Sept. 1 & 2: LA's arts and culture festival offers today's Filipino America: traditional to contemporary

Featured entertainment on Day 1 of the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture.

Today's Filipino America is a fusion of the Philippines and of the US; of tradition and modern, of history and contemporary activism. All of that will be on display at the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture this Labor Day weekend, a cultural extravaganza to celebrate the vibrant heritage of the Philippines and Filipino America.

FilAm Arts, in partnership with the Levitt Pavilion, proudly presents the 29th Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) on Labor Day Weekend, September 1 and 2. This two-day event is set to showcase a dynamic blend of artistic performances, engaging activities, and a diverse marketplace, all highlighting the rich tapestry of the Filipino American experience. This year’s theme is “Para Sa Lahat” (For Everyone).

If you're going:

Event: Festival of Philippine Artss and Culture
Where: Levitt Pavilion, 2230 West 6th St., Los Angeles
Hours: Sept. 1, 6 p.m.- 10 p.m.; Sept. 2, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Admission: Free

Here's a list of enertainment this coming weekend:

Flashback Friday: September 1, 7 p.m.- A Nostalgic Musical Journey

The festival kicks off on Friday, September 1, at 7 PM with "Flashback Friday," a musical journey through the iconic sounds of the 90s. 

The Mellow Dees: A new indie rock band based in Los Angeles, composed of Melody del Mundo, formerly from the Philippines’ 90s indie darling Sugar Hiccup;  Wolf Gemora, founding member of the popular 90s Filipino rock band, Wolfgang;  and singer-songwriter Nievera. 

DJ Icy Ice: Icy Ice is an original member of the world renowned DJ Group, the World Famous Beat Junkies. He has been the exclusive dj for celebrity events such as Manny Pacquiao After Parties, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Grammy Awards, American Music Awards etc. 

Introvoys: INTRoVOYS is a Los Angeles based Fil-Am rock band with musical roots originating from Manila, Philippines.  The band broke out into the Filipino mainstream market back in 1992 with the hit singles "Kaibigan", "Maynila", "Calling All Nations" and "However Whichway." 

Jocelyn Enriquez: Jocelyn Enriquez has been widely regarded as a music pioneer, becoming the first Filipino American artist to find success in the mainstream industry. Emerging from the Freestyle movement of the time, Enriquez was the first artist to sign with Classified Records and was quickly deemed by some as the “Queen of Freestyle.”

Spectacular Saturday: September 2, 6 PM - A Cultural Extravaganza

Saturday, September 2, commences at 6 PM with a cultural showcase that delves into the heart of Filipino artistry and tradition. Prepare to be enthralled by performances from:

Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble: Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing rhythms of traditional Kulintang music, a true embodiment of Filipino heritage.

Malaya Dance Company: Experience the grace and storytelling of Filipino dance through captivating choreography and vibrant costumes.

Rondalla Club of LA: Be enchanted by the melodic sounds of a Filipino string ensemble, a tribute to the Philippines' musical heritage.

Gingee: As the headliner of the night, Gingee brings a fusion of electronic beats and indigenous Filipino instruments, promising an unforgettable musical journey.

Additionally, there will be a vibrant marketplace that features an array of Filipino-American owned vendors offering artisan jewelry, Filipiniana clothing, prints, paintings, stickers, and more. This marketplace embodies the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the Filipino-American community.

 

U. of North Carolina grad student charged with slaying of his faculty advisor

University of North Carolina professor Zijie Yan, right, was allegedly slain by student Tailei Qi.

The suspect in the killing of a University of North Carolina professor was charged with murder for allegedly slaying Associate Professor Zijie Yan Monday

The University of North Carolina community is still mourning the loss of Yan, an associate professor who was fatally shot Aug. 28 by Tailei Qi, 34, a graduate student from China.

Qi, the graduate student accused of the shooting, has been charged by the UNC Police Department with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon on educational property, both felony charges. He is being held at the Orange County Jail without bail.

Yan, 37, joined UNC-Chapel Hill faculty in 2022, after spending several years as a professor at Clarkson University. He ran a lab in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences with two undergraduate students, one research assistant and three PhD students, which included Qi.

Police received reports of a shooting at 1 p.m. Monday at Caudill Labs on campus. The suspected shooter walked away and was found and arrested about an hour and half later after the shooting.

Yan and Qi knew each other, UNC Police Chief Brian James said at a Tuesday news conference. The two worked in the same department and Yan was his faculty advisor.

The two knew each other, UNC Police Chief Brian James said Tuesday.

Qi was a grad student in the same department and Yan was his faculty adviser, according to Qi’s UNC biographical page. Qi entered the school in 2022 and listed his previous education as Louisiana State University and Wuhan University, the page said.

Yan came from Jingmen in Central China and received his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, according to a Watertown Daily Times article. He lived in nearby Apex and had two young children.

