Delta Airlines penalized $50K for discriminating against Muslims

ASAM NEWS

The US Department of Transportation fined Delta Air Lines $50,000 fine last week for two cases of discrimination against Muslim passengers.

The two alleged incidents took place in 2016. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) requested a federal investigation into one of them, involving a U.S. couple of Pakistani descent, according to The Philadelphia Tribune. The passengers, Faisal and Nazia Ali, were headed home to Cincinnati after a trip to Paris, when a passenger told a flight attendant that their behavior made them “nervous.”

Flight attendants claimed that Faisal Ali was acting suspiciously, sweating and hiding his cell phone. They reported the couple to the captain who then had the Alis get off the plane to take an alternative flight. The couple was cleared by a security officer.

However, the captain refused to allow them back on the flight “because the flight attendants were not comfortable” having them onboard,” the Philadelphia Tribune reported. The couple was later able to board another flight the next day without further security screening.

The second instance involved a “Mr. A,” where a similar situation occurred, with passengers and airline employees reported suspicious behavior, and the captain had him removed and put on a later flight, according to Delta’s consent order.

In both instances, the passengers’ records had “no red flags.”

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Faisal and Nazia Ali

“Delta disagrees with the Department’s contention that it engaged in discriminatory conduct. While Delta does not dispute that each of these two incidents could have been handled differently, Delta asserts that this fact does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that Delta acted improperly,” Delta responded in the consent order.

The airline added that it “asserts that it has learned from the two incidents at issue here, and has improved its processes because of them.”

The Department of Transportation ordered the airline to revamp their service training and have employees retake such classes, including civil rights training, the consent order states.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations applauded the decision.

“We welcome this decision by the Department of Transportation, which determined that our clients’ removal from the flight was discriminatory and based on their perceived religion,” said CAIR-Ohio Civil Rights Attorney Sana Hassan in a statement. “We hope that this DOT order sends a message not just to Delta, but to all airlines, that discriminatory treatment of passengers on the basis of their race, religion and national origin is illegal and will not be tolerated.”

She added that the organization has a “Know Your Rights” pamphlet in multiple languages — including English, Arabic, Somali, Urdu, Farsi, Bengali, and Bosnian — for these situations.

Coming-out guide for AAPIs released In several languages in time for Lunar New Year

ASAM NEWS

The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) and Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released new, translated coming out guides for LGBTQIA Asian Americans, Them reported.

The guide, entitled "Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander Americans," is intended to serve “as a valuable conversation starter” for LGBTQIA Asian Americans, their families, and communities, according to a statement from HRC’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives & Research, Ty Cobb.

“For many Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, coming out is a lifelong process that can require a different approach because of cultural norms or traditions that emphasize duty to family and community,” the guide reads. “This can make the coming out process more complex to navigate.”

The guide also acknowledges that language barriers can make it difficult to properly describe experiences or terms, as well as find outside resources to support LGBTQIA members.

It is available in Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese on the HRC website.

Since more than six in ten Asian Americans are immigrants, many American-born children feel an obligation to fulfill the better life dreamed of by their parents, the guide says. As a result, LGBTQIA Asian Americans may fear “disappointing their parents, and will avoid doing anything that might humiliate them or bring shame upon the family among the wider community.” They may be compelled to carry out “rigid gendered” expectations, such as marrying and having children.

Parents may also feel as if they’ve “failed” their children in “turning them LGBTQIA,” or fear the backlash from members of the community. But given time, some parents do accept their children, such as the parents of Jenny Shimizu, an openly-lesbian actor and model.

“When I came out, I was 21 and my parents spent three months at first shocked, and then they joined PFLAG… they became so political, and they realized that being gay wasn’t a huge crisis that couldn’t be overcome,” Shimizu said. “They needed to be educated so they took steps to do that; it’s nice to have that support.”

However, only 17% have had family get involved in the larger LGBTQ community, according to an HRC 2019 report on LGBTQIA Asian American youth.

In the report, 43% say their families “make them feel bad for being LGBTQ,” including 57% of transgender and gender-expansive youth and 36% of cisgender LGBTQ youth. A minority, 19%, report they can “be themselves at home” without feeling rejected or depressed, hearing negative views about the community from family members, or being expected to present as heterosexual, cisgender individuals.

A majority of LGBTQIA Asian Americans also struggle with racism from the outside community, including at school and work.

But Glenn Magpantay, executive director of NQAPIA, implores those who have not come out or not feel acceptance to not feel alone:

“Above all, know that there is no specific ‘mold’ you have to fit, even as you may feel pressure from your family or community,” he said in a statement. “Being LGBTQ does not make you any less Asian, Pacific Islander, or any other national heritage or ethnic or racial identity you may hold.”

