One million AANHPI could lose healthcare under Trump's healthcare "concept"

More than one million Asian Americans would lose health coverage and those diagnosed with pre-existing conditions could be shut out of the healthcare market, if Donald Trump is elected.

In addition, more than 2 million Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander seniors would see dramatic increases in prescription drug prices under the sketchy "concept" of a health plan described by Trump, according to a report released today by the Harris-Walz campaign.

The Trump-Vance campaign has been deliberately vague on most issues, especially on the issue of healthcare because ,ost voters would be aghast if If the details of the Republican healthcare policies were unveiled. 

In the first debate, Trump vowed to end the Affordable Care Act. When pressed by the debate moderator, he replied, "I have a concept of a pla,” providing no details.

 

Days later, Vance was more specific outling the goals of the GOP plan: promising to bring back high-risk pools that would skyrocket costs for Americans with pre-existing conditions. That comes after Trump has promised to “never give up” on trying to “terminate” the ACA, which would rip insurance away from millions of Americans and raise costs for millions more. 

Trump and Vance have tried to hide the details of their plan by not releasing it in one place publicly, despite both Trump and Vance sharing the “concepts” of their plan publicly for a year. 

The Harris-Walz campaign’s new report says: " the Trump-Vance plan has four concepts: “rip insurance away from millions, including those with pre-existing conditions;” “raise the costs of prescription drugs and health insurance;” “cut Medicare and slash Medicaid;” and “ban abortion nationwide and rip away reproductive health.”

Since the passage of the ACA, the coverage disparity between Asian Americans and whites was eliminated across all income categories through coverage gains within Medicaid, the individual and ACA marketplaces, and employer-based insurance, according to independent nonpartisan studies.

Today, the Harris-Walz campaign report outlines dangerous consequences for Asian American communities if Trump were to be elected, including:

• More than 1 million Asian Americans would be stripped of their health insurance, and costs will skyrocket for patients across the state. 

• 11% percent of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have been diagnosed with preexisting conditions and could be denied health coverage or charged thousands of dollars more under the Trump-Vance plan for high-risk pools.

• The Trump-Vance plan would roll back the Biden-Harris administration’s work to cap the price of insulin at $35 for seniors, cap the price of out-of-pocket drugs and negotiate with Medicare, would dramatically increase costs for more than 2 million AANHPPI elderly. Nearly 7% of Asian American adults with a prescription report rationing their drugs because of cost concerns. And more than 15% of Asian American seniors reported that they had problems affording their medication. 

• Donald Trump continues to brag about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade and unleashing cruel abortion bans across the country. If elected, he and Vance would go even further, banning abortion nationwide, jailing healthcare providers, tracking women and their pregnancies, restricting access to birth control, ripping away the right to emergency care, and endangering access to IVF – threatening the rights of 5 million AANHPI women of reproductive age.

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

Mabuhay! Harris-Walz campaign focuses on Nevada's Filipino Americans and makes history

This ad will appear on bus shelters in Nevada.

Starting today, Team Harris-Walz is rolling out digital “out of home” ads in Las Vegas, Nevada to engage with Filipino American voters as they gather to celebrate the richness of Filipino food and culture for Filipino American History Month.

One of the ads makes a bit of history in its text that says, "Mabuhay! Kamala Harris supports Pinoy Pride."

That could be the very first times a Presidential campaign is using the term "Pinoy," in referring to Filipinos. While the endearing term is widely used among Filipinos in referring to their fellow Filipinos, "Pinoy" is a word not commonly used by non-Filipinos.

It could also be the first time "Mabuhay," Filipinos' celebratory greeting is being used in a presidential campaign ad.

“These ads underscore our campaign’s efforts to reach Filipino American voters where they are and speak with them about what’s at stake in this election – freedom, safety, dignity, and an Opportunity Economy where small businesses can thrive and working people can fully realize the promise of America,” says Andrew Peng, Harris-Walz Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander spokesperson.