There have been 49 school shootings in the United States — 34 reported on K-12 campuses and 15 on university and college campuses, according to a CNN tally, 

In a message to the UNC campus the day after Yan was slain, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said he had met with Yan’s colleagues and family to express condolences on behalf of the university. UNC at 1:02 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30, will ring its Bell Tower in honor of Dr. Yan, he announced. 

“I encourage every member of our campus community to take a moment of silence during this time,” the chancellor said. “This is an important way that we can come together as a community to recognize the loss we feel and to support one another.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Study: Asian Americans more vulnerable to "forever" chemicals

Asian Americans have significantly higher exposure than other ethnic or racial groups to PFAS, a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals also known as “toxic forever” chemicals, Mount Sinai-led researchers report.

Scientists have linked exposure to these long-lasting compounds to many illnesses, including thyroid disease, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

 in everyday life, and these exposures carry potentially adverse health impacts, according to the study published Thursday in Environmental Science and Technology, in the special issue “Data Science for Advancing Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology.”

“We found that if we used a customized burden scoring approach, we could uncoverlead author Shelley Liu, an associate professor of population health science at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, said in a statement.

“These disparities are hidden if we use a one-size-fits-all approach to quantifying everyone’s exposure burden. In order to advance precision environmental health, we need to optimally and equitably quantify exposure burden to PFAS mixtures, to ensure that our exposure burden metric used are fair and informative for all people.”

PFAS pollution is a major health concern, and nearly all Americans have detectable levels of PFAS chemicals in their blood. PFAS are hard to avoid. They are found in products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. 

 

The scientists estimated a person’s total exposure burden to PFAS and accounted for the exposure heterogeneity (for example, different diets and behaviors) of different groups of people that could expose them to different sets of PFAS. They found that Asian Americans had a significantly high PFAS exposure than all other US ethnic or racial groups, and that the median exposure score for Asian Americans was 89% higher than for non-Hispanic whites.

PFAS are hard to avoid. They are found in many types of outdoor clothing, camping gear, coated papers for fast-food takeout, firefighting foams and nonstick cookware. Most recently,PFAs were found in toilet paper, dental floss, semiconductors and solar panels.

This is the first time that researchers accounted for complex exposure sources of different groups of people to calculate a person’s exposure burden to PFAS.

This research suggests that biomonitoring and risk assessment should consider an exposure metric that takes into consideration the fact that different groups of people are exposed to many different sources and patterns of PFAS. Based on these findings, these researches believe that exposure sources, such as dietary sources and occupational exposure, may underlie the disparities in exposure burden.

The Biden administration has allocated $9 billion to PFAS clean-up, and in March 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first enforceable federal standards to regulate PFAS contamination in public drinking water.

The study didn't identify specific reasons as to why Asian Americans might have greater PFA exbosure in comparison to other ethnic and racial groups, researchers stressed that this is a topic to needs to be explored further.

In the future, the researchers plan to incorporate toxicity information on each PFAS chemical into exposure burden scoring, to further evaluate disparities in toxicity-informed exposure burden in vulnerable groups and population subgroups.

“In order to advance precision environmental health, we need to optimally and equitably quantify exposure burden to PFAS mixtures, to ensure that our exposure burden metrics used are fair and informative for all people,” Liu said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Barrier-busting pilot, physicist and political activist Margaret Gee inducted into California Hall of Fame

The late Margaret Gee broke down stereotypes of Asian women.

Inducted into the California Hall of Fame Aug. 22 was pilot, physicist, and researcher Margaret Gee, who made history as one of two Chinese American pilots serving in the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.

Gee was one of the seven Californians that Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the California Museum  named to the 16th class of trailblazers in public service, sports, music, entertainment, and more into the California Hall of Fame.Besides Gee, included in the posthmouse induction class are:

• Carrie Fisher: Actress and Screenwriter
• Etta James: Singer
• Jose Julio Sarria: LGBTQ Rights Activist and Pioneer
• Vin Scully: LA Dodgers Broadcaster
• Shirley Temple Black: Actress and Public Servant
• Archie Williams: Olympic Gold Medalist and Educator

“We are thrilled to announce the newest class of inductees joining some of our state’s most revolutionary, innovative, and brightest in the California Hall of Fame," said Gov. Newsom. "The outstanding legacy of this group has and will continue to embody what it means to be a Californian. There is no doubt their legacies will continue to live on and inspire millions across our state for generations to come.”

A diversely accomplished professional, Gee devoted her life to public service in many forms.

Born Gee Mei Gue in August 1923 in Berkeley, California, she was one of six children. Her father, a second generation Chinese American, worked hard to move his family from San Francisco’s Chinatown before she was born. Like many other Chinese American children, she went by her American name, Margaret, or more commonly Maggie, much of her life. Growing up, she enjoyed her family’s weekend trips to the airport in Oakland, California. There, Gee would look out for aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, whom she grew to idolize. After her father’s death in 1929, Gee admired her mother’s dedication to her family and community. 

