Tag Archives: virginia

Virginia Governor signs controversial East Sea bill into law

By Aurora de Peralta Richmond, VA – Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed the East Sea bill into law, initiating a change in state textbooks that has pitted Northern Virginia’s Korean American community against the government of Japan and other minority groups. McAuliffe (D) signed the bill on March 31, which requires all textbooks approved by the Virginia Board of Education after …

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Senator Tim Kaine meets constituents in town hall meeting

By Corih Kim On April 4, 2014, Westgate Realty Group and the Vietnamese community sponsored a Q&A event with Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia to talk about the economic hardships currently facing small business owners. Grace Han Wolf of Herndon City Council and Cindy Shao of Asian Chamber of Commerce also made an appearance. In his speech, Sen. Kaine credited …

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Northern Virginia Muslims and Jews Celebrate Iftar [PHOTOS]

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John Tran, 1st Asian American Judge in Virginia

John Tran, 1st Asian American Judge in Virginia By Jennie L. Ilustre John M. Tran, a former state and federal prosecutor in Alexandria, made history on April 4 when the Virginia General Assembly elected him Circuit Court Judge for Fairfax County. He is the first Asian Pacific American to be elected judge in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His nomination was …

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Vendor Wars Continue: Truck Wins Battle with Gov’t

Case Against Korean Food Truck Dismissed  By Dottie Tiejun Li   (Arlington, VA)—The Korean fusion food truck Seoul Food will continue to roll, thanks to a judge’s decision completely dismissing a case against Hyun “Anna” Shil Goree, who owns the mobile eatery with her husband J.P. Goree. Shil faced up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine for …

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Undocumented Immigrants: By the Numbers

Accurate numbers are difficult to achieve, but according to The Pew Research Center, both Maryland and Virginia are in the top twelve states in the U.S. with the highest percentages of undocumented immigrants, in this order: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Maryland, Washington, and Virginia. Here are the Pew Center’s best guesses for …

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Confidence in Each Stroke: Hsi-Mei Yates’ Sumi-E & Calligraphy

By Amanda L. Andrei Tonight, there is fog in Lorton, Virginia. The normally murky Route 123 is even more difficult to navigate—until you see bright lights emanating from the Lorton Workhouse Art Center. Inside, a welcoming gallery glow illuminates art lovers as they walk to artists’ opening receptions, admire new paintings and sculpture, and watch demonstrations of glassblowing and pottery …

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GUN LAWS: What You Need to Know in Maryland, D.C. & Virginia

Virginia Virginia has some of the weakest regulations regarding guns of any state in the nation. State law preempts local gun regu­lation. The only firearms banned in Virginia are the Armsel Striker, also known as the Striker 12, similar shotguns, and plastic firearms. There are no limits on magazine capacity, although a concealed handgun permit is required to carry magazines …

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Daytime Manager, Nighttime Cop: Peter Nguyen

By Jem Palo One night about 10 years ago in suburban Virginia, a young police officer was in the last hour of his shift on patrol when his experienced eye noticed something suspicious. There was a car cruising along, carrying four men. Wearing sunglasses. At night. Thinking that strange, the officer followed the car and the car slowed down. But …

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Danger At Their Fingertips

Vietnamese Nail Workers Risk Health By Archana Pyati and Jhee Yoon Falls Church, VA—Spend an afternoon at your local neighborhood nail salon, and it’s likely your manicurist will be Vietnamese. It’s also possible she (and occasionally he) is risking exposure to toxic chemicals used in salon products. Nationally, 42 percent of nail technicians are Asian, and Vietnamese workers account for 39 percent …

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Virginia Education Goals: Higher Bar for AAPI Students?

Are Asian American students in Virginia public schools being held to a different—and higher— standard than children of other races? That is what some concerned parents and legislators see with a set of new state education goals, part of Virginia’s attempt to opt out of regulations in the No Child Left Behind law. But supporters of the new performance standards say opponents …

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Asian Americans Vote in Area, Visiting Asians Observe Portraits of Citizenship

By Michelle Phipps-Evans This year’s general election on Nov. 6 will likely be remembered for its long lines. It may also be remembered as the first presidential election where national political journalists began focusing on the role Asian Americans played, and are expected to play in the future. It’s all in the numbers, with 17 million Asian Americans in the …

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