The "Mabuhay" ads will appear at taxi tops, bus shelters, and billboards highlighting Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for “Pinoy Pride” and will be placed in the radius of the Pinoy Pride Festival beginning on September 27, just days before the start of Filipino American History Month in October. Several of the placements also include the celebratory Filipino celebratory greeting “Mabuhay!” to complement the fiesta-like atmosphere.

This ad will appear atop taxis in Las Vegas.

“Under Vice President Harris’ leadership, Filipino American History Month celebrations were revived at the White House. And as Filipino Americans gather to celebrate their history and heritage, Team Harris-Walz is proud to join in honoring the resilience and joy of this incredible community,” says Peng.

Nevada’s Filipino American voters will likely play a decisive role in this election, says Peng in a statement. Nevada is considered a "battleground" state where the state's six electoral votes are up for grabs by the Democrats or Republicans. The latest polls show Harris and Trump in a virtual tie in Nevada with the Vice President holding a slimmest of leads; 47.8% to Trump's 46.8%.

FYI: Learn more about the Pinoy Pride Festival.

Democrats have bolstered their outreach to the AANHPI communities in Nevada becausethey represent about 10% of the state's eligible voters, a larger share than in state except for Hawaii or California. The number of AANHPI voters in Nevada saw the biggest turnout jump of every group in the state.

The ads are the latest effort by the Harris-Walz campaign to reach Filipino and Asian American voters:

• In March, the coordinated campaign opened up a field office in southwest Las Vegas – the heart of the state’s Asian American community – while Team Trump and the GOP shut down their Asian American outreach center. Nationally, the Harris-Walz campaign has dedicated staff, hosts twice-weekly Asian American voter phone banks, and will soon launch volunteer canvasses in coordination with state organizers.

• On July 9, Vice President Harris formally launched the campaign’s national Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander organizing and engagement program in Las Vegas. Ahead of the launch, the campaign in Nevada placed a paid media blitz in local Asian American news outlets, including the Las Vegas Chinese Daily News, Asian Journal, Las Vegas Japan Times, Korean Las Vegas Times, and the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada.

• Team Harris-Walz and Nevada Democrats have hosted numerous community and cultural events to engage with Asian American voters, such as a traditional Kamayan Feast, Karaoke for Kamala, and “Spam and Boba” nights. Earlier this month, Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz met with community members celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival at the restaurant Xiao Long Dumplings.

• The campaign has used ethnic media outlets targeting Filipino American voters, including running ads on The Filipino Channel, among other outlets. In one ad, “Reduced,” Rozita, a Filipina American living in Las Vegas focuses on the active threat Donald Trump poses to the health of Asian American communities and his calls to “terminate” health care protections from the Affordable Care Act that have been implemented by the Biden-Harris Administration.

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

House Republicans seek revival of the China Initiative

SCREEN CAPTURE / C-SPAN

California Congressmember Judy Chu speaks out against the China Week bills passed by the
House of Representatives Republican majority.

While most of our attention has been on the Presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, House Republicans hope no one will notice the backward step reviving the racist China Initiative.

Dubbed "China Week," tthe House of Representatives voted Sept. 12 to pass two bills which could increase hate acts against Chinese Americans, say the bills' critics. 

H.R. 1398, Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act of 2024, a bill to reinstate the Trump-era China Initiative program, and H.R. 9465, Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024, a bill to require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review agricultural land purchases solely by immigrants from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran.

"I am outraged by today’s passage of deceptively-named bills that would undermine our nation’s security and racially profile immigrants and Americans of Chinese and Asian descent," said Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

"We are concerned that the US House of Representatives decision to dub this week as ‘China Week’ may lead to increased racial profiling and animosity towards Chinese Americans," stated the Committee of 100, made up of prominent Chinese Americans.