Upon graduating from high school in 1941, she enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley to study physics. However, the United States’ involvement in World War II halted her plans.

Early in the war, Gee decided she wanted to serve her country. In 1941, she left college to work in ship production at Mare Island Naval Shipyard alongside her mother. Her true ambitions, however, were in the air. 

Inspired by her childhood idol, Earhart, Gee wanted to become a pilot. She saved money from her work at the shipyard for flying lessons. After saving enough money, Gee moved to Minden, Nevada, to learn to fly. She earned her pilot’s license within six months, then immediately applied for the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) training program. The WASP program was formed in 1943 when Army officials realized they needed more domestic pilots to free up members of the Army Air Force for deployment. 

The WASP offered female pilots a rare opportunity to serve. Despite the need, however, WASPs faced gendered discrimination from their male peers and commanders. It was deemed too controversial to enlist women into the military as WASPs. They were thus classified as civilians, though they were uniformed, trained, and followed the expectations of a member of the Army Air Force. Gee was a part of the only 8% of applicants allowed into the WASP, and only one of two Chinese Americans accepted.

Despite the challenges, Gee found success as a WASP. She trained in Sweetwater, Texas, and graduated with her silver wings on November 8, 1944. Later in life Gee reflected, “I consider myself very fortunate, that I could do something that I really enjoyed. I felt I was doing something for my country…” 

The WASP program ended in December 1944, but in her short time as a WASP, she was well-accomplished. She transported planes from factories to airbases to prepare them for war-front delivery, copiloted fighter planes in mock air fights, and trained male pilots at the Las Vegas gunnery school. WASPs were classified as civilians, so upon the end of World War II and the disbanding of the service, female pilots were released from their positions. Not until 1977 did Gee and her fellow WASPs earn military status for their service with the passing of Public Law 95-202.

Having already succeeded once in a male-dominated field, Gee returned to the University of California, Berkeley to succeed in another. She re-enrolled in college to earn her physics degree at a time when women were underrepresented in STEM fields. Not only did Gee earn her Bachelor of Science degree, she completed a Master of Science in Physics as well. 

In 1958, she began working in Berkeley’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researching weapons systems employed in the Cold War. Gee worked or consulted on the lab’s nuclear and magnetic fusion programs for the rest of her career. It was at the lab that she met Warren Heckrotte, her life partner of almost 50 years.

Gee was also an accomplished community leader. She was highly active in the Democratic Party, starting in the Truman administration. Continuing her mother’s tradition of community involvement, she volunteered to run voter registrations and fundraisers. Throughout her life, she served as a member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, the California State Democratic Party Executive Board, and the Asian Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus. Her influence culminated in her inclusion in the 1992 Democratic Party Platform Committee.

After a long and accomplished life, Gee died at the age of 89. In 2010, she was one of the few surviving WASPs to be presented a Congressional Gold Medal from President Barack Obama.

Launched in 2006, the California Hall of Fame honors history-making Californians who embody the state’s spirit of innovation and have changed the state, the nation, and the world. Inductees are selected annually by the Governor and First Partner for achievements in arts, business and labor, entertainment, food and wine, literature, music, public service, science, and sports.

 “The Governor and I are delighted to honor the contributions of this remarkable group of visionaries,"  said First Partner Siebel Newsom during the induction. "Each one of these pioneers has uniquely impacted California through their boundless creativity, perseverance, and courage – encapsulating the California dream through their lives and legacies.”

The determined physicist and pilot believed in success and social change every step along her path overcoming stereotypes and opening doors for women and Asian Americans. She said in 2003, “I’m very optimistic about the world and people… it will be alright…You can make changes. I think just one small person can make a little bit of change…”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Asian American who killed woman over a Pride flag dies in shootout with police

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

An Asian American has been named as the shooter who killed a shop owner who was flying the Pride flag at her store.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 21 identified the suspect as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, of Cedar Glen, California.

Moments before Ikeguchi ripped down the rainbow flag and shot business owner Laura Carleton, he was heard making disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ community and Carleton.

Ikeguchi fled on foot after shooting Carleton Friday evening. Several witnesses followed him. When the deputies caught up with him bout a mile away. Ikeguchi shot at the officers and they returned fire, killing him. The delay in identifying the shooter was because he was not carrying any identification.

Carleton, 66, a mother of nine, was pronounced deceased at the clothing store, Mag Pi, that she owned.

Police investigators, searching for a motive, found that Ikeguchi frequently posted anti-LGBTQ comments on his social media account.

The advocacy group Equality California said in a statement Monday that over the past year, it has recorded “a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric being expressed by far right extremists and hate groups — rhetoric which has resulted in physical intimidation, harassment, and acts of violence.”

Ikuguchi was not the first to take down Carlton's Pride flag which was intended to show her support. People kept taking it since it hung outside her shop next to the US flag. Each time it was taken, Carlton would replace it.