AAPI health advocates blast Supreme Court's 'public charge' ruling

The US Supreme Court’s decision Jan. 28 allowing the Trump administration to begin implementing the Department of Homeland Security’s revised public charge regulation continues to draw strong reactions from health agencies serving the AAPI communities.

The SCOTUS decision doesn't end the debate. Multiple cases challenging the rule continue in the lower courts. 

In a 5-4 decision along party lines, the Supreme Court temporarily lifted a nationwide injunction blocking the rule from taking effect. The rule threatens the health and wellbeing of Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants and all families.

Three nationwide organizations released the following statements in response to the High Court's decision:

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA):

“Decisions such as this continues to signal to the rest of the world that America is no longer a place that welcomes immigrants. Unfortunately, once again the highest court in our country has given the green light to government-sanctioned xenophobia. The public charge rule put forth by the Trump Administration ignores the plight of many Asian American and Pacific Islander families, and by forcing them to choose between receiving public assistance or their legal pathway, they face poverty, poor health, and uncertainty. NCAPA is disappointed in the decision and will continue to advocate for the American values that brought our communities here in the first place because that is what we all deserve.”

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), Executive Director, Jeffrey Caballero:

“AAPCHO and our member community health centers have already seen the chilling effects on our patients. They are foregoing essential services, disenrolling from benefits they are eligible for, or just not showing up to receive the care they need out of confusion and fear. No one should sacrifice their quality of life or put their loved one’s health in jeopardy out of fear of being separated from their families. AAPCHO condemns this rule and the immoral, unjust policies that discriminate against immigrants who contribute much to our country. AAPCHO will continue to work to ensure better access to affordable, high quality, and culturally and linguistic care to prevent detrimental health outcomes. With our partners, we'll fight against the rule in the courts, in Congress, and at the ballot box.”

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Executive Vice President, Juliet K. Cho:

“We are disappointed that the Supreme Court is permitting the public charge rule to move forward. The public charge rule is antithetical to who we are as a country and targets, primarily, hard-working immigrant families of color. While the regulation directly impacts only a small number of people, the rule has already led to many families and individuals dis-enrolling from otherwise eligible health programs. Standing in solidarity with all of our partners, APIAHF will continue to organize community action against the Trump administration’s public charge rule and protect our immigrant families from unjust policies. 2020 is a critical election year, where every vote matters. It is important, more than ever, to empower our communities in exercising their right to vote for leaders who support the American values we believe in.”

RELATED: SCOTUS temporarily allows 'public charge' to take effect

Andrew Yang qualifies for the next presidential debate

ANDREW YANG

With the Iowa Caucuses just days away on Feb. 3, Andrew Yang is ramping up his campaign after learning he qualified for the next presidential debate prior to the New Hampshire primary.

The candidate, who has never run for office prior to his surprising campaign, qualified for the Democrats' presidential debate being held Feb. 7 after earning 5% in two polls: a CNN Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire and a Washington Post/ABC News poll released this past weekend. He had already met the DNC bar for the number of donors.

Yang joins six other candidates who have qualified for the debate: former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, businessman Tom Steyer and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

Yang's participation in the New Hampshire debate will mean the Democrats won't repeat the poor optics of the January debate when only white candidates appeared onstage.  Yang, Tulsi Gabbard, Deval Patrick and Cory Booker failed to meet the DNC's criteria. Julian Castro and Kamala Harris had ended their campaigns earlier.

To avoid the all-white candidates' debate, the DNC added one more way a candidate could qualify -- wining one delegate in Iowa, a feat that Yang and, perhaps, Gabbard might be able to meet.

Appearing on the conservative network Fox News last Sunday, Yang criticized the DNC for not allowing Fox sponsor one of the debates. Yang's appearance on the network, which has severely criticized the Democrats, followed his policy of reaching out to a wide spectrum of voters. 

"One thing I think Democrats should do, I think we should go on FOX News and talk to the American people," Yang said. "Because how can you win an election and bring the country together if you literally won't talk to 40% or 50% of the population?"

The qualification window for the Feb. 7 debate, which will be held at Saint Anselm College outside Manchester, N.H. closes at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 6, reports Politico.

Two more debates are scheduled for February: Feb. 19 in Las Vegas (three days before the Nevada caucuses) and Feb. 25 in Charleston, S.C. (four days before the state’s primary). Qualification rules have not yet been announced for those debates.