“With precious little time remaining to fund our government, House Republicans could have worked on a bipartisan basis this week to do so—supporting our veterans and protecting our homeland. Instead, they launched a partisan ‘China week’ that does nothing to improve our competitive advantages to the Chinese Community Party or seriously address national security interests," she said.

"We have particular issue with these two bills that continue to drive misleading and dangerous narratives," continued the statement.

The China Initiative was a failed program that fueled racial animosity, xenophobia, and suspicion towards the AAPI community and Chinese Americans in particular. Reimplementing this program would send shockwaves of fear across the AAPI community. That program not only destroyed lives and careers but also undermined our academic community and stifled America’s ability to remain a leader in scientific innovation.

The second bill of adding the secretary of agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) dangerously echoes the discriminatory alien land laws of America’s past, treating immigrants and refugees from countries like China, Iran, and Russia as national security threats. 

"Contributions by immigrants play a vital role in U.S. economy and its competitiveness. Unnecessary and overzealous restrictions only add to the challenges faced by immigrants looking to live in and contribute to American societ," say the Committee.

Both of these bills legitimize harmful and xenophobic narratives about immigrants, creating conditions that fuel anti-Asian violence.

H.R. 9465 is similar to the racist anti-alien land laws that prevented Asian immigrants from owning land. By mid-20th century, the racist laws were deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

The so-called China Week comes with a rash of public indictments against alleged agents working for the Peoples Republic of China and/or the Chinese Communist Party. The indictments filed this year by the US Department of Justice charge individuals for acting on behalf of the PRC and/or the CCP to harass and intimidate US citizens or residents who are critical of the Chinese government and the communist party. 

Some of the indictments were filed after the China Initiative was terminated by the DOJ in 2023 because it had resulted in racial profiling of researchers of Chinese descent. Most of the China Initiative indictments were dropped for lack of evidence.

The House bills now must be approved the Senate where the Democrats hold a slim advantage because Vice President Kamala Harris  has often cast the deciding vote

"We strongly urge the US Senate not to move any of these harmful bills forward. We call upon Chinese Americans, the Asian American community and all individuals that have felt oppressed to call on their local elected officials and explain the harm these bills would cause," the Committee of 100 states.

However, the recent indictments post-initiative  indicate that China does have an aggressive strategy against critics and espionage of strategies and technology with military value by offering monetary rewards to US citizens.

The actions offered by the House bills do not address those actions and instead may cast too wide net involving innocent US citizens or residents of the US.

CAPAC members and groups like the Committee of 100 recognize the PRC attempts to influence US residents or obtain military secrets and have offered to assist the DOJ and Congress to weed out the individuals who might be PRC agents.

"We welcome the opportunity to work with Congressional leaders to recognize, address, and prevent future harms to the AAPI community and continue the dialogue towards a shared vision of a better, more secure and inclusive America," states the Committee of 100.

Congressmember Chu added: "Let me be clear: while we all want to stop American secrets from being stolen, investigations should be based on evidence of criminal activity, not race, ethnicity, or national origin."

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

Harris'' lead over Trump leaps among AANHPI voters, especially women

Thousands of AANHPI women in Las Vegas came out to a recent Democratiic rally led by
Vice President Kamala Harris.

By a margin greater than 2 to. 1, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island Americans favor Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump. Among AANHPI women, her support is even more commanding.

Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and AAPI Data released the findings from a survey of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults during a press conference Monday. The survey is the first since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July and Harris became the Democratic nominee. 

“These results reinforce what we’ve been hearing and seeing from the Asian American community since July:  they are re-energized and poised to once again play a decisive role in the election,” says Christine Chen, Co-Founder and Executive Director of APIAVote. 

“It’s also clear that the major parties and campaigns are no longer overlooking or taking AAPI voters for granted, but instead making concerted efforts to reach out and engage them on the issues that matter most to them,” she says. 

The aggressive efforts of the Harris-Walz campaign  reaching out to the Asian American communities appears to be paying off, according to the latest  Asian American Voter Survey (AAVS).

