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☆ Monterey Park, the first suburban Chinatown, remains a beacon for Asians, residents say after the mass shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

When 11 people were killed in his hometown of Monterey Park on Saturday, Raymond Cheung struggled to find the words to tell his mom. After his parents immigrated from China in the 1960s, and then to the West Coast, Monterey Park was the obvious choice. “We didn’t have to worry about that in Monterey Park. Courtesy Raymond CheungA history of resilienceThe residents of Monterey Park have never been strangers to hatred and vitriol. “The folks who live in Monterey Park are super resilient.

☆ Indians face up to 3-year wait times for U.S. tourist visas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Other consulates are only taking appointments for emergency tourist visas, which experts suspect have a shorter backlog of their own. NBC News reached out to the State Department and has not received a response. “The Department of State is successfully lowering visa interview wait times worldwide,” the statement said. The State Department cites staffing issues which it is trying to remedy, but Gelatt says it won't be a quick process. “The State Department says that they’re doubling their hiring and they’re training up staff,” Gelatt said.

☆ Hair oiling, cups of tea and mom's beauty secrets: Welcome to South Asian Gen Z’s ‘auntie’ era
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Before Kaaviya Sambasivam left for elementary school each morning, her mother performed a ritual that generations of South Asian women had done before. South Asian women, fueled in part by lockdown forcing them to go home to their moms, have become a receptive TikTok community. Uniquely South Asian routines that once relegated them to the social outskirts now find an audience of thousands online. Other South Asian women say they can relate too. She remembers the days when the Facebook group Subtle Curry Traits was the only cultural touchstone for South Asian diaspora kids.

☆ Brown University becomes first Ivy League school to add official caste protections
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Brown University is the latest in a string of schools to add caste protections to their nondiscrimination policies, a measure aimed at giving Dalit students official channels to report bias. The private university in Providence, Rhode Island, is the first Ivy League school to mention casteism in its general policy, according to the Dalit civil rights organization Equality Labs. “Caste follows the South Asian community wherever they go,” said Neha Narayan, a student who advocated for the policy change. “I avoided a lot of the South Asian social spaces because of that exclusion,” she said. Last year, Harvard University added caste protections for graduate student workers, but unlike Brown’s overarching measure, Harvard’s updated policy didn’t extend to the entire student body.

☆ Asian American voters could help decide the Senate runoff in Georgia, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“We’re also meeting people at their doors.”When it came to appealing to South Asian voters in Georgia, Nabilah Islam said her “secret weapon” had been under her nose for years. During her recent campaign for state Senate, the 33-year-old Bangladeshi American brought conversations about issues to aunties and uncles on their home turf: WhatsApp. She's now the first South Asian ever elected to the Georgia state Senate. A bloc starting to gain more recognitionAccording to Karthick Ramakrishnan, co-director of AAPI Data, the concerted efforts to appeal to Asian voters in Georgia are reflected in nationwide politics. Steps like these prove grassroots efforts to appeal to AAPI voters work, Makhija said.

☆ 11-year-old British boy beats Einstein and Hawking on Mensa IQ test
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

His performance beats those of physicists Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, who were both estimated to have IQs around 160. Mensa, an international society open to high-IQ individuals, confirmed Shah's score to NBC News, saying he placed in the top 2% of the population and "has great potential." Shah's father, Irfan, told the Post that when his son was 7, he discovered a mathematical phenomenon that he couldn't explain. But Shah's parents said they're teaching him to nurture his work ethic and social life in addition to his natural abilities. “I still tell him that ‘your dad is still smarter than you,’” Shah's father told the Post.

☆ Kumail Nanjiani's parents prefer a masala-covered Thanksgiving turkey, he says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Kumail Nanjiani doesn't understand why Americans eat turkey. His parents, recent immigrants and Thanksgiving enthusiasts, secretly feel the same way, he said. “They’re like, ‘We have to put a lot of masala on the turkey because we don’t like how it tastes,’” Nanjiani said to late night host Seth Meyers Tuesday night. “I’m like, ‘You don’t have to eat turkey!’ and they’re like, ‘It’s Thanksgiving!’”"Late Night with Seth Meyers" and NBC News both fall under the parent company NBC Universal. "Turkey tastes like chicken having a bad day," he said.