Filipina American among victims in Kobe Bryant helicopter tragedy

Christina and Matt Mauser

Among the nine passengers that died when Kobe Bryant's helicopter crashed was Filipina American girls basketball coach Christina Mauser.

Bryant had selected the 38-year-old mother of three to teach defense to his daughter's  Mamba Academy basketball team. Bryant's daughter, 13-year old Gianna, was also killed in the crash.

Her husband Matt, 38, holding back tears, opened up about his family situation on both social media and to media outlets.

"He didn't choose Christina for just any ordinary reason," Matt said. "She was extraordinary. She was incredibly witty, funny, funny like nobody you've ever met."

"I got three small kids and am trying to figure out how to navigate life with 3 kids and no mom," Matt told NBC News.

The couple are both basketball coaches in Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, California.

Bryant's helicopter was carrying its passengers from his residence in Orange County to a youth basketball academy – Mamba Academy – northwest of Los Angeles when it crashed in a fog-shrouded mountainside near Calabasa, California. The academy is a basketball facility founded by baskeball legend Bryant, whose nickname is the Black Mamba.

The mayor of Costa Mesa -- about 40 miles from Los Angeles --- also tweeted about Mauser.

"This devastating tragedy gets worse by the hour," Mayor Katrina Foley tweeted. "So much pain for so many local families. Our hearts are broken & grieving for the families impacted."

Other passengers who perished in the copter crash included John Altobelli, a champion baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was killed along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa. Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and pilot Ara Zobayan.

US Rep. Harley E. Rouda of California called the loss of life "incalculable."

"Today our neighbors lost parents, children, friends, coaches and heroes," he said. "Orange County is grieving, but we will find solace and purpose in the example they left behind."

California developer sentenced for illegal political donations

James Tong with his lawyer outside of the Alameda County courthouse.

A real estate developer was sentenced to 15 months of funneling tens of thousands of illegal contributions to the congressional campaigns of US Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA.
James Tong, 74, of Fremont, California, was sentenced Jan. 24 by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar of the Northern District of California.

A federal jury convicted Tong on Oct. 8, 2019, of two counts of making contributions to a federal campaign in the names of other individuals.

According to the evidence presented at trial, in 2012 and 2013 Tong made $38,000 in conduit contributions to the initial and reelection campaigns of Swalwell who was running for the US House of Representatives.

Swalwell, a former Alameda County prosecutor and Dublin City Council member, sought the 2020 Democratic nomination for president but in July he dropped out of the presidential race.

In a statement issued Friday, Swallwell said: “Justice was served today for a campaign supporter of mine who violated the law. From the moment I was notified that my campaign was a victim of fraud, I assisted the FBI to obtain the records they needed to conduct their investigation. All the donations to my campaign, in this case, were subsequently donated to local charities.”

Tong provided envelopes of cash to his bank manager and another business associate and directed them to give the cash to individuals in the community, who then used Tong’s cash to write checks in their own names to the campaign for Swalwell.

Tong leveraged financial obligations and the implied loss of business opportunities to induce his bank manager and business associate to distribute cash in the community to be donated. The network of straw donors included dozens of conduits, including at least one foreign national who was not eligible to make donations to federal elections.

Tong also directed his middlemen to conceal the scheme by instructing the straw donors not to deposit the cash; and he later directed one of the middlemen to withhold information from the FBI after he was interviewed.

As part of the sentence, Judge Tigar found that Tong obstructed justice when he told his middlemen to not deposit cash given to them. Judge Tigar also sentenced the defendant to a one-year period of supervised release and a $380,000 fine. 

Supreme Court allows temporary implementation of 'public charge' restrictions for immigrants

FACEBOOK / NYIC

Members of the New York Immigration Coalition vow to fight the 'public charge' rule in the courts. 

Any hope that the Supreme Court would exercise its independence from the executive branch disappeared Monday as the court ended the injunction that prevented Donald Trump's so-called "public charge" rule to take effect.

Immigrants may have to choose between food for their families or keeping their eligibility to become US citizens.

The US Supreme Court today temporarily lifted nationwide court orders blocking implementation of the Trump administration’s public charge regulation, allowing this widely opposed wealth test to take effect while several cases challenging the legality of the rule make their way through the courts. 

“Nearly every sector of society has gone on record in opposition to this morally repugnant and legally dubious regulation, and for good reason: its implementation will hurt countless of immigrant and citizen families, and we’re all worse off as a result,” said Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center.

Monday’s 5-4 ruling with the conservatives in the majority, will force countless immigrants to forgo health care, food stamps, and housing assistance; it will drive families to illness, starvation, and homelessness; and it is impossible to square with federal law.

