US wants to double naturalization fees, do away with waivers

The cost of becoming a US citizen is going up almost double the current fee.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released a notice that it will raise the naturalization application fee to $1,170. This is an increase of 83% over the current fee of $640. The cost of applying for naturalization is already a barrier for many aspiring U.S. citizens.

USCIS also announced it will abolish available fee waivers for naturalization. With this change, USCIS has made clear its intent to reserve US citizenship for only the wealthiest immigrants.

“At a time where 40% of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency expense, it’s not a stretch to see how this announced fee increase adds a greater financial burden to applicants and puts citizenship even further out of reach," John C. Yang, president and executive director of Advancing Justice | AAJC. 

"The Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation will oppose the fee increase and the elimination of naturalization-related fee waivers. We will work alongside partner immigrants’ rights advocates to ensure citizenship remains accessible and affordable to all.”

In response to the USCIS announcement, Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliate organizations are urging eligible Americans to naturalize before these new measures take effect.

"This proposal is a blatant attempt to prevent low-income immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens. High filing fees are an insurmountable obstacle for many of the individuals Advancing Justice serves," said Stephanie Cho of Advancing Justice - Atlanta. 

"Naturalization is a crucial pathway to empowerment for marginalized communities of color in the South and an important protection for Asian Americans and other immigrant families. We strongly encourage community members who might be eligible to naturalize to attend one of our free citizenship clinics before the end of the year." 

Before these announced changes take effect, Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Advancing Justice – Atlanta urge lawful permanent residents who have been considering applying for naturalization begin the process immediately while the current rules, including the fee waiver and reduced fee, are still in place. 

The administration proposal would give priority to those would-be citizens who can prove that they would not be using any government assistance and are able to financially support themselves. Preference will be given to those who work in professions that would benefit the US. 

At the same time, the administration would de-emphasize family reunification, which had been the main pool of new citizens.

Christine Chen, project director for Advancing Justice-LA, responded: “As an organization that assists thousands of naturalization applicants, of whom over 60% are low income, we recognize that this proposal will deeply hurt low-income immigrants and vulnerable communities of color. 

"The message from this administration about who they deem 'worthy' of citizenship is loud and clear--that only those with means can apply. This change does not reflect our principles and values embedded in our history and our Constitution. This administration has repeatedly attacked immigrants and is committed to making it harder for low-income immigrants to access the nation’s lawful immigration system and become citizens. 

Advancing Justice-LA and other immigration advocates encourage community members who may be eligible to apply for naturalization to contact our office to receive free legal assistance as soon as possible. 

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday by a coalition of communities and immigrant aid organizations seeks to delay the implementation of the proposed rule. The complaint argues that Ken Cuccinelli’s appointment as acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services violated federal law. 

If the court agrees, Cuccinelli’s actions since taking over the agency in June would be invalid, including a new rule on application fee waivers for naturalization and other benefits. The plaintiffs have also asked for an injunction to prevent the implementation of the new waiver guidelines. 

The City of Seattle and several immigrant services agencies, including Catholic Legal Immigration Network, and Immigrant Legal Resource Center, are named as plaintiffs in the complaint challenging the new rule and Cuccinelli’s appointment, which they say violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA).

“The American promise must be open to all,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a press release. “Wealth is not and should never be a requirement of being an American citizen. Seattle will fight for the promise of America and against a pay-to-play approach to citizenship.”

AAAJ affiliates in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. and our many partners involved in the New Americans Campaign, regularly hold citizenship workshops to provide low-cost, and in many cases free, legal assistance to guide eligible Americans through the naturalization application process. Information about upcoming workshops in the Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. metropolitan areas is available through Advancing Justice–LA’s multilingual helpline:

Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese): 800-520-2356
Korean: 800-867-3640
Tagalog: 855-300-2552
Thai: 800-914-9583
English/Other: 888-349-9695 

Download our fee waiver factsheet for more resources.

A joke about Koreans didn't sit well with Gabrielle Union, so she got fired from 'America's Got Talent'

NBC

Gabrielle Union and Juliene Hough are leaving 'America's Got Talent.'