☆ Simu Liu says Tarantino's era in film was 'white as hell' after the director's anti-Marvel comments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Simu Liu is speaking up after director Quentin Tarantino criticized the "Marvel-ization of Hollywood," saying on a podcast that those who became famous through the superhero franchise are not real movie stars. "If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie," Liu tweeted, referring to Hollywood director Martin Scorsese. The actor also said Tarantino's "Golden Age" of cinema was "white as hell." “Part of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood is … you have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters, but they’re not movie stars. Thor is the star ... It’s these franchise characters that become the star.”Simu Liu in "Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings."

☆ Foreign workers laid off from Big Tech face a deadline: Find a job ASAP, or leave the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Under the umbrella of a tech giant, not only would he have job security, he thought, but visa security as well. Originally from China, he needed the sponsorship of an H-1B work visa to stay in the U.S.A year went by in his new role and everything seemed to be going well. immigration policy has amplified the uncertainty for immigrant workers in times like this. “It’s definitely harder trying to find a job or trying to find a company that’s willing to sponsor you. “This really helped drive the tech boom in the U.S. and made the U.S. the big tech hub,” Khanna said.

☆ Meet the 23-year-old Indian American who flipped a Republican Illinois district
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

An Indian Muslim American who wears a hijab, she remembers the former president’s 2016 Election Day with perfect clarity. Her social media accounts are full of these selfies, thanking the voters who spoke to her by name. Social media helped her broadcast her messages louder than she could have hoped, she said. “There are so many other young South Asian folks that are doing incredible things. Whether it’s politics, comedy, social media, medicine, it’s incredible to see how powerful this demographic is.”

☆ Asian Americans have some of the highest levels of support for abortion rights — and it's driving them to vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

With studies finding that Asian American and Pacific Islanders show some of the highest levels of support for abortion rights, community leaders are expecting this issue to drive Asian Americans to the polls — many for the first time ever. “AAPIs view abortion not as the singular act of abortion, but as health care,” said Varun Nikore, executive director of the nonprofit AAPI Victory Alliance. While some researchers point to flaws in the polling (most notably that Pew only surveyed English speakers), they say there’s no doubt that Asians show the highest level of support when it comes to abortion rights. “That tells me that abortion rights and reproductive rights are likely what’s driving that prioritization,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research at AAPI Data. A younger crop of Asian voters newly engaged by the Dobbs ruling are initiating these conversations with their elders, too.

☆ Dual citizens abroad say it's worth ballot obstacles to make sure their votes count
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

When I moved overseas, it wasn’t as easy.”Thousands of dual citizens like Lee are eligible to vote in the coming election, and experts say in a close race, they could be a critical bloc. In 2020, Georgia saw 27,252 votes cast from abroad, which exceeded the 11,779-vote margin of victory that flipped the state blue. But while dual citizens have a constitutional right to cast their ballot, a messy system and a lack of infrastructure often keeps them from doing so, advocates said. Thirteen states — including Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania — prohibit absentee voting for citizens who have never resided in the country. “I think that you can still make a difference with your votes.”Some dual citizens might not call the U.S. home, but Lines said America’s policies have an effect everywhere.

☆ How Asian-led student groups are continuing affirmative action fight at Harvard and UNC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Due to the conservative majority on the bench, advocates fear this could signal the end of affirmative action. “That really scares me.”Voter surveys show that 69% of Asian Americans support affirmative action. “Affirmative action actually helps Asian Americans in admissions in higher education,” he said. When contacted for a statement, Students for Affirmative Action creator Edward Blum directed NBC News to a pro-SFFA action rally that had Asian speakers. While things might look bleak for the conservative majority’s eventual ruling on affirmative action, she said she’s witnessing a new generation being ushered into caring about inclusion at a systemic level.

☆ Bidens host largest White House Diwali celebration ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Bidens hosted Monday the largest Diwali celebration ever held in the White House, with some 200 guests in attendance as the president lit a diya, a ceremonial lamp, and addressed the holiday’s significance. Before he addressed the room full of South Asians, Biden invited two young kids to join him on stage. The president was joined at the ceremony by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was greeted with loud cheers as she took the stage to talk about her own relationship with Diwali. Dancers from the Sa Dance Company perform during a reception to celebrate Diwali at the White House, on Oct. 24, 2022. Yuri Gripas/ABACA / Sipa USA via AP“I have such fond memories of celebrating Diwali as a child,” Harris said.