Korey Pollard, whose wife worked at Carleton's shop, told The Associated Press that Carleton defiant in the face of criticism she received for hanging the rainbow flag outside ther clothing store.

“She would say, ‘Korey, this is the hill I’m going to die on. No one is going to make me take down that flag,’ ” Pollard told AP.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Biden promises Lahaina will be rebuilt the way locals want it build "so it is still a community"

FEMA

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walked down what remains of Lahaina's Front Street.

President Biden visited the fire-ravaged Hawaiian town of Lahina and met with surviving residents and first responders after his speech. 

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walked Lahaina's historic Front Street to get a close-up view of the remains of a once-bustling town and tourist destination. He stopped to pet a cadaver dog, one of scores of specially trained canines that seek out human remains; and peered into cars abandoned as the wildfire overtook the traffic-hindered vehicles; and inspected the famous 150-year od banyan tree in Couorthouse Square.

He called the devestation as "overwhelming," in his remarks in which he offered hope and promised the federal aid to the survivors and state officials that included US Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz as well as Gov. Josh Green and other local officials.

Biden said: "It’s time it rises up for you all. It’s time to rebuild this community the way you want it built — the way you want it; so it’s still a community, not a group of beautiful homes, but a community," which drew applause from the locals who fear that developers would buy up ravaged properties and build more luxurious accomodations for outsiders.

The hosing shortage in Hawaii is one of the worst in the nation. Local workers in the tourist industry, teachers and even the first responders find it difficult to find affordable housing. People often work two or three jobs to pay the rent or mortgage.

A few blocks away from the President's visit, the sesarch for bodies continue for the 850 people still missing. The death toll of 115 is expected to rise dramatically as the cadaver dogs continue their grim search.

The emergency shelters erected immediately after the fires started are nearly all empty now. The immediate needs of the displaced families are being met. Survivors are sleeping in federally subsided hotel rooms and short-term rentals. Local disaster relief organizations are providing thousands of hot meals a day.

Although the President's 6-hour visit was welcomed, local residents have a wait-and-see attitude. They like Biden's message but they worry about the furture in the long term. Even with the federal aid, it will take years to rebuild the lost homes and infrastructure.

Dr. John Vaz, CEO of the Community Clinic of Maui, said that in the days after the fire swept across Maui, donations of food and access to transportation and transitional house have been abundant. "But I can already see that some of those local efforts are not going to be sustainable," he told media.

Marring the President's visit were reports by conservative media trying to create  political capital from the tragedy by spreading misinformation and biased headlines: Biden listening and gathering his toughts turned into "dozing," stopping to pet a dog became "insensitive and ignoring human needs," wanting not to get in the way of  emergency personnel became "ignoring Maui" and "not doing enough."

Biden declared Maui a national disaster hours after it started two weeks ago and mobilized federal resources to assist in the rescue and recovery. Federal assistance continues to pour into the island.

Earlier in Monday, Biden announced the appointment of FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton as the federal government’s Chief Federal Response Coordinator. In this role, Fenton will ensure that every federal asset is provided to help the community rebuild as fast as possible on Maui.

To further assist the community’s recovery, the Major Disaster Declaration was amended to provide additional funding to restore or rebuild disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities and the facilities of eligible private nonprofits.

More than 1,000 federal personnel are on the ground on Maui assisting residents in their greatest time of need, including more than 430 search and rescue team members and 43 canines trained to identify remains. FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are going into communities to help people register for assistance.

To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved over $10 million in assistance to more than 3,000 households.

Undeterred by the negative coverage, Biden continued to do what he does best: empathize and console."Just before coming here, I stood in front of a banyan tree that’s stood for 150 years. Burned, but it still stands. One resident called it a diamond in the rough of hope. Another said, 'Fire cannot reach its roots.'

"I know it’s a metaphor, but that’s you. That’s who you are. That’s Hawaii. There’s no quit in Hawaii. There’s no quit in America. There’s no quit in us if we remember, for God’s name, who we are."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

15 named to this year's Asian Hall of Fame

Across the fields of culture, business, athletics, science and entertainment, the 2023 inductees for the Asian Hall of Fame represent the wide impact Asian Americans have on the nation.

Among the 15 inductees for the 2023 Asian Hall of Fame  area member of the K-pop female group Black Pink, one of the first Korean American women in Congress and a pioneer journalist. 

"Inductees and Artist Ambassadors inspire courage, character, and service for the betterment of our country and humanity. We are honored to also celebrate our founding family's 160th Anniversary in America, and the Centennial of our season partner Biltmore Los Angeles," states Grammy member Maki Hsieh, President & CEO of Asian Hall of Fame, and CEO of its founder Robert Chinn Foundation.

Also behing honored is gamemaker Nintendo as the corporate awardee and Johnny Cash will receive the Ambassador award. 