“DHS has always been confident that an objective judiciary would reverse the injunctions imposed on the agency so that we are able to enforce long-standing law passed by a bipartisan Congress,” said Ken Cuccinelli, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the DHS Deputy Secretary. 

“Self-sufficiency and self-reliance are key American values not to be litigiously dismissed, but to be encouraged and adopted by the next generation of immigrants. We plan to fully implement this rule in 49 states and are confident we will win the case on the merits,” he said in a statement.

The only state not affected is Illinois because their TRO is based on a separate legal action.

The regulation that will go into effect threatens the health, nutrition, and housing of families — overwhelmingly families of color — all over the country. 

Three lower courts agreed that the Trump guidelines did not follow the law and ruled that the rules could not be implemented while the cases wind its way through the courts. The Trump administration leapfrogged the appeals courts and went directly to the Supreme Court  dominated by GOP justices.

MORE INFORMATION:

• USICS defines "public charge"
• Are you affected by this ruling?

The multiple lawsuits challenging the regulation will still have to be decided by their merits, and the regulation may be overturned by courts hearing those cases. However, considering the aggressiveness of the administration, if those courts rule against the restrictive guidelines, it is likely the DOJ would appeal those decisions right up to the Supreme Court.

The rule affects legal immigrants who may or may not be waiting to become US citizens. "This cruel and un-American plan penalizes those who are in the U.S. legally," said Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY. "It will have dire consequences for hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants, mostly children and families who require critical safety net programs for health care, food and other basic and daily necessities."

The implemented guidelines are much narrower than earlier attempts by the Trump administration to deny any sort of public benefits to immigrants. The assistance affected is specifically food stamps, housing assistance and Medicaid. It is not certain that the SCOTUS ruling will affect those who seek health care through the American Care Act, one of chief Obama-era targets of the Trump government.

Agencies working with immigrant communities fear that people will drop out of the assistance programs in order to maintain their eligibility for a green card that moves their status a step closer to citizenship.

“The true effect, and therefore, the true intent behind the Administration’s public charge rule is to create a climate of fear among immigrant families, and it’s working," said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI. "I’ve heard from a number of hardworking, taxpaying immigrants in Hawaii, many not even subject to the rule, who are afraid to see their doctor or access essential services.” 

UPDATED Jan. 28, 10 a.m. to include statement from DHS.

California Museum opens exhibit on Chinese American history

Thousands line up to enter the California Museum in Sacramento, California

By Akemi Tamanaha

ASAM NEWS

Over 2,000 people gathered outside the California Museum in Sacramento, Calif. Sunday morning for the grand opening of the museum’s “Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories” exhibit. 

The exhibit illustrates the diverse experiences of the California Chinese American community and underscores the important role Chinese Americans played in California history.

“We’re thrilled to present the new exhibit ‘Gold Mountain,’” Executive Director Amanda Meeker said in a statement. “Although the role of Chinese Californians in building the transcontinental railroad is well-known, their other contributions to shaping our state over the last 175 years are often overlooked. This exhibit highlights their unsung role in the state’s past and present while revealing connections to current issues of race, nationalism and civil rights.”

The museum opened at 12 p.m. The opening began with a welcome address from journalist and Sacramento native Lisa Ling in the museum’s auditorium. Attendees were instructed to arrive at 11:30 a.m. for an early check-in which would secure one of 256 seats at the welcome address. Within minutes, all seats were taken. The staff decided to allow guests to stand in the back of the auditorium.

In her welcome address, Ling said she was proud to be a part of “Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories.”

“It’s a day that I’ve been waiting for my entire life,” Ling said of the exhibit’s opening.

Ling grew up Carmichael, a suburb just outside of Sacramento where there were very few Asian families. She admitted that as a child, she hated being Chinese.

“When you’re a kid, you just want to fit in,” Ling said. “You don’t want to be different, and what I looked like reminded everyone that I was different.

Ling did not begin to appreciate where she came from until she began to familiarize herself with her own family history. She said she hoped that the exhibit would give others the same opportunity, adding that it is important for Asian Americans, especially the younger demographic, to see representation.

“I think about what little Lisa would have thought about growing up if she would have had access to an exhibit like this,” Ling said. “It would have been a game-changer.”

The exhibit opening brought together people from several different communities in Sacramento. While many of the attendees were Chinese Americans of all ages who had grown up in Sacramento, others who wandered through the exhibit were non-Chinese Americans interested in exploring California’s historic Chinese community.