ASAM NEWS

America’s Got Talent hosts Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough have been fired as judge’s of the popular show, reports Variety, amidst concerns of a “toxic culture” at the program.
A report from the entertainment publication points to an incident when Jay Leno joined the program as a guest host and made a joke about a painting of judge and executive producer Simon Cowell surrounded by dogs

Leno commented the pets looked like something you might find “on the menu of a Korean restaurant.” Individuals found the joke to be offensive, especially considering “the very few Asian staffers” working for the show. At least one of those Asians heard the joke.

Union is said to have encouraged producers to report the incident to HR, but sources tell Variety the incident never reached that level. The joke was edited out the episode before it aired.

Union declined to comment about the incident. A representative for Jay Leno did not return Variety’s request for comment nor did Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment,

"America’s Got Talent has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show,” NBC and series producer Fremantle said. “The judging and host line-up has been regularly refreshed over the years and that is one of the reasons for AGT’s enduring popularity. NBC and the producers take any issues on set seriously.”

Variety also reported that Union and Hough were upset about receiving excessive notes about their appearance. Union reportedly received notes that her numerous hairstyles were “too Black” for the audience.

She was also upset that a black 9-year old rapper that she liked was rejected by the producers in favor of a white dance team because the producers wanted an act the audience could get behind.

NBA superstar Dwyane Wade defended his wife on social media.

For her part, Union expressed gratification for all the support she received from her husband and fans.

Hough, who was advised on how to wear her hair and the clothes she wore, had nothing but good things to say about working with NBC.

“I had a wonderful time on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ I loved working with the cast, crew and producers. I am happy to continue my working relationship with NBC,” she said. “I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

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College is proving to be dangerous for Asian Americans

ASAM NEWS &
VIEWS FROM THE EDGE

For Asian Americans, going to college is more than just books and lectures -- as it should be -- but recent incidents at university campuses show they must also learn to fight off acts of violence.

One of the attacks that occurred two weeks ago resulted in the strangulation and death of 19-year-old Ruth George, an Indian American who originally came from Hyderabad in India and a student at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Her assailant, Donald Thurman, faces charges of first degree murder and sexual assault. He was denied bail after he confessed to the attack.

“The defendant was angry that he was being ignored. The defendant came up behind the victim, grabbed her around the neck from behind, and put her into a choke hold,” said Cook County Asst. State’s Attorney James Murphy. “With his arms still wrapped around the victim’s neck the defendant dragged the victim from the ground and he opened her back seat car door.”

Roomate wanted to kill 'all Asians' at Iowa State

University police at Iowa State this week arrested a student accused of threatening to kill his roommate and all Asians, reports the Des Moines Register.

Kyle Francis Haney, 22, faces charges of first degree harassment and fourth degree criminal mischief.

“(It was reported that the) Defendant was kicking the door, and screaming ‘I will kill you,’ ” says a criminal complaint written by university police. “I arrived and Defendant answered the door. Defendant appeared to be very intoxicated.”

After being taken to jail, the complaint states he continued to maintain he wanted to “kill every Asian.”

His roommate, who was not identified, told police he took the threats seriously.

The incident happened at an apartment complex near the university. Prosecutors say they are considering filing hate crime charges. The suspect is out on bond, but has been barred from having any contact with his roommate.

Haney was described as intoxicated and told police he had consumed two malt drinks.

Students suspended for racist attacks at Syracuse U.

Meanwhile, four students have been suspended and one arrested following a series of racist episodes at Syracuse University in New York, reports People.

Two of the incidents used language “derogatory to African Americans,” while the other attacked Asian American and Native American students.

USA Today reports the Syracuse Police Department arrested Kym McGowan, 18, on accusations of fourth degree criminal mischief and graffiti.

In all, the campus paper says there have been 11 racist incidents since November 7.

Students have staged sit ins in protest of what they say has been the university’s inadequate response. Since then, the chancellor has signed on to a list of demands made by the students.

“They want to feel like the university actually cares about their safety and making them feel welcome on campus,” Casey Darnell, editor of the Daily Orange told NPR. “They want mandatory diversity training for faculty and staff. They want stricter consequences for hate speech and actions like racist graffiti. And they want diversity and inclusion to be more than just buzzwords.”

“In response to real concerns raised by members of our community, the leadership team and I have worked in good faith – to support the thoughtful, forward-thinking and constructive solutions offered by many of our students,” Syracuse Chancellor Ken Syverud said.

Arrest made in feces attack at University of Toronto

Toronto, which prides itself in being the most diverse city in North America, tries to maintain that reputation by denying any racial animosity despite the fact that in five separate incidents, all the victims have been Asian.