The poll, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, shows a dramatic increase in support for the Democratic presidential ticket among Asian American voters since the release of the organizations’ bi-annualy survey released in July.. 

FYI: Full results from the survey are available here. 

“When it comes to voter enthusiasm and intention to vote, we’re seeing levels on par with 2020, which was a historic election in terms of having record high turnout for Asian Americans," says Karthick Ramakrishnan, the executive director and founder of AAPI Data, one of the groups that conducted the survey.  "All these ingredients point toward Asian Americans having a pretty powerful role in the Harris candidacy.”

Another interesting result found that despite being having a racial affinity with Harris, AANHPI voters  say her identity as a woman is more important to them than her identity as Asian Indian or South Asian. 

The results show a level of sophistication in their decision making. In other words, fact-based impactful issues are more important than those issues that might carry a more emotional weight. As a result, 38 percent of Asian American voters say Harris’ identity as a woman is “extremely” or “very” important to them, compared to 27 percent who say the same about her identity as an Asian Indian or South Asian. 

“South Asians for Harris, Chinese Americans for Harris, Korean Americans for Harris — we saw such activation coming from the community and partially, I think it is because of her ethnicity, but it was also driven by the women in those communities,” Chen told The 19th.

Support among AANHPI women are stronger for Harris (70 percent) than support from AANHPI men (57 percent). Chen told The 19th has to do with how Asian American women are working with Black women and Latinas across organizing spaces, bringing together a racially diverse coalition of voters.

Other key findings among Asian American registered voters include:  

Presidential Horse Race: Among Asian American voters, Harris leads Trump by 38 percentage points, expanding Biden’s 15-point lead by 23 percentage points since the Spring. 

• 66 percent of Asian American voters plan on voting for Vice President Harris, compared to 28 percent who say they back former President Trump. Those who say they will support another candidate or are undecided account for 6 percent. 
  • That's a huge increase from the 2024 AAVS, conducted in April-May, 46 percent of Asian American voters backed Biden and 31 percent supported Trump, while 23 percent said they planned to vote for someone else or were undecided. 
  • Compared to the 2020 AAVS, which was conducted in July-September that year, 54 percent said they planned to vote for Biden, 30 percent for Trump, and 16 percent for someone else or were undecided. 
    

Candidate Favorability: Vice President Harris’ favorability among Asian American voters increases 18 points since the Spring; Tim Walz is far more popular as a vice presidential candidate than JD Vance.

• 62 percent of Asian American voters say they have a favorable opinion of Kamala Harris, compared to 35 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the Vice President.
  • Again, the results show a big shift from the 2024 AAVS, conducted in April-May, 44 percent had a favorable view of Harris and 42 percent unfavorable. 
• 28 percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of Donald Trump, compared to 70 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the former President. 
  • In the 2024 AAVS, conducted in April-May, 34 percent had a favorable view of Trump and 62 percent unfavorable. 
• 56 percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of Tim Walz, compared to 18 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic nominee for vice president. 26 percent don’t know enough to have an opinion. 
• Only 21 percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of JD Vance, compared to 58 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican nominee for vice president. 22 percent don’t know enough to have an opinion. 

Certainty of Voting: Asian American voters are more likely to say that they are absolutely certain they will vote compared to April-May of this year.

• 77 percent of Asian American voters said they are “absolutely certain” they will vote in the 2024 election, up from 68 percent who said the same in the 2024 AAVS conducted in April-May. 
  • In the 2020 AAVS, conducted in July-September of 2020, 82 percent of Asian American voters said they are “absolutely certain” they would vote in the 2020 election.

Voter Contact & Outreach: Asian American voters are far more likely to say they’ve been contacted by the Democratic Party than the GOP. 

