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☆ The political and spiritual symbolism of Mauna Loa’s historic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

For many in the Native Hawaiian community, it carried a larger cultural and political symbolism and a message to respect Indigenous communities and land. Many Native Hawaiians are drawing from their mythology around Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and creator of the islands, to help assign meaning to the historic eruption. “You don’t have authority to shape our sacred lands.”The eruption, Ing said, “is Pelehonuamea saying, ‘They’re right. And Pele’s lava flow, ho’omanawanui said, is associated with a cleansing that the Native Hawaiian community receives with gratitude rather than fear. So now Pele is coming in.”The symbolism around the eruption can also be applied to another lasting colonial force on the island: the tourism industry, Ing 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."

☆ Nevada is 1 of 5 states with over 10% Asian Americans. Both parties courted vote, but Dems won out.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

In the highly competitive swing state of Nevada, both parties aggressively courted Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders ahead of last week's midterm elections, but Democrats managed to clinch the group's vote. Koo said both parties made significant efforts to appeal to Asian Americans, particularly in comparison to elections past. “The main industry there is service and hospitality, and there’s a lot of Asian Americans that are employed by that industry,” Wong said. Democratic candidates in Nevada, who are often more moderate than those on the coasts, may naturally align more with the Asian American community. “We’re starting to see with younger Asian American voters, climate is a huge conversation that everyone is having.

☆ Senate passes bill to include Native Hawaiian sexual violence survivors in funding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

While services allocated to specifically help Native Hawaiian survivors of gender-based violence were previously inadvertently excluded from that funding, the legislation would rectify that. As it stood, the legislation allocated money for native women but not, specifically, Native Hawaiian women due to language and drafting errors. “The people who suffer the worst of that are Native Hawaiian women," she added. Barriers to addressing violence against Native Hawaiian women can also be traced back to American colonization, Kanaʻiaupuni said. “And of course the majority of trafficked people are Native Hawaiian women and children.

☆ 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.

☆ After being falsely accused of spying for China, Sherry Chen wins significant settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

An Asian American scientist who was wrongfully accused of spying for China is speaking out after reaching a lucrative settlement with the U.S. government last week. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, which backed Chen, the hydrologist will receive $550,000 from the Commerce Department and an annuity over 10 years valued at $1.25 million. Neither the Commerce Department nor the DOJ commented further on Chen’s ordeal. However, the Commerce Department appealed the decision and placed her on administrative leave. As part of the settlement, Chen is retiring from the NWS, her lawyers said.

☆ GOP Rep. Michelle Steel wins re-election in contentious House race between 2 Asian Americans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

After a contentious race in Orange County, California, Republican incumbent Michelle Steel will represent the redrawn 45th Congressional District. Steel defeated Democrat Jay Chen in a rare matchup between two Asian American candidates. Prior to serving in Congress, Steel was a supervisor and chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The political shift has been driven by the growth of the Asian American and Pacific Islander population in the area. On Monday, dozens of Asian American organizations, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice — AAJC and the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, condemned candidates “using sinophobia, a fear or dislike of China” in a letter.

☆ 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.”

☆ In L.A., Kenneth Mejia is the 1st Asian American to hold citywide office and 1st Filipino elected official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Claire Wang | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Kenneth Mejia, an accountant and leftist community activist, made history in Los Angeles when he declared victory in the city controller race Tuesday night, becoming the city’s first Filipino elected official and the first Asian American to assume citywide office. He held a 21-point lead over City Councilmember Paul Koretz when Koretz conceded Wednesday. “We have a very diverse population in L.A. and I feel very proud and honored to represent that community,” Mejia, 32, told NBC Asian America. Tenants Union, Mejia ran on a progressive platform centered around decriminalizing homelessness and holding the police and other city departments accountable. “I want to use the office to show how the status quo is not working for everyone,” he said.

☆ Asian Americans favored Democratic candidates in midterms, exit polls say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

She’s among the many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who showed up at the ballot box on Tuesday. Surveys show that Asian Americans favored Democrats during the midterm elections, according to election night exit polls. According to that poll, 64% of Asian Americans voted Democrat in House races, while 32% voted Republican. Roughly three-quarters of Asian American voters in Pennsylvania, for example, favored Democratic candidates for governor, Senate and House. Roughly two-thirds of Asian Americans also favored the Democratic candidate in the House and Senate races.

☆ 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.

☆ 'Blockbuster' star Randall Park reflects on what video rental stores meant to his immigrant family
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Randall Park’s new show, which centers around the last remaining video rental Blockbuster store, is — in many ways — a perfect project for the actor. There are also small nods to the way in which certain demographics would see the rental stores. / NetflixPark said the moment harkens back to memories of his own immigrant parents frequenting small video rental stores in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. The cultural safe space that the rental stores provided were significant, he said. “I do feel like video rental was definitely a part of our lives well after it stopped being mainstream,” he remembered.

☆ 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.

☆ Behind the vocal Asian American minority railing against affirmative action
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

As the Supreme Court weighs two high-profile cases challenging affirmative action, a vocal minority of Asian Americans continues to impact public debate. Among Chinese Americans, support for affirmative action is at 59%, the lowest within the Asian American community. This also means that they themselves haven’t experienced the benefits of affirmative action or education equity policies, Niu said. Top American universities, however, use a “holistic” admissions process in which affirmative action policies allow them to take race into account. Asian Americans do face discrimination in our society, in our education systems, but they’re not the result of race-conscious policies like affirmative action,” Chen said.

☆ In California, two Asian Americans fight for a seat in the House — and with each other
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

As the midterms loom, one key House race in California is drawing significant attention both to Asian Americans in the district, and from them. The race features a rare matchup between two Asian Americans, and the result hinges on Asian Americans, who make up about a third of the district’s voters. “I think here, we’re seeing a wake-up call,” Connie Chung Joe, chief executive of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, told NBC News. Within the electorate, almost half are of Vietnamese descent, one of the few Asian American groups that tends to lean right. It’s something, Joe said, that white candidates, for example, can “take for granted.”But Wong added that accusing another Asian American candidate of being disloyal “hurts the whole Asian American community.”As fiery as the race has been, it’s also reflective of a political maturation within the Asian American community, experts say.

☆ 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 hashtag “Very Asian” has taken off on Twitter after a viewer left a racist voice message for an Asian American news anchor who said that she ate dumplings in celebration of New Year’s Day. Social media users began putting a positive spin on the practice after Michelle Li, who is Korean American and an anchor at NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis, shared traditional New Year's foods. She listed black-eyed peas, pork, greens and cornbread that are believed to bring good luck, adding: “I ate dumplings, too. "What if one of your white anchors said well, white people eat this on New Year’s Day? “At KSDK, we embrace diversity in the people we hire, the stories we tell, and our local community.

☆ 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.

☆ 'Rings of Power' series reveals another underdiscussed aspect of representation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Polynesian scholars are pointing out “Lord of the Rings” productions have traditionally been filmed on their land, but with Pacific Islander actors relegated to the background. The new prequel on Amazon Prime did slightly better with representation, but experts stopped short of declaring it true progress. Na'puti pointed out that the Māori community experienced significant land loss, now holding just roughly 5% of all land there. McCartney also said that indigenous, Polynesian representation means incorporating the culture into the writing, given the Māori displacement in the country. And so if you’re on it, you have a responsibility.”Ultimately, Young questioned the necessity to continuously adapt the work of Tolkien, who wrote the “Lord of The Rings” series in the early 1900s.

☆ 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.

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