Toronto police have arrested a 23-year-old man accused of throwing liquid fecal matter on his victims, reports CP24.

All the victims appear to be Asian, but authorities don’t think this was racially motivated.

“(The victims) were Asian, however, we don’t think that might be the connection because we have different parts of Asia in there. We have some from the west side, some from the east side,” Const. Victor Kwong said to CP24.

According to the Daily Mail, the attacks on five people occurred in three separate incidents over four days.

The newspaper reported all three incidents happened on university campuses-two in libraries. The first happened at the John P. Robarts Research Library on the University of Toronto last Friday (Nov. 22). The suspect allegedly walked over to two people sitting at the table and dumped the substance on top of them.

In the next attack Sunday, a man entered into the the Scott Library on the York University’s Keele campus and assaulted a woman and man.

The latest incident occurred at the University of Toronto outside a building.

“Great work by Toronto Police arresting an individual in the “feces attacks” investigation. He can’t face justice or be given help until apprehended and it seems our police have that in hand. I hope this arrest will help calm concern on campuses and across the city,” tweeted Toronto Mayor John Tory.

No one is certain why there appears to be a rise of attacks on students of color.

“You definitely feel insecure if you are a person of color, or if you are someone who has been attacked by these,” said Shiv Das, a Syracuse graduate student from India.

Some attribute the guarded atmosphere to the apparent hostility of the Trump administration towards immigrants and the increasing boldness of white supremacists to express their feelings of being replaced or loss of social and economicc stature in the growing diversity of the North American society.

College campuses are just a reflection of the what's going on in rest of society -- the shootings in El Paso, Gilroy and Dayton attest to that -- including government.

“What’s really important for the government to do, first of all, is to stop espousing rhetoric that strikes chords with people who are afraid of immigrants,” a former white supremacist, Arno Michaelis, said in an appearance on Hill.TV on Tuesday.

"There has to be some responsibility in that regard," he added.

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National Book Awards go to Susan Choi and Arthur Sze

SCREEN CAPTURE / CREATIVE COMMONS

Susan Choi accepts her National Book Award Wednesday evening for her work of fiction, 'Turst Excercise.'

With more than 1,700 books under consideration, five have been chose to win National Book Awards last Nov. 20 in ceremonies held in New York City. Among the winners is "Trust Exercise" by Susan Choi for fiction and "Sight Lines" by Arthur Sze for poetry.

Winners take home a trophy, a purse of $10,000 and the right to slap that precious gold medallion on the front cover of their work.

“Receiving this award has been joyous for me. To receive such a recognition, from such a remarkable group of my peers in this business, feels amazing,” Choi wrote in a statement to The Cornell Daily Sun.

"Trust Exercise" is an exercise in trust itself as Choi takes the reader through twists. Ostenisbly it's about two high school students in a coming of age story dealing with all the travails of first love and teenage angst, but midway through, the plot thickens and becomes more than that.

The New York Times reviews it thusly: “[Trust Exercise] burns more brightly than anything [Choi’s] yet written. This psychologically acute novel enlists your heart as well as your mind. Zing will go certain taut strings in your chest. ... Choi builds her novel carefully, but it is packed with wild moments of grace and fear and abandon. ... [A] delicious and, in its way, rather delicate ... phosphorescent examination of sexual consent.”

A recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, the Korean American author teaches fiction writing at Yale and lives in Brooklyn.

"Trust" is the author's fifth novel. Choi’s first novel, "The Foreign Student," won the Asian American Literary Award for fiction. Her second novel, "American Woman," was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a film. Her third novel, "A Person of Interest," was a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award.  Her fourth novel, "My Education," received a 2014 Lambda Literary Award. 

SCREEN CAPTURE / CREATIVE COMMONS

Arhur Sze receives his award for his book of poetry.

Sze is also the author of "Compass Rose" (Copper Canyon, 2014), "The Ginkgo Light "(Copper Canyon, 2009), "Quipu" (Copper Canyon, 2005), and "The Redshifting Web" (Copper Canyon, 1998). He is the recipient of the Jackson Poetry Prize from Poets & Writers. 