• 62 percent of Asian American voters say they’ve been contacted by the Democratic Party, compared to 46 percent who say the same for the Republican Party.
  • In the 2024 AAVS, conducted in April-May, 45 percent of Asian American voters say they had been contacted by the Democratic Party, compared to 38 percent who say the same for the Republican Party.
• 27 percent of Asian American voters say they have still not been contacted by either party, down from 42 percent in the 2024 AAVS, conducted in April-May. 

Harris’ Identity: Asian American voters say Harris’ identity as a woman is more important than her identity as Asian Indian or South Asian. 

• 38 percent of Asian American voters say Harris’ identity as a woman is “extremely” or “very” important to them, compared to 27 percent who say the same about her identity as an Asian Indian or South Asian. 

Asian Americans have been a rapidly growing group of eligible voters in the U.S. over the past two decades, growing by 15 percent in the last four years aloneand turning out in record numbers in every federal election since 2016. In 2020, a surge in Asian American voters – especially those voting for the very first time – in battleground states was crucial to Biden’s victory. 

The 2024 AAPI Voter Survey was conducted between September 3-9, 2024 by NORC using NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel for the sample source. The survey was offered in English, Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean and was administered in two modes depending on the preference of the respondent provided during panel recruitments: 1) self-administered by the respondent online via the Web; or 2) administered over the telephone by a live interviewer. The surveys with a live interviewer were only conducted in English.

"Team Harris-Walz and Democrats know that Asian American voters are the margin of victory in this election – and we are working to earn every single vote. The choice for Asian American communities could not be clearer:," says Andrew Peng, AANHPI spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign. "While Donald Trump incites anti-Asian hate, vilifies immigrant communities, and attacks our freedoms, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will chart a new way forward to advance opportunity, dignity, and safety for the American people."

“Asian American and Pacific Islander voters are poised to play a pivotal role in this election,” says Ramakrishnan. “Instead of speculating about how AAPI voters and volunteers are reacting to the Harris, Walz, and Vance candidacies, we have nationally representative, in-language survey data to inform news coverage and public understanding.”

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

Shohei Ohtani is first ballplayer to get 50 steals and 50 home runs

Shohei Ohtani  is baseball's first Mr. 50/50 and is major league baseball's new face.  The L.A. Dodger player continues to write himself into the MLB record books by becoming the first ballplayer to get 50 stolen bases and 50 home runs in the same season. The Japanese player cemented his place as the new face of "America's pasttime."

"This is a game that has been played for over 200 years," said the Dodgers' Japanese American manager Dave Roberts. "And this is something that has never been done."

“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said through a translator of his Hall-of-Fame level performance. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad I performed well today.”

Ohtani's remarkable feat, overshadowed what he did in the game against the Marlins with "one of the Greatest Single-Game Performance in MLB History," according to MLB writer Juan Toribio

In the same game against the Marlins in which he became the only player to achieve the 50 steals and 50 homeruns, Ohtani became the first player with three homers and two steals in a game. He doubled twice, had a career-best six hits and set a Dodgers record by driving in 10 runs.

“The individual performance tonight was remarkable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “With this game of baseball, it was a win for Major League Baseball. I know people all over the globe were watching this game and we’re excited to see that they got a chance to witness history.”

The 6'-4" Ohtani has been rewriting the record books since he crossed the Pacific to play with the L.A. Angels in 2018 as a pitcher and fielder. Over the off-season, he signed go with the Nagels crosstown rivals, the Dodgersafter signing a record-breaking 10-years contract for $700 million with $680 million deferred.

After his third homerun, breaking the record, Ohtani was mobbed by his teammates when he reached the dugout. The 15,000 Marlin fans continued cheering until the Dodger emerged from the dugout for a curtain call.

The Marlins had a chance to spoil the Dodgers' party. With Ohtani at the plate and having already homered twice, first base was open. Conventional strategy would have been to deliberately walk him. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker chose to pitch to Ohtani instead of intentionally walking him.