The 15 Asian Hall of Fame for 2023 inductees include:

• Adele Lim, Cinema Director/Writer (Crazy Rich Asians, Joy Ride)
• Annie Young-Scrivner, CEO Wella Company
• Ben Fong-Torres, iconic journalist for Rolling Stone.
• Charlie and Ling Zhang, Philanthropists
• Doug Baldwin Jr, Founder/CEO Vault89, Super Bowl Champion with Seattle Seahawks
• Dr. Lisa T. Su, Chair and CEO, AMD
• Dr. Peter P. Lee, Immuno-Oncology Chair, City of Hope
• Dr. Shang-Li and Betty Huang, Philanthropists
• Far East Movement, Groundbreaking Artist
• Jennifer Lee, Grammy-Nominated Producer (TOKiMONSTA)
• Kiet Nguyen, US Navy Cross Honoree
• Lalisa Manoban, Cultural Icon (Blackpink)
• Pin Ni, Founder & President, Wanxiang America
• Rep. Marilyn Strickland, U.S. Congress
• Sam Cho, Commissioner President, Port of Seattle

Besides the individuals, the Academy is also inducting four individuals postumously:

• Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), lead singer for Queen 
• Rocky Aoki (1938-2008), Benihana founder
• Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952-2023), Legendary composer
• Santos Manuel (1814-1919), Tribal Elder, San Manuel Band of Mission Indian
• 
  

The induction ceremony will be held on October 21 in Los Angeles at the Biltmore Los Angeles.

The Asian Hall of Fame was established in 2004 by the Robert Chinn Foundation, a private family with 160-years of contributions in America. Year-round programming trains local youth, empowers women founders, promotes cross-cultural content, and amplifies legislation. Contact SVP Rochelle Srigley at (626) 600-9418, www.asianhalloffame.org.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Maui Fires: Death toll at 114 will likely climb; over 1000 still missing

The Maui wildfire is now the United State's deadliest fire in the last 100 years. As of Saturday morning, the death toll has risen to 114, a number certain to soar with only 55% of the burned areas still unsearched. Over 1000 people are still unaccounted for.

The meticulous search for human remains is the most important action right now says Brig. Gen. Stephen Logan, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 5-0, which is coordinating the Defense Department’s response.

“We want to be able to treat them in a dignified manner and give some closure to the families,” Logan told reporters on a call Friday afternoon.

President Biden is scheduled to visit the island Monday after he was assured by officials on the ground that his presence would not hamper the recovery efforts.

"For generations Lahaina's beauty culture and rich history drew artists, musicians and visitors from around the world," said Gov. Josh Green's wife, Jaime Kanani Green, fighting back tears. "Tragically, it took less than a single day for us to lose Lahaina in the deadliest fire our country has seen in more than a century," said Jaime Green, whose mother is Native Hawaiian.

"Far more devastating than any material loss, is the loss of precious lives," the governor said. "Of mothers, fathers, grandparents, sons and daughters.

Before last week's wildfires turned paradise into a deadly inferno, California's Paradise Fire three years ago claimed 85 lives was the deadliest fire.

The search for human remains is a slow process. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has 20 cadaver dogs on the ground as of Aug. 19. The canines have been trained to find corpses have been brought in from the mainland. But the canines can only work in half-hour stretches before they need to take a break. FEMA announced that they might bring in an additional 20 dogs to assist in the search. 

Six forensic anthropologists with the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency are assisting in gathering and identifying human remains, the Pentagon said in a statement Friday. The group is experienced in verifying DNA from long-lost service members, many of whom died as long ago as World War II.

Maui's head of emergency management resigns

Hernan Andaya, head of Maui’s emergency management agency, has resigned, citing health reasons, Maui County said Thursday – a day after he defended not activating the island’s siren system last week.

Earlier in the week, the Filipino American said he made the decision not to using the emergency warning system. In previous emergencies, the sirens were used to warn about tsunamis. 

SCREEN CAPTURE

Hernan Andaya, Maui's director of Emergency Management, resigned his post.

“We were afraid that people would have gone 'mauka,'” Andaya said, using the Hawaiian directional term that can mean toward the mountains or inland. “If that was the case then they would have gone into the fire.”

His controversial decision caused media and officials to infer that the silent sirens for the high death toll. Despite an onslaught of criticism,  Andaya later expressed "no regret" about his decision, a statement that brought even more critical responses.

Maui officials cited health concerns as the reason for Andaya's sudden departure, but could not give any further information on Andaya's health.

Andaya's replacement will be named “as quickly as possible,” said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen in a press conference Thursday.

Quick Federal response

As the extent of the fires became known, Gov. Green asked President Biden to declare Maui a disaster area. Within 48 hours of the fires' start, the President announced the declaration making  the affected area eligible for federal assistance.

Republicans and their biased media have tried to turn the tragedy into a political talking point by claiming Biden was not doing enough for Maui when in reality, he ordered all Federal resources to add in the rescue and recovery effort.

FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris administration's response to the Maui fires.