A professor emeritus at the Institute of American Indian Arts, he lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other winners of the 70th annual National Book Awards include:

• Nonfiction: Sarah M. Broom's "The Yellow House"
• Translated literature: Baron Wenckheim's "Homecoming," by László Krasznahorkai and translator Ottilie Mulzet
• Young people's literature: Martin W. Sandler's "1919: The Year That Changed America," won over  "Patron Saints of Nothing" by Filipino American author Randy Ribay.

See the full list of finalists: Jump here.

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50th anniversary of the Alcatraz Occupation remembered

PRESS POOL

Native Americans gathered on Alcatraz Island in the territory of the Ohlone people.

This morning of Thursday, November 28, 2019, as families across the country gather around the table for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) hosted the 41st Annual Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering at Alcatraz Island, Ohlone Territory.

This year’s gathering commemorates the 50 anniversary of the Alcatraz occupation. It will honor the veterans of that historic event for Indigenous Peoples, which was organized by a group of Indian students and young people calling themselves “Indians of All Tribes”.

It began on November 20, 1969, and lasted 19 months, sparking international attention and an Indigenous Peoples movement for rights and justice which continues to this day.

International Indian Treaty Council’s Executive Director Andrea Carmen, Yaqui Nation emphasizes the importance of these annual sunrise gatherings.

“It’s very important that we continue to carry out these gatherings twice a year on this sacred and historic place to tell the truth about our histories, share our cultures and commemorate and give thanks to all those who have gone before us and who left us these ways, no matter what they had to sacrifice. We also give thanks for the lives of our children and future generations and recommit ourselves to do whatever is needed to protect Mother Earth and our ways of life so that they can survive and thrive.”

During the original occupation a group of young people and their families stayed on the island for 19 months in defiance of the Coast Guard and Federal government. Their actions called attention to the historic and ongoing repression of Indigenous Peoples in the United States, including massacres, Treaty violations, assimilation, termination, removal of Indigenous children to Boarding Schools and forced relocation. 

The occupation gave rise to an international Indigenous movement which includes work at the United Nations on urgent concerns such as human rights, environmental protection and climate change and inspired international solidarity campaigns to support critical struggles to halt criminalization and assassinations of Indigenous human and environmental rights defenders, destruction of sacred sites, border violence, land appropriations and missing and murdered Indigenous women. 

In the Words of Akwesasne Mohawk occupation leader Richard Oakes: “Alcatraz is not an island. It’s an idea.”

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

AAPI community groups want equitable coverage of Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang with some of his Asian American supporters.

Twenty-three community organizations representing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders rallied around Democratic Presidential candiate Andrew Yang and his criticism of MSNBC.
The coalition of nonprofits released an open letter to MSNBC President Phil Griffin raising concerns about MSNBC's apparent lack of coverage of Yang and the potential damage to the American democracy and racial equality; they urge MSNBC to provide fair coverage to all candidates. 

They were responding to allegations that the news network was "ignoring" Yang.

"Depriving Mr. Yang of a fair share of airtime during the debate is depriving the American people of the fair opportunity to learn about a qualified candidate, and thus compromising our democracy," the letter stated. "Furthermore, as we are embracing diversity and inclusion, MSNBC's lack of coverage of Mr. Yang may deepen this country's racial inequality, and also play right into the books of those who attack media as 'Fake News.'"

Since Yang declared his intention to seek the highest office in the country, MSNBC has produced several graphics showing how the Democratic candidates were faring according to the national and state polls. In at least a dozen or more graphics, Yang's name was omitted even though he was doing better than several other candidates who were included in the graphic.

The final straw, apparently, was last week's debate hosted by MSNBC.  During the two and one-half hour debate, Yang was allowed 6.8 minutes of speaking time, the least amount of air time among the ten candidates on stage and half of frontrunners Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Bittigeig and former Vice President Joe Biden.

In an interview on CNN after the debate, Yang expressed his dismay at his apparent marginalization. The network invited the candidate to be a guest on one of the MSNBC programs but Yang rejected the offer until the network issues an on-air apology.

Over 1000 businesses, organizations and individuals also expressed support for the letter,  printed on the letterhead of Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs letterhead, is below:

Phil GriffinPresident, MSNBC30 Rockefeller PlazaNew York, NY 10112

Dear Mr. Griffin

Under your leadership, MSNBC has become one of America's most influential cable news networks and attracts hundreds of millions of viewers. Congratulations on hosting the fifth Democratic Presidential Debate. We are community nonprofit organizations that do not intend to support or oppose any particular candidate here, but would like to raise our concerns and register our displeasure about your network's unfair treatment of Mr. Andrew Yang, the first Asian American man to run for president as a Democrat in our nation's history.