“If it was a tight game, one run lead or we’re down one, I probably put him on,” Schumaker said in the post-game press conference. “Down that many runs, that’s a bad move baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball god-wise. You go after him to see if you can get him out. I think out of respect for the game, we were going to go after him. He hit the home run. That’s just part of the deal.”

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

Democrats bolster their outreach to AANHPI voters, a key constituency

 

Scene from the newest ad for the Harris / Walz campaign.

Contrary to some polls that say the major political parties have neglected Asian American voters, the Democrats continue to strengthen their outreach to that key voting bloc.

Today (Sept. 18), the Harris-Walz campaign released its third ad airing across the battleground states that speaks directly to Asian American voters.

Titled “My Mother," the newest ad focuses on Vice President Kamala Harris’ personal story for undecided voters who claim they don't know enough about the Democratic nominee interspersing her growing up as a child of immigrants with her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last month.

FYI:

•  Watch "My Mother" ad for the Harris/Walz campaign
• Watch the first two ads Reduced and  The Seal.

The 60-second television and digital ad – the campaign’s third ad targeting Asian American communities in the last month – features Harris’ remarks at the Democratic National Convention paying tribute to her mother, who migrated to the US from India. It also spotlights the Vice President’s unshakable determination to stand up for the people, a value that has underpinned her extensive career in public service – from the courthouse to the White House.

Asian American voters in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin ,where Asian American voters cold determine the Nov. 5 outcome, will see “My Mother” across an array of digital channels like Meta, Snap, YouTube, Connected TV, iHeart Radio, and Pandora.  Starting this week, the ad will also air on nearly 70 different broadcast outlets serving diverse Asian American audiences – including The Filipino Channel (TFC), Crossings TV, Chime TV, SBS TV, KHMER TV, CNN-News 18, NTV Bangla, GEO TV, ITV Gold, TV Asia, and elsewhere.

“Vice President Harris has never forgotten the values she learned from her mother that have shaped her lifelong commitment to stand up for people – a story that millions in our communities can relate to,” says Andrew Peng, the Harris-Walz Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander spokesperson. “While Donald Trump looks to take us backwards, Vice President Harris will chart a new way forward to advance opportunity, dignity, and safety for the American people.”

Asian Americans, who make up the nation’s fastest-growing voting bloc, are a key part of the Harris-Walz campaign’s winning coalition and had the largest voter registration increase of any group compared to the 2020 election cycle.

However, a survey by AAPI Data, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment Education Fund and Asian American Futures, released Sept. 9 found that 51% of Asian American voters in California said they have not been contacted by Democratic Party, and 59% said they were not contacted by the Republican Party.

With most of the effort going towards battleground states, California has not been the main focus of the Republican or Democrat campaigns. However, with about a third of the nation's Asian American population, the state survey results may give a good idea of the sentiments of all of Asian America.

With less than 50 days until Election Day, Team Harris-Walz will soon have dedicated Asian American voter engagement staff in every single battleground state, and the campaign is aggressively bolstering its efforts to reach Asian American voters in several ways – including through extensive paid media, virtual and in-person events, the mobilization of roughly a dozen grassroots affinity groups, and the rollout of a comprehensive fact sheet outlining how Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Walz are delivering for Asian American communities.

“My Mother” is part of Team Harris-Walz’s historic $370 million in digital and television advertising reservations between Labor Day and Election Day. The campaign plans to launch additional digital, TV, radio, and print ads in the weeks ahead sharing Vice President Harris’ message and the dangers of Trump’s Project 2025 agenda directly with Asian American voters.

“AANHPIs are America’s fastest-growing demographic, and in critical battleground states, they could make the difference between winning and losing,” says Democratic National Committee spokesperson Nina Raneses in an interview with NBC. “The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the DNC will continue to make the case for the Harris-Walz ticket to AANHPI voters and pave the path to victory in November.”

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

'Shogun' sweeps 76th Emmy awards

Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai won Emmy's for their performances in "Shogun."