The President continues to marshal a whole-of-government response to the deadly Maui fires, and he has committed to delivering everything that the people of Hawaii need from the federal government as they recover from this disaster.

Over the past week, President Biden has stayed closely in touch with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Hawaii Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, as well as Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who advised that the search and recovery efforts are expected to be at a stage to allow for a visit by Biden and the First Lady slated for Monday.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Man sentenced to four years behind bars for burglarizing Asian homeowners in New Jersey

ILLUSTRATION

A New Jersey, man was sentenced Aug. 15 to 50 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that targeted local Asian and Asian American residents burglarizing them at their homes, said US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger at a media conference.

Randi Barr, 42, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before US District Judge Evelyn Padin to charges against him with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. Judge Padin imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019, Barr and others participated in a conspiracy to burglarize the residences of certain Asian small business owners living in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware of large sums of money, valuable jewelry, and other items, and then transport the stolen goods in interstate commerce, including to Barr’s residences in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In one instance in 2019, $500,000 in cash was taken from a single home in Eatontown, N.J., officials said.

Seven others were charged in the case along with Barr in 2021 — Rabine Armour, of Easton, Pennsylvania, Kevin Burton, of Newark, Kevin Jackson, of Rahway, Thomas Rodgers, of Newark, James Hurt, of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, Sherman Glasco of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Terrance Black, of Irvington. All of the defendants were charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin ordered restitution and forfeiture of $127,661.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Maui's housing crisis made worse; governor cautions locals against selling their ash-covered land

Entire neighborhoods were lost in the fires that ravaged Lāhainā.

Thousands of Maui residents lost their homes in the wildfires that decimated parts of Maui last week and wonder where they will live as the island slowly recovers.

Gov. Josh Green wants to hold up any land sales as Maui recovers from the tragedy that ravaged the homes of workers who are employed in the tourist industry, hotels and restaurants.

“We’re short on housing here,” Mike Cicchino told CNN. His family is staying in Kihei after the fire encroaching on his Lāhainā home forced him to take refuge along the seawall for 12 hours. “We just went through a nightmare, and we’re about to go through another nightmare trying to, basically, not stay homeless.”

RELATED: Hawaii's historical sites up in smoke

Like most of his neighbors and co-workers, there are no homes to return to after the hurricane force winds ravaged much of Lāhainā and other parts of Maui last week. The death toll from the devastating blazes is at 111 and the search is only half-way through from the worst US wildfire disaster in the last century. 

About 37% of the island's population is Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Filipinos at 17% comprise the largest AAPI subgroup. Whites make up about 33%.

Housing costs and availability were a critical issue before the fires driving many residents to leave the island and the state. The lost of so many homes made the affordable housing shortage even more critical.

Housing crisis made worse

Officials estimate that 86% of the more than 2000 Lāhainā structures that burned down in Lāhainā were homes, many housing the workers in the tourist and service industry, the town's main industry that brings in millions of visitors every year.

The median price of a Maui home pre-fire was $1.2 million, putting a single-family home out of reach for many of the local workers. Even a median condominium costs $850,000.

Hawaii has the highest cost of living index in the US. A family of four making less than $93,000 in Hawaii is considered low-income. And Maui County is one of the country’s most rent-burdened places, with more than half of renters spends upward of 30% of their income on housing. Around Lāhainā, residents rent takes up 50% of the family income.

Symbolic of the worsening housing shortage was the loss of Kaiāulu o Kupuohi, a new four-story affordable rental building in the Lahaina Business Park. It had its grand opening in December of 2022 and was home for 89 families all of whom were safely evacuated a week ago as the wind-driven fires swept across the seaside town.

Lost to the fires was the Kaiāulu o Kupuohi housing complex opened its doors last December.

Sterling Higa, executive director of Housing Hawaii’s Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for more housing in Hawaii, says many of the affordable housing that was burned down in Lāhainā have been in the hands of local families for generations.

Another factor affecting housing availability is gentrification, says Higa in an  interview by the Maui News. “So a lot of more recent arrivals — typically from the American mainland who have more money and can buy homes at a higher price — were to some extent displacing local families in Lāhainā,” Higa says. It’s a phenomenon he has seen all along Maui’s west coast where a modest starter home two decades ago now sells for $1 million.

"We want Lāhainā to be a part of Hawaii forever,” the governor said during a recent visit to the seaside town of Lāhainā. “We don’t want it to be another example of people being priced out of paradise.”

Days after the fire, people have been approaching Maui homeowners who lost their houses. Maui residents burnt out of their homes are being approached about selling fire-damaged home sites, by people posing as real estate agents trying to take advantage of the fire victims' fragile emotional state by offering the lure of quick money to survive the next few years while replacement homes are being built.

“I’ve reached out to the Attorney General to explore options to do a moratorium on any sales of properties that have been damaged or destroyed,” said Gov. Green. “Moreover, I would caution people that it’s going to be a very long time, before any growth, or housing can be built. And so, you would be pretty poorly informed if you try to steal land from our people and then build here.”