Mr. Yang was one of the 10 presidential candidates that participated in the debate in Atlanta on November 20, 2019. The American people expected each candidate would receive relatively equal amount of time to share their ideas on how to run our country as president, but MSNBC moderators did not let Mr. Yang speak for the first 32 minutes of the two-hour debate. CNN reported Mr. Yang only received 6.8 minutes speaking time, barely over half of the time Sen. Warren spoke (13.4 minutes). In addition, it's reported MSNBC left Mr. Yang out 15 times in its coverage of presidential candidates, while including others who polled lower.

We were troubled by these oversights and equally worried about their damage to MSNBC's credibility, to the American democracy, and to this country's racial equality. Following the debate, many media outlets reported that Andrew Yang was "ignored" or had a "lack of speaking time". Mr. Yang is one of the eight candidates that qualified for all five debates per DNC rules. RealClearPolitics' national polling average shows Mr. Yang at 3%, ahead of three sitting senators, two House members, a governor and Mr. Mike Bloomberg. Depriving Mr. Yang of a fair share of airtime during the debate is depriving the American people of the fair opportunity to learn about a qualified candidate, and thus compromising our democracy. Furthermore, as we are embracing diversity and inclusion, MSNBC's lack of coverage of Mr. Yang may deepen this country's racial inequality, and also play right into the books of those who attack media as "Fake News".

There are over 22 million Asian Americans in the U.S., which is the fastest growing ethnic group in our country; 51% of Asian Americans have a bachelor's degree or higher. It's reported 43% of MSNBC's audience has a bachelor's degree or higher. The run for president by three Asian Americans, Mr. Andrew Yang, Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, has elevated Asian Americans' participation in politics and civic affairs to a historical new height. Overlooking Mr. Yang's candidacy in reporting the 2020 presidential election will lead to millions of Americans being uninformed and adversely impact our democracy.

We request that MSNBC

Give all the presidential candidates fair coverage, and Investigate the root causes of the incidents listed above about Andrew Yang and take corrective actions accordingly.

Thank you for your consideration. Please contact Joel Wong at (510) 999-5763 or joelwong@comcast.net if you have any questions. We are looking forward to seeing MSNBC's fair, transparent coverage of the 2020 elections and other important issues, and ongoing dialogue to ensure public trust of media and other institutions.

Sincerely,

80-20 National Asian American PACAsian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA)Asian American Democratic Club (AADC)United Chinese Americans (UCA)Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC)National Council of Chinese Americans (NCCA)APAPA New York ChapterAPAPA Ohio State ChapterAPAPA Peninsula ChapterAPAPA Southern California RegionAsian American Pacific Islander Coalition Of AlaskaAtlanta Chinese IT AssociationChinese Chamber of Commerce of New YorkChina Institute in North AmericaGreater Seattle Chinese Chamber of CommerceHouston Chinese AllianceMinnesota Chinese WorldMonterey Bay Chinese AssociationOhio Chinese American AssociationSan Diego Asian Americans For Equality FoundationUCA Illinois ChapterUCA Washington ChapterWestlake Chinese Culture Association

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Members of Congress want more AAPI journalists in news networks

Newsrooms can be lonely places for journalists of color.

During the course of my career as a journalist, I was aware every day that I was one of the few Asian Americans in a newsroom. Even in the racially diverse Bay Area where there are large AAPI communities, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were woefully underrepresented in journalism. 

Decades passed but in all that time, not much has changed.

On Monday, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) sent a letter to executives at ABC News, CBS News, CNN Worldwide, Fox News, NBC News and MSNBC requesting information on what steps are being taken to promote representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) both on camera and behind the scenes. 

The letter was led by CAPAC Chair Judy Chu, D-CA, CAPAC First Vice Chair Grace Meng, D-NY, and CAPAC Whip Ted Lieu, D-CA. 

Specifically, the letter requests information on steps being taken to increase paid television contributors, how many AAPIs are currently in decision making positions, how many AAPI anchors there are, and what networks are doing to cultivate new talent.