Shogun, the television series that tells the spic story of a power struggle and the political intrigue in feudal Japan, won 18 Emmy's culminating in being named Outstanding Drama Series.

In addition, Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai were awarded best actor and best actress in a drama series for their lead roles in Shogun as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Lady Toda Mariko. The 10-part series premiered on the FX network, streamed on Hulu and produced by Disney also won an Emmy for Frederick E.O. Toye for directing the bilingual series.

"This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone," said the emotional Sawai as she gave thanks.

Speaking of the Japanese and American crews and bicultural cast who worked on the project that took 10 years to bring to the screen, Sanada said, "And ‘Shōgun' taught me that when people work together, we can make miracles."

The rich, historical drama, based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel, earned 25 nominations in total and is only the second non-English language program to be nominated in the outstanding drama category. In addition to the four Emmy's won Sunday evening in Los Angeles, the series won 14 Emmy's awarded at the Creative Arts Emmys held a week earlier. The 18 total Emmys set a record for the most awards  given to a show in a single season.

The accolades heaped on Shogun at the Emmys and other awards shows, may be another signal of the changing attitudes in Hollywood in regards to Asian representation and non-English-language television.

FYI: The complete list of Emmy winners in 2024

Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada with their Emmy trophies.

It is the third year in a row in which a project featuring actors of Asian descent in lead roles winning Emmys. In 2022, the Korea's Squid Games won an Outstanding Actor Emmy for Lee Jung-jae, a director's Emmy for Hwang Dong-hyuk and came within a hair's breath of winning Best Drama Series but lost to Succession. The following year Steven Yeun and Ali Wong won best actors in a limited series for their lead roles in Beef.

The success of Shogun means there will be a second season and possibly a third season. The writers and producers are starting from scratch since the first season ended where Clavell's 1975 novel ended.

Following is a press release from FX:

“FX, Hulu and the Estate of James Clavell are working to extend the critically acclaimed global hit drama Shōgun, moving forward to develop the saga with two additional seasons of the drama series. The show’s key creative partners including co-creators, executive producers and writers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, executive producer Michaela Clavell, and series star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada are on board for the development. Production timing has not been locked in, but a writers’ room is being assembled and will begin this summer.”

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

For Manila concert, all Olivia Rodrigo tickets are only $25

Livies assemble! Olivia Rodrigo has announced a brand new Guts Tour concert date where every single ticket costs just $25. The only catch, the concert is in Manila.

Normally, securing tickets for Olivia's concert can go upwards to thousands of dollars, but her fans in Manila will get a bargain and you can be sure that some of her loyal Liviews in Asia and the America's will fly to Manila to watch their favorite singer belt out her hits.

Though Olivia's father is Filipino American, like so many Americans of Filipino descent, she has never been to the Phiippines.

In an interview with myx.global, she said: "I’m so stoked. I think it’s going to be so much fun to play those kinds of rock songs in an arena too. I’m so excited to feel that energy. I’m so excited to go places that I haven’t been before. I’m really excited to go to the Philippines — I’ve never been — so that’s going to be fun."

Tickets for the world tour instantly sold out but Olivia has one last surprise up her sleeve. Olivia is doing one extra Guts Tour concert in Manila and all the tickets are Silver Star prices. This means you could be front row at the tour and it will only set you back $25.

On Sept. 10, Olivia's official fan fan page Livies HQ revealed that Olivia is doing a charity concert in Manila in October. They wrote: "manila🗣️ liv is bringing her silver star show presented by @americanexpress to you for the #GUTSWorldTour!!!! all net ticket proceeds will go to liv’s Fund 4 Good 🌟" This means you can see Olivia for just $25 and be up close.

If you want to get tickets for Olivia's Manila show, they go on sale on Sept. 14, Manila time, via Live Nation. So login to your Live Nation account and join the queue then. As it's a Silver Star show, you can select up to four tickets in the seated or standing area but you won't know exactly which tickets you get until you redeem them.