“We are disheartened to hear that survivors of this catastrophe are being approached by unscrupulous persons whose only goal is to prey upon them," says Esther Brown, Complaints and Enforcement Officer for the Regulated Industries Complaints Office.

"If someone approaches you with a deal or offer, and you did not reach out to them first, please hang up the phone or walk away," she says. "Chances are high that unsolicited deals are not a legitimate operation or part of the federal, state, county and private partnership working to assist those affected."

Prospective buyers may or may not be licensed professionals and may withhold or misrepresent vital information and details during a transaction. Realtors are prohibited from making misrepresentations, false promises, and engaging in fraudulent or dishonest dealings. RICO works with the Real Estate Commission to regulate real estate licensees.

Search for housing now 

In the meantime, state agencies and local nonprofits have been rushing to find housing for the thousands who have lost their homes and have been staying in temporary emergency shelters.

“This is a critical situation and time is of the essence,” Green said in a news release. 

The state secured nearly 2,000 units at hotels and vacation rentals and launched an online program to help residents find potential housing.

The Hawai’i Fire Relief Housing program opened earlier this week to connect Maui residents affected by the fires with property owners who volunteered to provide fire victims with rooms, dwelling units, houses and other accommodations immediately

“I am asking the people of Hawai’i to consider making this significant sacrifice to help our neighbors, many of whom have lost everything they owned in a matter of minutes. Let’s show the rest of the world the meaning of aloha,” said Green.

Connecting to the Hawai'i Fire Relief Housing program:

• For help via phone, call (808) 587-0469. Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, including weekends.

• The public may also email staff at hhfdcfirereliefhousing@hawaii.gov.

“I’ll also tell you that this is going to impact how we view, because of tragedy, how we view all of the development in our state," said Gov. Green in a news conference. "And much of what we do, is challenged by other laws, federal and otherwise, that don’t let us restrict who can buy in our state. But we can do it deliberately during a crisis, and that’s what we’re doing. 

"So for my part I will try to allow no one from outside our state to buy any land until we get through this crisis and decide what Lāhainā should be in the future.”

Such proclamations from government officials are viewed with suspicion by long-time Maui residents. “This is an opportunity for our government to step in and make right by the people who have been wronged for so long,” Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, a Maui County Council member and Native Hawaiian, told the Washington Post. “This shouldn’t be a land grab.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Former Miss Texas seeking a career in politics

Averie Bishop entering politics?

As Miss Texas, Averie Bishop was unusually outspoken about topics usually reserved for politicians. Now she's ready to turn her words into action as a candidate for the Texas House of Representatives.

Bishop, a Filipino American born in the Lone Star state, gave up her crown last June after reigning as the first Asian American winner of the Miss Texas Miss America in the pageant's 85-year history.

Bishop, 26, filed as a Democratic candidate in Texas House District 112, north of Dallas Tuesday. If she survives the Democratic primary, she would face Rep. Angie Chen Button, a Republican who has served the Northeast Dallas district since 2009. 

Neither Button or Bishop issued any immediate statements after the San Antonio Express-News first broke the news of Bishop's intentions. 

To her more than 800,000 TikTok followers, Bishop has posted videos calling for enhanced sex education at Texas schools, criticizing the policies of state leaders following the Uvalde mass shooting and calling for enhanced access to abortions.

Bishop, a former intern for US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, further hinted at her political aspirations in a TikTok video posted Tuesday, saying she'd been "researching running for public office" — which she notes is an expensive undertaking.

"In conclusion, we just need more normal people to run for office: people who have student loans, like myself; people who are living month-to-month, for example; people who are teachers," she says in the video. "We need normal people to run so that we can change the system from within."

As her reign as Miss Texas was coming to a close this Spring, the law grad from Southern Methodist University, became more vocal about her politically progressive leanings and hinted at a possible future in political office.

In an opinion article published by MSNBC, Bishop wrote: "I also know that if our politicians continue to shut out, ignore and oppress marginalized and minority Texans, the state will never become the socio-economic and political powerhouse it wants to become."

Bishop concluded: "I became Miss Texas to advocate for the people of color, immigrants and LGTBQ people who hold up every community from Galveston to Waco. Now more than ever, it is crucial to hold our leaders and institutions accountable. And I think most Texans agree with me."

Texas Republicans, who hold the reins of power in the state legislature and the governorship, gerrymandered the state's political districts after the 202 Census to favor GOP candidates and divided districts that held a majority Democratic advantage. That was the case in District 112 where Button in 2022 successfully beat back a challenge from Democrat.

Traditionally, Miss Texas does a publicity stunt that involves skinning snakes. Bishop  waded into the snake pits at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup,and performed the snake-skinning but she declined to mark her bloody handprint on the wall as previous Miss Texas winners have done.

By wading into politics, particularly as a person of color in Texas, she will have to find a way to skin a different breed of snake.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Pew Survey: Views on US race relations vary according to skin color today

It should be no surprise to anyone that one's view of race relations in the US depends on one's skin color.

