024? Politico, the top political news site based in the nation’s capital, reported all signs point to it. Politico noted that since Haley resigned …

“Jeopardy has always been a huge part of my life and my family’s life”, says Avi By Geeta Goindi July 1, 2019 – Indian-American whiz kid Avi Gupta of Portland, Oregon, has won the Teen Tournament of Jeopardy, the most popular televised quiz show in America, bagging the grand prize of $100,000. Following his big win, Avi, who just graduated …

Please RSVP for FREE tickets to an advanced screening of THE FAREWELL directed by Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina.  https://screenings.a24films.com/farewell/the-farewell_amc-loews-georgetown-14_Jul-10-2019_7-00-PM/partner/dc-asian-pacific-american-film-festival/?fbclid=IwAR0M6OoO-ZFVLBU44MnZ7oMjAHm36OnHtabpL6M1yoTaJ2Oy196DuffRB40 WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 7:00pm AMC LOEWS GEORGETOWN 14 3111 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007 In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, …

In epic competition, each co-winner receives $50,000 among other prizes By Geeta Goindi National Harbor, Maryland, June 4, 2019 – In a marathon, memorable competition, eight adolescents including seven Indian-origin kids, were crowned co-champions of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee. It was unprecedented in the Bee’s 92-year history which has seen two co-winners in three consecutive years, but never …

By Jennie L. Ilustre The community is celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, in the capital and across the nation, in a variety of events that recognize achievements, raise public awareness on issues, as well as entertain. Starting on May 9, the 1882 Foundation will hold a three-day Symposium on the 150th Anniversary of Transcontinental Railroad.  Venue is the Smithsonian …

Over 40 percent of contestants at JV level are of Indian origin; Karan Menon, 18, tops Varsity Division By Geeta Goindi Arlington, VA, May 14, 2019 – Indian-American whiz kid Samvrit Rao has been crowned the national champion in the Junior Varsity Division of the International Geography Bee (IGB), US edition. All of 11 years old, Samvrit bested 99 students, …

ENGLISH FOR HERITAGE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS Native speakers of critical languages are in high demand in the U.S. government. EHLS trains advanced English speakers to be effective communicators and strong candidates for federal jobs. All EHLS participants receive a full scholarship from the National Security Education Program (NSEP) that includes tuition and a living stipend. The 2020 EHLS Program is open to native speakers of: …