“As AAPIs continue to grow in population and influence, it is important to see that change reflected in our media as well. That includes not only on-air representation, but also more seats at the table as producers and contributors in order to help ensure more perspectives are reflected in the news coverage we watch,” said Chu. 

“Increased AAPI representation is particularly important on issues like immigration, where AAPIs are the fastest growing demographic, but are often excluded from coverage of immigration issues," she said. "This is a change that media executives have acknowledged is necessary, and so we are sending this letter for an update on where things stand. As the 2020 election approaches and news coverage becomes more important, it is vital that we ensure all voices are heard and represented.”

“Diversity and inclusion are the building blocks for a more just and equitable society. That is why, I have continued to fight to make sure our institutions - from businesses to academia; from entertainment to government - live up to these ideals. Actions, however, must match words, which is why shining a light onto the diversity and inclusion efforts at major media outlets is so important,” said Meng. 

“The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, and - whether in front of or behind the camera; whether in the editing room or in the executive room - our diverse communities must have fair and meaningful representation. 

"No longer are we made invisible, without a voice, or a mere afterthought. We must hold the major network news accountable for their inclusion and engagement efforts, including efforts to build the pipeline of representation, and commitment to telling AAPI stories that resonate, not just with our AAPI community, but with our entire nation. After all, the AAPI story is the American story. The AAPI perspective and roles are critical to the full American story. I look forward to the responses from each of the major networks.”

“As a proud member of CAPAC, I am pleased to co-lead this effort to encourage increased representation of the AAPI community in the news media,” said Rep. Lieu. “For too long, AAPIs have been underrepresented within this industry, leaving many voices unheard and opinions overlooked. The AAPI community has made monumental contributions to American society and culture, and it is past time to reflect that in our newsrooms.”

A copy of the letter can be found online here.

Data from the American Society of Newspaper Editors shows newsrooms across the US are overwhelmingly white. This is true for both conservative-leaning papers like The Wall Street Journal (80.81% white) and liberal-leaning papers like The Washington Post (71.08% white).

Among the newspapers with the largest circulations in the US, The Los Angeles Times (14.8% Asian) and Washington Post (12.65% Asian) reported comparatively larger percentages of staff who identified as Asian, while The Chicago Tribune (3.42% Asian) and Boston Globe (4.86% Asian) reported smaller percentages.

Television news has a similar problem with Asian American representation. According to the most recent data from the Radio Television Digital News Association, Asian American representation in TV news has declined to 2%.

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Assailant confesses to strangling University of Illinois student

TWITTER

College student Ruth George was assaulted and strangled to death.

ASAM NEWS

A judge Tuesday in Chicago denied bail to a 26-year-old man who police say confessed to sexually assaulting and then strangling to death a University of Illinois Chicago student, reports ABC7.

Donald Thurman faces charges of first degree murder and sexual assault.

The victim has been identified as 19-year-old Ruth George, an Indian American who originally came from Hyderabad in India.

The Chicago Tribune reports her family reported her missing Saturday. Police later found her dead in the backseat of her car in a campus garage.

“Ruth lived out her deep faith in Jesus by loving and serving others, leaving a legacy of Christ-centered kindness and sacrifice,” her mother said in a statement. 

“She was the beloved baby of our family. We grieve with hope. We hold no hatred towards the perpetrator, but our hope is no other girl would be harmed in this way and for a mother to never experience this type of heartache,” said the mother, who asked that her name not be used.

George graduated from Naperville Central High School in 2018 and excelled on the school’s gymnastics team.

“For the girls who were new on the team each season, she was always one to help make everyone feel welcome, and the girls were drawn to her because of that,” teammate Mary Grace Maxwell said to the Chicago Tribune. “It’s incredibly heartbreaking to know someone took this beautiful girl away from us.”

The prosecutor told ABC7 the incident happened after the suspect directed catcalls at George as she walked by.

“The defendant was angry that he was being ignored. The defendant came up behind the victim, grabbed her around the neck from behind, and put her into a choke hold,” said Cook County Asst. State’s Attorney James Murphy. “With his arms still wrapped around the victim’s neck the defendant dragged the victim from the ground and he opened her back seat car door.”

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Kamala Harris & Mindy Kaling cook masala dosa and interest from Indian Americans

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Mindy Kaling share stories and recipes in a video showing the human side of presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Mindy Kaling prepared some masala dosas with the help of Sen. Kamala Harris in a video that is warming the hearts of immigrants.