As the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington approaches on Aug. 28, the Pew Research Center found that White Americans are wearing rose-colored glasses when looking at race relations -- in complete contrast to the perspective held by Asian Americans and other people of color.

Pew asked Americans about their views on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, the country’s progress on racial equality, and what they think needs to change in order to achieve racial equality. 

What is surprising 60 years after the March on Washington and King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech, there is still widespread ignorance of Americans of one of the nation's great events and public figure in American history. 

The survey suggests that the US education system is doing a poor job of teaching the long struggle for equality and civil rights.

Most Americans (81%) say King has had a positive impact on the country, with 47% saying he had a very positive impact. Fewer (38%) say their own views on racial equality have been influenced by King’s legacy a great deal or a fair amount.

FYI: Read the full report, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy 60 Years After the March on Washington

According to the survey, Americans are divided on whether society overlooks racial discrimination or sees it where it doesn't exist: 

• 53% say people not seeing racial discrimination where it really does exist is the bigger problem.
• 45% point to people seeing racial discrimination where it really doesn't exist as the larger issue.

Views on this have changed in recent years, according to Pew Research Center surveys: In 2019, 57% said people overlooking racial discrimination was the bigger problem, while 42% pointed to people seeing it where it really didn't exist. The gap has narrowed from 15 to 8 percentage points.

Overall, about half of Americans (52%) say there has been a great deal or fair amount of progress on racial equality in the last 60 years. A third say there’s been some progress and 15% say there has been not much or no progress at all.

But a closer look at the survey finds wide differences when broken down by race, ethnicity and partisanship – and in some cases also by age and education.

While 58% of White Americans say there has been a great deal or fair amount of progress on racial equality in the last 60 years, smaller shares of Asian (47%), Hispanic (45%) and Black (30%) Americans say the same.

In addition, 59% of Black adults say their personal views on racial equality have been influenced by King a great deal or a fair amount, compared with 38% of Hispanic adults, 34% of White adults and 34% of Asian adults.

Republicans and those who lean Republican (67%) are more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners (38%) to say there has been a great deal or a fair amount of progress on racial equality.

Other key findings from the survey of 5,073 U.S. adults, conducted April 10-16, 2023, on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panels :

• 60% of Americans say they have heard or read a great deal or a fair amount about King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Black adults are the most likely to say this, at 80%, compared with 60% of White adults, 49% of Hispanic adults and 41% of Asian adults. Adults ages 65 and older and those with at least a bachelor’s degree are more likely than younger adults and those with less education to be highly familiar with King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

• More Americans (52%) say efforts to ensure equality for all, regardless of race or ethnicity, haven’t gone far enough than say they have gone too far (20%) or been about right (27%). About eight-in-ten Black adults (83%) say efforts to ensure racial equality haven’t gone far enough, which is larger than the shares of Hispanic (58%), Asian (55%) and White (44%) adults who say the same. Most Democrats (78%) say these efforts haven’t gone far enough, compared with 24% of Republicans. Some 37% of Republicans say these efforts have gone too far.

• A majority (58%) of those who say efforts to ensure equality haven’t gone far enough think it’s unlikely that there will be racial equality in their lifetime. Those who say efforts have been about rightare more optimistic: Within this group, 39% say racial equality is extremely or very likely in their lifetime, while 36% say it is somewhat likely and 24% say it’s not too or not at all likely.

• Many people who say efforts to ensure racial equality haven’t gone far enough say several systems need to be completely rebuilt to ensure equality. The prison system is at the top of the list, with 44% in this group saying it needs to be completely rebuilt. More than a third say the same about policing (38%) and the political system (37%). Black Americans, Democrats and adults younger than 30 who say efforts to ensure racial equality haven’t gone far enough are among the most likely to say several systems, ranging from the economic system to the prison system, need to be completely rebuilt to ensure equality.

• 70% of Americans say marches and demonstrations that don’t disrupt everyday life are always or often acceptable ways to protest racial inequality. And 59% say the same about boycotts. Fewer than half (39%) see sit-ins as an acceptable form of protest. Much smaller shares say activities that disrupt everyday life – such as shutting down streets or traffic (13%) and actions that result in damage to public or private property (5%) – are acceptable.

While Whites believe race relations is getting better in the US, hate attacks against people of color are on the rise according to FBI statistics. Hate crimes against Asians have risen 167%, the largest increase among all racial and ethnic groups, according to the FBI. Hate incidents are becoming  more flagrant; witness the rise of White supremacist organizations like the Proud Boys and the Patriot Front and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party.

Knowledge of the civil rights struggle and MLK's influence will only get worse as school boards and state legislatures from Tennessee to Idaho are banning schools' teaching about the racism that has driven much of US history. The most egregious recent example is  in Florida where Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered schools to teach that slaves benefited from slavery. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.