Together, they learned about the lives of Chinese Americans such as Wong Kim Ark, a San Francisco native who helped establish birthright citizenship with a win in the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

The exhibit lauded the present-day success of Chinese Americans working on Crazy Rich Asians and also featured the stories of Hollywood pioneers like Anna May Wong. Wong, a Los Angeles native, became the first Chinese American movie star with her 1922 performance in The Toll of the Sea.

One portion showcased the success of Chinese American restaurants like Frank Fat’s, the restaurant that also catered the grand opening. Frank Fat’s has been serving customers in Sacramento since 1939.

The California Museum held related events throughout the day. After Ling’s welcome address, there was a lion dance in the lobby. Lawrence and Brian Tom held a presentation and signing for their book Gold Country’s Last Chinatown: Marysville, California. Filmmakers James Q. Chan and Corey Tong also participated in a Q&A after a screening of their film Forever, Chinatown.

Other activities, such as calligraphy demonstrations, were interactive and targeted at families with children. Several attendees stayed until the museum closed at 5 p.m. to enjoy all of the activities.

According to the California Museum, “Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories” is a long term exhibit and will be open for at least five years. Information on hours and admission is listed on the museum’s website. The museum will offer free admission on February 1.

H.E.R. a smash hit at the Grammy's

SCREEN CAPTURE

H.E.R.'s dress  for the Grammy's was designed by DSquared2.

She may not have taken home any Grammys this year, but H.E.R.'s performance of her new song "Sometimes" demonstrated that the future is bright for the R&B singer in the music industry.

H.E.R. , aka Gabrielle Wilson, who won two Grammys at the 2019 ceremony and was nominated for three of the Big 4 categories at the 2020 awards show – hit the stage Sunday (Jan. 26) for a slow-building performance of her song "Sometimes."

(H.E.R. is an acronym for Having Everything Revealed.)

Starting out on the piano, H.E.R. was backed by a string section and a chorus of singers as she worked the song up to a soulful climax – at which point she stood up, casually walked over to a guitar and effortlessly tossed off a searing Prince-like solo without breaking a sweat.

She also showed that she's no slouch in the fashion realm. For the Grammy's, she shed her signature dark glasses and wore a more transparent eyewear, swept her hair above her head so we got a good look at the singer/musician's natural beauty.

SCREEN CAPTURE

H.E.R. sang her new song "Sometimes" at the Grammys.

In her second Grammy's show, the Filipina American artist got into the red carpet glamor by showing off her a kimono-inspired outfit. H.E.R. rocked a multi-colored kimono dress designed by DSquared, plus jewelry by Sara Weinstock, EFFY Jewelry and Rachel Katz.

In her red carpet interview with the Recording Academy, she said: "I just really love kimonos right now, so DSquared hooked it up and they made a little kimono vibe."

"It's crazy to think that I've (accomplished all of this) in just two years and that my first nomination became a win," she told Billboard. 

And all this from a recording artist who has yet to release a debut album -- although she promises us it's coming soon this year.

"You question the path that you're on sometimes and I have no right to do that now! I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. And there's no greater feeling than manifesting what is meant for you," she said.

Jordan Clarkson reacts to his idol Kobe Bryant's death

Jordan Clarkson, who played with Kobe Bryant early in his career on the LA Lakers team. He thanked Bryant for being "more than a teammate," one of many athletes who took to social media expressing their grief over Bryant's death on Sunday.

Filipino American Clarkson, who was traded by the Lakers to the Cleveland Cavaliers, then to the Utah Jazz this off-season, is the only Asian American playing in the NBA since the departure of Jeremy Lin. Lin, who was now plays in China with a professional basketball team, the Beijing Ducks.

Clarkson was one of only 18 players invited to take part in Bryant's mini-camp last summer.

But the soon-to-be free agent spent the summer trying to transform into a different kind of beast, developing the Mamba Mentality while working out with legend Kobe Bryant.

“Those were like the best two days of my summer,” Clarkson said. “He sat us down and we had a whole schedule. I feel like those two days I learned so much and it was great. Amazing process.”

Clarkson's takeaway from the camp was developing that the Mamba Mentality. It’s about a player constantly trying to be the best version of himself. It’s about improving each day.

Upon hearing about Bryant's death, Lin, who was also a former teammate of Bryant and Clarkson on the Lakers, posted this on his twitter account:

Nathan Chen dominates men's skating; AAPI skaters on worlds' team

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Nathan Chen skating his short program.

Watch out! Nathan Chen is on a mission with a vengeance. Since he finished in the 2018 Olympics with a disappointing performance, winning a bronze medal instead of the predicted gold, he hasn't lost a single competition.