☆ Diwali will be a holiday for NYC public schools starting next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

New York City public schools will now observe the Diwali holiday, Mayor Eric Adams announced at a news conference Thursday. Diwali, also called the festival of lights, is typically celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, and will be commemorated starting the next academic year. “For over two decades, South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans in New York have been fighting for the Diwali school holiday,” she said. “I stand on the shoulders of those advocates.”In making space for the holiday, Adams says he hopes non-South Asian students will start to learn about it too. “When we acknowledge Diwali, we are going to encourage children to learn about what is Diwali,” he said.

☆ The South Asian comedians who walked so Gen Z could run
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Those kids are now young adults, and that state of South Asian comedy looks far different than it did 10 years ago. “The South Asian people I grew up with, we were all collectively embarrassed of our culture and background,” said Ayaon Yadav, 21. If not for the Indian comedians before me who did use the Indian accent, I would not be where I am today. “I don’t do the Indian accent because I feel like, in a way, the punch line becomes the accent,” she said. “But if not for the Indian comedians before me who did use the Indian accent, I would not be where I am today.

☆ Sikh family kidnapped, killed in California, emigrated from India looking for safety and the American Dream, relative says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

She was calling for her dad, Jasdeep Singh, 36, and it would turn out to be the sole time she would ever get to do so. The days that followed the news of the deaths have been a calvary for those left behind, Amarinder Singh said. Amandeep left a widow and two young children, Jasdeep left his parents. The two babbled back and forth together as Singh, Jasdeep and Jasleen looked on fondly, he said. But after the chaos, Singh’s family is left with a hole, he said, and he feels their loss everywhere.

☆ Asian and Native American female lawyers get the least amount of big law business, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Native American women and Asian American women are the poorest in terms of this.”Nearly 72% of corporations surveyed said they give less than 10% of their business to Asian American lawyers, the study found. Less than a quarter said they gave no business at all to Asian American lawyers. Native American lawyers see a similar lack of representation. “[Asian] men are doing a little bit better than [Asian] women. But the difference between what Asian American women or Native American women are getting was so striking because they’re getting so little.”And though many corporations collect their diversity data, few actually put it to use, the study found.

The brother of a man suspected of kidnapping and killing four members of the same central California family was arrested in connection with the horrific crime, authorities said Friday. Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, was apprehended Tuesday after he attempted suicide, officials said. From the outset of the investigation, Merced Sheriff Vern Warnke speculated that Jesus Manuel Salgado had help in the kidnapping, which was caught on surveillance cameras. Amarinder Singh, a cousin of the slain brothers, said in a statement on Friday that their family "is grieving this unconscionable act of cowardice." In the family's first comment since bodies were found on Wednesday night, Singh said they're grateful for the work of law enforcement, tips from good Samaritans and support from the community.

☆ Influencers are eating ghee by the spoonful. It’s led brands to create their own knockoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

In that time, South Asian food experts say, brands have taken notice. The South Asian household staple is now blowing up on health TikTok. Influencers have recorded themselves eating spoonfuls of ghee, posing with the product in stores and promoting it as a new find. “That’s part of the reason why it is important to a South Asian population.”In Hindu ceremonies, it’s a staple. Most of all, it’s an essential component of South Asian comfort food, one that many people can associate with the quick-fix meals of early youth.

Officials escort Adnan Syed from the courthouse following the completion of the first day of hearings for a retrial in Baltimore on Feb. 3, 2016. “It was a strategy to inflame racial and religious prejudice against a brown Muslim man,” Raju said. “This is something that has been used to justify colonialism going way back … This notion that men of color, men coming from Asian, South Asian cultures, are inherently misogynistic towards their women, which justifies the intervention that needs to occur,” Selod said. California passed the Racial Justice Act in 2020, empowering defenders to challenge racial disparities in arrests, charging and sentences. If mirrored around the country, this law has the potential to protect other young people of color who might have been in the same position as Syed, Raju said.

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