In a video released by Democratic presidential candidate Harris' campaign, the candidate and the comedian/producer prepared the Indian dish in Kalaing's Los Angeles kitchen.

Kaling has long been a supporter of Harris. During the video released by Harris's campaign and on Kaling's personal social media accounts, they discuss their immigrant parents and their shared South Indian heritage.

“I really believe in her, I think she’s a really exciting candidate, and I like her stances on so many issues that are important to me,” Kaling told CNN early this summer.

The video of their joint dosa cooking adventure has gone viral ever since it was released on social media a day earlier and has hit more than half a million views on Twitter alone. There was also a special guest appearance from Avu Chokalingam, Kaling’s dad.

The video has gone viral and was warmly received by Indian Americans, who have been slow in showing their financial and political support for Harris, whose mother immigrated from India.

“Loved all of this,” tweeted Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

“Dear 12-Year-Old Me, One day, one of the funniest people on TV will cook a meal with a progressive US Senator who happens to be running for President and they’ll both be strong Indian American women. Your Future Self,” said Kal Penn, former Obama Administration official and actor.

“In which two South Indian American women - one @mindykaling a TV celebrity, the other @KamalaHarris a candidate for President - make dosa & eat with their hands & the whole world loves it & I feel all the #DesiPride,” tweeted Gautam Raghavan, chief of staff to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA.

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Andrew Yang's feud with MSNBC heats up

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Andrew Yang during the last Democratic debate in Atlanta

"MSNBC is trying to suppress and minimize my campaign because there are certain other candidates that they might favor," Yang said told Politico.

At last week’s fifth Democratic primary debate, hosted by MSNBC in Atlanta, Yang was allowed to speak for a total of six minutes and 48 seconds, the least time of any of the candidates on stage and about half the speaking time of Elizabeth Warren.

The moderators asked Yang fewer questions and didn't call on him when he wanted to add his two cents to a discussion. He wasn't even asked a question until 32 minutes into the debate.

The day after the debate he went on CNN to raise his criticism of rival MSNBC. On Saturday, his campaign talked with MSNBC when the network invited Yang to appear on the one of its programs. Yang rejected the offer and said he would not appear on the network until MSNBC offers an on-air apology.

“I’m not the kind of guy who takes offense easily but at this point you have to call it like you see it,” the tech entrepreneur told CNN’s Ana Cabrera.

Yang's supporters demonstrated in front of MSNBC headquaraters in New York City Saturday and #BoycottMSNBC and #LetYangSpeak trended on social media.

“We're just asking for fair and equitable treatment,” the New York-born Yang told Politico. “And after they make that commitment, then I'd be thrilled to go on air with them and talk to voters.”

In addition to the lack of speaking time in the two debates hosted by MSNBC, the network has left out Yang's name in graphics showing polling numbers at least a dozen times. On one of the MSNBC shows in September, he was referred to as "John Yang." The show's host later apologized for that gaff.

MSNBC has not officially responded on the criticism from the candidate and Yang's campaign, however, in graphics used the criticism was raised, Yang's name has been appearing without comment.

SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC

A graphic used by MSNBC on Monday, Nov. 26, included Andrew Yang.

An analysis by Business Insider concluded that Yang “has had the least amount of speaking time ... compared to how much we would expect him to speak given his polling numbers.” Yang is polling fifth or sixth according to national and Iowa and New Hampshire surveys.

Although at times, Yang raises his hand to add his comments on an ongoing discussion, he doesn't jump into the fray or interrupt other speakers. His answers are succinct and to the point unlike his rivals who often speak longer than their allotted time limit.

The candidate is hard put to explain the network's behavior towards his campaign. The decision to boycott MSNBC could harm his campaign in the long run even though he makes appearances on CNN and the conservative, Republican-leaning Fox network.

“If you were generous, you could just say that they didn’t understand my campaign at first,” Yang said in an interview. The thing he finds most “off-putting” is that other news organizations that didn’t take him that “seriously” at first eventually “figured out that I’d beaten half a dozen sitting senators and governors and congresspeople and then they started treating me like other candidates.”

“But for whatever reason, MSNBC never made that transition,” he said.

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Five TV episodes celebrating Asian American Thanksgivings

The award-winning Thanksgiving episode of Master of None is a classic.