The Yale sophomore continued his unbeaten streak Sunday (Jan. 26) by winning the US men's figures skating championship in dominating fashion.  It was the fourth straight year he won that title. Though it wasn't his cleanest skate (Chen is recovering from the flu), he still scored an impressive 216.04 points.

Combined with his record-setting short program, Chen finished with a total score of 330.17, a whopping 37.29 points above the second-place finisher Jason Brown.

During his long performance, perhaps because of his illness, Chen appeared to hold back even though he easily landed a pair of quad toe loops, a quad flip and a quad Salchow.

He’s undefeated since placing fifth at the PyeongChang Olympics with a disastrous 17th-place short program. Only a stupendous free skate in which he performed six quadruple jumps vaulted him to third place.

There was a bit of minor controversy between the third and fourth place competitors.

Tomoki Hiwatashi, the world junior champion, jumped from fifth to third after landing a pair of quads in a clean free skate. Usually that would be enough to be named to the three-man world championships team.

But that spot was instead given by a U.S. Figure Skating committee to fourth-place finisher Vincent Zhou, who has more international experience.

Olympian Zhou finished fourth with one quad in his free skate. Zhou had minor errors on some of his jump landings. As a freshman at Brown Universitiy, Zhou skipped training for the entire autumn. He only had a month of training before the nationals after moving to Toronto in late December and had a change in coaches.

The same kind of reasoning went into the decision to drop silver medalist Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson from representing the US at the worlds. The committee awarded the second pairs spot to the more experienced team of Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, who finished fourth.

Dance team consisting of first-place finisher Hawaiian Chinese American Madison Chock and her partner Evan Bates will compete in the ice dance competition at world's.

Calalang and Johnson will still be able to represent the US at the Four Continents Championships next month.

WIKI COMMONS

US champion Alysa Liu at 13 years of age, is too young for international competition.

Alysa Liu, who won the women's title, will not be in the US team for world's because she is too young for international competition. It is expected that the Oakland, Calif. skater will compete in the world junior championship.

2018 Olympian Karen Chen, who finished fourth in the women's competition, won't be on the world's team but will skate for the US at the Four Continents Championships.

AAPI skaters will continue to have a strong presence in US figure skating for the foreseeable future to at least the 2011 Olympics. In the 2018 Olympics, seven of the 14 figure skaters, seven were AAPI athletes.

The world championships are set for March 16-22 in Montreal. The Four Continents Championships will run Feb. 3-9 in Seoul. 

RIP Kobe Bryant: A thank you video to Filipinos

NIKE

Kobe Bryant was able to play with Filipino basketball players when he was visiting Manila.

Updated Jan. 27, 9:30 a.m. to add details of the crash.

One of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game, Kobe Bryant, died today (Jan. 26) when his helicopter crashed into a California hillside. He was 41-years old.

The eight other passengers on the copter included Bryant's 13-year old daughter Gianna, and Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Kerry, and their daughter Alyssa were also among the dead. Other victims were Christina Mauser, Bryant's assistant coach in youth basketball, along with Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, who was reportedly a teammate of Gianna and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.

The group was on their way to a basketball game, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.

The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76, went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, after departing John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. PT. The first indication of a problem came at 9:47 a.m.

The foggy weather may have played a role in limiting visibility. Communications with air traffic controllers indicated the craft was flying low to the ground dipping in and out of radar in the hilly terrain. Investigation into the cause of the crash continue.

The 6-foot-6 small forward entered the NBA straight out of high school. In 1996, at the age of 17, he became the youngest player in NBA history. His nickname became the Black Mamba (a deadly quick-striking snake).

He won five NBA titles in his 18 years with the Lakers, as well as two Olympic gold medals playing for the United States. Now fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 33,643 points, Bryant won two NBA Finals MVP awards and one NBA regular-season MVP nod in 2008, according to ESPN.

The House of Kobe in Valenzuela City, Philippines.

Hours before news of the crash spread across the world, a new basketball court called the House of Kobe was dedicated in Valenzuela City, Philippines.

"I can't understand it. Just 12 hours' gap from ribbon cutting and hearing the news," said Congressman Eric Martinez, the man behind The House of Kobe, part of the city's sports center.

"Everyone has been fighting back tears today. This is a basketball-loving natio," he said.

In 2016, on his Mamba Mentality Tour, he stopped in the Philippines where fans are passionate about basketball. He was honored with the retirement of his No. 24 jersey at a Manila arena.