If you're successful in getting tickets, they can be redeemed at any SM Tickets Outlet between Saturday, Sept. 28 and Friday Oct. 4, Manila-time. Just show up to the outlet and a valid ID with your name on it to get your tickets. For those in the United States' west coast, remember Manila is 15 hours ahead.

Olivia has sold special Silver Star tickets for her previous Guts World Tour dates to help fans who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them. However, Olivia's Manila show marks her first show where all the tickets -- from the VIP seats to the rafters -- are just $25.

The $25 converts to 1,500 Philippine pesos.

Olivia will be performing in the Phillipine Arena which hosts 55,000 people making this her biggest show to date.

Good luck, Livies!

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

Plot to assassinate US poliliticians foiled, suspect indicted

ASIF RAZA MEERCHANT

A Pakistani national, Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, was indicted Tuesday for allegedly plotting to kill US politicians.

Merchant, with alleged ties to Iran, was accused of a murder-for-hire scheme assassinate a politician or US government official. Federal authorities  foiled the plot before any attack could be carried out. 

Although the indictment does not mention Donald Trump, CBS cited sources who stated that the Republican presidential nominee was one of the intended targets.

“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot was allegedly orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian regime's playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any US citizen, is a serious threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI. Protecting Americans from terrorists remains our highest priority.”

Merchant was initially arrested and charged  in July 2024 when he was ordered detained and remains in federal custody.

The arrest and indictment comes a month after 20-year-old Thomas Mathhew Crooks tried to assassinate Trump at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

As set forth in court documents, in approximately April, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme to kill a politician or government official. That person reported Merchant’s intention to law enforcement and became a confidential source (the CS).

In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York and explained his assassination plot. Merchant told the CS that the opportunity he had for the CS was not a one-time opportunity and would be ongoing. Merchant then made a “finger gun” motion with his hand, indicating that the opportunity was related to a killing. 

Merchant further stated that the intended victims would be “targeted here,” in the United States. Merchant instructed the source to arrange meetings with individuals whom Merchant could hire to carry out these actions. Merchant explained that his plot involved multiple criminal schemes:  stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; planning a protest; and killing a politician or government official.

At that meeting, Merchant began planning potential assassination scenarios and quizzed the CS on how he would kill a target in the various scenarios. Specifically, Merchant asked the CS to explain how the target would die in different scenarios. Merchant told the CS that there would be “security [] all around” the person.

Merchant stated that the assassination would occur after he left the United States, and he would communicate with the source from overseas using code. The same source asked whether Merchant had spoken to the unidentified “party” back home with whom Merchant was working. Merchant responded that he had and that the party back home told him to “finalize” the plan and leave the United States.

In mid-June, Merchant met with the purported hitmen, who were in fact undercover US law enforcement officers in New York. Merchant advised the undercover officers  that he was looking for three services from them: theft of documents, arranging protests at political rallies and for them to kill a “political person.” Merchant stated that the hitmen would receive instructions on who to kill either the last week of August or the first week of September, after Merchant had departed the United States.

Merchant then began arranging means to obtain $5,000 in cash to pay the men he believed were hitmen as an advance payment for the assassination, which he eventually received with assistance from an individual overseas. 

On June 21, Merchant met with the undercover officres in New York and paid them the $5,000 advance. After Merchant paid the $5,000 to the men, one of them stated, “now we’re bonded,” to which Merchant responded “yes.” The undercover oficers then stated “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant responded “Yes, absolutely.”

Merchant subsequently made flight arrangements and planned to leave the United States on Friday, July 12. On July 12, law enforcement agents arrested Merchant before he could leave the country.

The Justice Department will not tolerate Iran’s efforts to target our country’s public officials and endanger our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As these terrorism and murder for hire charges against Asif Merchant demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans.”

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