ThanksgivingThanksgiving is arguably the best holiday on television for Asian Americans. The big meal and all the traditions that revolve around it provide ample fodder for both comedy and drama.

Thanksgiving around my house and I'm sure -- most Asian American households -- always includes comfort dishes from the homeland to make the meal a true family celebration. I know its almost a cliche, but for our family, it means adding pancit and lumpia to the alrady laden table or adding bagoong to the string beans to give it that extra salty kick. Besides the roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, the Thanksgiving table is often joined by pancit, lumpia and rice. You got to have rice.. In larger celebrations, the turkey would play second fiddle to the lechon (roast suckling pig).

RELATED: The truth about Thanksgiving

The aromas waft throughout the house all day for family and for any visitors who might pop in to be met at the door by that Filipino greeting, "Have you eaten yet?"

After stuffing yourself and everyone has moved to the living room to watch football or holiday movies.

Netflix is making the first three episodes available on its streaming network this holiday. The final two shows haven't been syndicated or picked up by anyi of the streaming networks but you can view them on YouTube for only $1.99.

Master of None, “Thanksgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

If you want to split hairs, this is technically not an Asian American Thanksgiving, but it features Aziz Ansari, which is good enough for us. If nothing else, holidays are opportunities to reflect on how you and your loved ones have changed from year to year. Riffing on the idea of holidays as markers of time, this Season 2 episode of Master of None tells the coming-out story of Denise (Lena Waithe), over seven holiday meals. “Being gay isn’t something black people love to talk about, Denise tells her friend, Dev (Aziz Ansari), during the 1998 holiday. “Some black people think being gay is a choice, and when they find out that their kid is gay, they try to figure out what they did wrong.” You see all of Denise’s big life changes during these meals, as well as the big shifts that her mother, played by Angela Bassett, goes through. 

Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari won the Emmy Award for best comedy writing for this episode. 

Fresh Off The Boat, “Huangsgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

This episode begins with a classic Thanksgiving showdown scenario: grown-up sisters engaging in hostilities as they each attempt to prove to their mother that they can host a better version of the holiday. Jessica and Louis have a good game plan, with homemade cranberry sauce and Cornish hens replacing a big turkey, but, as is often the case during big family events, things go awry. 

And to add that extra Asian touch, Jessica's mother declares the turkey to be “dry but edible.” The ultimate compliment.

Gilmore Girls, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)

The episode gets to the heart of what Thanksgiving is all about — this idea of celebrating with family and friends, and obligations. That’s why Lorelai and Rory get roped into not one, not two, but four Thanksgiving dinners, and each one offers a different vignette. They know to expect religious music and tofurkey at the Kim household with Keiko Agena playing Rory's best friend Lane. They experience Sookie’s first married Thanksgiving with Jackson, who, because of a compromise, cooks up a deep-fried turkey feast, much to her dismay. They essentially double-date at Luke’s Diner. Lorelai gets into an argument with her mother during dinner. There are two passionate kisses. It’s the unpredictable nature of Thanksgiving in a nutshell.

Dr. Ken, “Thanksgiving Culture Clash” (Season 1, Episode 8): 

Molly gets a Japanese tattoo, which sparks a culture clash between Allison and Ken over their Japanese and Korean heritages, respectively, and makes for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner experience, all of which is documented by Dave for a school project. Meanwhile, Julie invites the staff over to her place to avoid being alone, but Damona and Clark try to get out of it due to other plans.

This episode is available for purchase here.

The Filipino American family, the Chans, made their debut on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Thanksgiving episode.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, "My First Thanksgiving with Josh," (Season 1, Episode 6)

The first-ever depiction of a Filipino American family occurred on this musical rom-com Thanksgiving episode written by FilAm writer Rene Gube (who also plays the cool priest, Father Brah, in the series) The menally-off Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) tries to impress her boyfriend Josh Chan's (played by Vincent Rodriguez III) extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins  by cooking a bowl of dinaguan, a Filipino dish best described as a pork stew cooked in vinegar and pig blood. Complications ensue because Rebecca's rival for Josh's affections is also invited to the family fesat. They compete with each other for the Chan family's affections. Rebecca gets to do a rap  called "I Do Good Parent" featuring Amy Hill and Alberto Isaac as the parents, Lourdes and Joseph Chan.

This episode can be bought for only $1.99 here.

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