“It’s good to be back in Manila,” Bryant said, who had visited the Philippines seven times during his career. “It’s always fun to come here with so much passion that surrounds the game.”

Having the Mamba Mentality, explained Bryant, is about the urge to become better than what you are before.

In the Mamba Mentality Tour, Bryant hopes to impart the lesson to the younger generation and inspire them to constantly strive to be better.

Through the courtesy of Nike, sponsors of the tour, he left behind this video "thank you."

Chock & Bates capture dance title; Jessica Calalang captures silver medal; Nathan Chen dominates at US Figure Skating Championships

Evan Bates and Madison Chock topped the field for dance pairs in the US Figure Skating Championships.

The scorching performance of Madison Chock and Evan Bates in the free dance competition of the US Figure Skating Championships shows that they may be the dance team to be reckoned with when they compete at the World's in March.

The couple never broke character or had a misstep as they danced to Egyptian snake charmer music in front of an enthusiastic audience in Greensboro, N.C. Saturday (Jan. 25).

“It was a good night,” said Chock, who is of Hawaiian and Chinese heritage. “We are very happy to be back in Greensboro, and we had a great skate tonight. We performed, and that was our goal, to have a good performance. We really enjoyed ourselves, and we are just so thrilled.”

Defending champions Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue finished in second, followed by Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker. 

“It feels longer than five years,” Chock said of the last time she and Bates won the US title in 2015. “So much has changed, and other than us, so much has changed, as well. We are in a really good place and we couldn’t be happier with how this season is going. We worked so hard to get to this point in our careers and we feel so strong and confident.

"At this point, there is still room for more growth. I am happy we can share this moment with some of our best friends and training mates, so it’s really special,” said Chock.

Chock and Bates, a couple off the ice as well, have been to the past two Olympics, finishing eighth in Sochi and ninth in Pyeongchang. They are on the verge of making this season their best. They haven't been worse than second in 2019-20.

In the men's figure skating competition, there is no doubt the man to beat is Nathan Chen as he gave a dominating performance for his short program.

The 20-year-old Yale University sophomore topped the competitors with a score of 114.13, which broke his own scoring record. The next-closest to Chen was Jason Brown, who earned a  distant 100.99 followed by Andrew Torgashev, who notched 97.87.

Vincent Zhou scored 94.82 to capture the fourth spot narrowly beating out Tomoki Hiwatashi who received a score of 94.21.

The US men's figure skating competition will finish with their long program performances  this evening.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the competition so far is the pairs performance of Filipina American Jessica Calalang and her partner Brian Johnson.

In just their second year together, Calalang and Johnson won the free skate with 146.01 points for a total score of 213.57. It was good enough to vault them to second place, as the eventual winners, Alexa Knierim and Chris Knierim, who held on to win their third U.S. pairs’ title, edging Calalang and Johnson by only 2.58 points after holding a 10-point lead over their training partners after the short program.

Calalang and Johnson vaulted to second from fourth place after short, when Johnson fell on the side-by-side triple Salchows.

In the free skate, however, they received positive grades of execution on every element. The crowd inside the Greensboro Coliseum was on their feet before their performance music even finished.

“I don’t think either of us have had that kind of performance at a U.S. Championships,” Calalang said at a press conference afterwards.

“I definitely haven’t,” Johnson added. “The amount of audience support that I felt at the very end of that program was overwhelming. It was the most amazing thing I’ve felt on the ice. I don’t have words to describe it.”

Pairs skaters Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson surprised with their silver medal performance.

Now, Calalang and Johnson could join the Knierims at the world championships in March. The US has two berths to worlds, up from one last year. US Figure Skating chooses the teams, not necessarily (but usually) following nationals standings.

For Chock and Bates, the next stop is the World's Figure Skating Championship that will be held in March in Montreal, where they also train.

“We train with the French every day, and we know how good they are,” added Bates when asked about competing against Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron as they lost to the Russians today. “But you never know what is going to happen. Ice dance is a strange sport in some ways, it can be unpredictable, based on what the panel looks like.”

On Friday, 14-year old Alysa Liu successfully defended her women's figure skating title but because of her young age, she is not old enough to compete at international competitions. 

Sunday Read: 75th ann'y of Philippines offering refuge to Jews

1,200 Jews, some pictured above, found refuge in the Philippines during the Holocaust.

Israel grants visa-free access to all Filipinos, a gesture of gratitude for the Philippines’ opening of its doors to all Jews at a time when much of the world shunned them.

The Philippine Embassy in Israel, in partnership with the B'nai B'rith World Center, will be holding "Safe Haven: Jewish Refugees in the Philippines", a commemorative event held in tandem with an event in New York hosted by the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York, B’nai B’rith International, and the US-Philippine Society, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, January 27 at the Balai Quezon.

The event celebrates a policy which came to be known as the "Open Doors Policy." From 1937 to 1941, then-Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon, first president of the Philippine Commonwealth (then a colony of the US) extended visas to Jewish refugees who sought to escape the growing terror of the Holocaust in Europe. It led to the entry of close to 1,300 Jewish refugees to the Philippines, where they settled in Manila - leading them to refer to themselves, fondly, as "Manilaners".  

Philippine embassies and consulates around the world will mark the day with various ceremonies including the premieres of two films, Quezon's Game and the documentary The Last Manilaners.

The documentary will be released on the website iWant on January 27, the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The date was chose because it marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp during world War II.

Philippine President Manuel Quezon (at microphone) welcomes the Jewish refugees to the Philippines.

The Last Manilaners gathered all the last living Jewish survivors who fled to the Philippines and asked them to tell their story, each survivor narrating how Filipinos protected them and regarded them as family. The survivors are now well into their 80s and 90s, which makes it even more crucial to document their stories.

The director of the feature film Quezon's Game, Charles Rosen, who is a longtime Jewish resident of the Philippines, believes the film is a tribute not only to the leaders of the Philippines at the time, but to all members of the Philippine nation.
“At a time when the rest of the world was in despair and apathetic,” Rosen maintains, “the Filipino people — who were suffering their own hardships —shed a light on justice and morality to lead others. Quezon fought a lonely battle for what was right up until his untimely death.”

“If it were not for the Philippines, none of us, none of us, would exist,” says Lotte Hershfield who is one of the last living Jews who found shelter in the Philippines.

Starting in 1941, the Japanese occupied the Philippines. In some respects, the Jewish refugees were treated considerably better than Filipinos. What ironically protected the Jews was their German passports with the swastikas -- they were viewed as allies.

Quezon's action developed a special relationship between Isreal and the Philippines resulting in the visa-free policy for Filipinos. 

In 2009, a monument honoring the Philippines was erected at the Holocaust Memorial Park in the Israeli city of Rishon Lezion. The monument, shaped like three open doors, thanks the Filipino people for taking in the Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.

Census had to drop some Asian languages in ad campaign

ASAM NEWS

The US Census Bureau has dropped a majority of Asian languages in its 2020 census ad campaign.

The LAist reported that the Census Bureau has dropped “eight of the 14 Asian languages it used for advertising in its 2010 campaign, including those spoken by Cambodians, Thai, Pakistanis and Laotians.” The outreach campaign includes online, television, and radio ads, along with billboards and print.

The Census Bureau noted in its 2016 report that Asians are one of the hardest groups to count. Sixty percent of Asians are foreign-born and need ads in the languages other than English. Asian immigrants may not fill out the census because they distrust government workers, are not familiar with the census and struggle with language barriers.

In early January, the Census Bureau launched a $500 million media and education-outreach campaign, called “Shape your future. Start here.” Its goal is to encourage undercounted groups to participate in the census. The campaign has funded more than 1,000 ads that will run in January and June.

The majority of ads are for TV, while another 30%, are for digital and social media. The shift towards digital media advertising refects the current media landscape Kendall Johnson, a Census Bureau communications official, told The New York Times.

TDW+Co, the Census Bureau’s official Asian American outreach and communications partner, created ads in languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, to reach the “historically undercounted,” according to NBC News.

The ads did not feature eight Asian languages previously included in the 2010 Census ad campaign. A Census Bureau official contacted by LAist said costs were the factor in the cuts.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus member An Le worries about non-English speakers, particularly in California, may fall through the cracks.

The 2020 census questions are limited to these Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, Tagalog, Korean, and Vietnamese. Those who do not complete the online survey will be visited by census enumerators with paper forms, which only have an English or Spanish language option, LAist said.

Advocates are also concerned about the online survey option. Asian immigrants may not have access to the internet or may have trouble using it, Le said.

The Census Bureau’s report acknowledged that “certain segments,” mainly the older immigrant population, may have a harder time accessing the online survey. However, it stated that “Asian Americans have decent access to broadband internet access.”

Fear may also prevent Asian Americans from filling out the census. The controversial citizenship question, as well as the current anti-immigrant climate, discourage participation.

“The landscape out there is completely different. Mistrust in government is much higher and so is the desire not to complete surveys,” Johnson said.

Filling out the census will begin in mid-March, and non-respondents will be visited by Census takers in May and June, the Census Bureau website says.