Year ender: 2025 is the year racism became 'normalized'

ANALYSIS

One of the most unsettling outcomes of Donald Trump's second term is the normalization of racism. 

In less than a year of Donald Trump, the American political landscape has shifted dramatically, and for many in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, the "view from the edge" is one of increasing alarm. The start of Donald Trump’s second term has brought a resurgence of overt racial tension, merging old tropes with new federal mandates that threaten decades of civil rights progress.

Trump's Cabinet applauded him this week after he described Somali immigrants as "garbage" who "contribute nothing." He unapologetically condemned an entire community, with no fear of political backlash.

Societal guardrails against racist, xenophobic or dehumanizing rhetoric have all but vanished on the American right. What was once disqualifying — or the exclusive domain of online trolls — is now a fixture of national political discourse, write Axios' Zachary Basu and Russell Contreras.

Rise of White radicalism

Before Trump came on the scene in 2015, it was common in modern American politics for elected or appointed officials to face consequences for making racist or bigoted comments.

In 2002, GOP Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott stepped down from leadership after praising Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist presidential campaign.

Even during Trump's first term, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was censured and removed from committees for questioning why terms such as "white nationalist" and "white supremacist" had become offensive.

But Trump's blatant racism doesn't appear to affect his MAGA base and conservative-leaning voters.  Public outrage over his caustic language growing more muted year as the public reaction and media see his racist statements as simply:  "Trump being Trump."

        RELATED: Trump's preference for white immigrants

Trump vaulted into political prominence by promoting the racist conspiracy theory that President Obama wasn't born in the U.S. — a playbook he revived in 2024 against other rivals of color.

His 2016 campaign-opening claim that Mexico was sending "rapists" into the U.S. triggered weeks of national uproar, as did his leaked complaint in 2018 about immigration from "shithole countries." Trump being Trump.

Then came the 2024 election campaign, which blew open the Overton window on race and identity.

Trump discarded any lingering restraint, declaring that unauthorized immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country" (language taken directly from Hitler speeches), and amplifying false claims that Haitian migrants in Ohio were eating pets.

. Photo by Shutterstock, Jason Leung/Unsplash

Conservatives mobilized around backlash to the 2020 racial justice movement, the Biden administration's immigration policies and perceived censorship of political speech by the left.

Trump's MAGA movement treated his 2024 win as a sweeping cultural mandate (though the close vote was not a mandate) — and grew more explicit in its mission to "defend Western civilization," which in the view of his followers, that message means "white" civilization.

Nearly a year into Trump's second term, language that once led to denials, clarifications or resignations now circulates freely online and at the highest levels of government.

Dismantling equity

It isn't just about rhetoric; the machinery of the federal government is being rewired.

• The War on DEI: Following through on campaign promises and the Project 2025 blueprint, the administration has moved to purge Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs from the federal workforce, characterizing them as "anti-white racism".

• The Retreat from Civil Rights: Key appointments, such as Harit Dylan as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, signal a pivot away from traditional oversight. Federal investigations into racial discrimination in schools have largely stalled as the Department of Education shifts focus toward "merit-based" opportunity.

• GOP members of Congress reacted to New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's election by posting images of the 9/11 attacks and calling for the Ugandan-born Democrat to be denaturalized and deported.

• DHS and White House social media accounts now routinely mock immigrants targeted for deportation, deploying trollish memes on official channels.

• White nationalist Nick Fuentes has edged into the mainstream, with Trump defending the Holocaust denier's interview with Tucker Carlson as legitimate political dialogue.

• A February 2025 report from Stop AAPI Hate documented a 59% spike in online threats and a 66% rise in anti-Asian slurs in the months following the vote.

• The administration’s continued use of xenophobic rhetoric has been linked to a rise in offline harassment, reminding many of the historical scapegoating that led to the darkest chapters of AAPI history.

• Beyond the AAPI community, Black and Latino Americans across 25 states reported receiving disturbing, anonymous text messages referencing "plantations," a wave of digital violence that civil rights groups say characterizes the current era's normalization of bigotry.

In a Thanksgiving post on his Truth Social, in an outright falsehood, Trump claimed that "most" of America's 53 million foreign-born residents are "on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels." Reaction? Trump being Trump.

Fighting racism can be wearying.

He blasted Americans who have been "politically correct" on immigration, labeled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz "seriously retarded," and mocked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as "always wrapped in her swaddling hijab." Reaction? Trump being Trump.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Axios in a statement: "It's not racist to want secure borders and to deport illegal aliens who are undermining our sovereignty and destroying our country. Trump has never been politically correct, never holds back, and in large part, the American people re-elected him for his transparency."

        RELATED: Asian Americans demonstrate against Trump

Immigrant and civil-rights advocates say the president's incendiary rhetoric on race has manifested in policies that strengthens the historical privilege of White people.

After slashing the US refugee cap to a historic low of 7,500, the Trump administration said it would prioritize White South Africans for nearly all available slots and appealed fro more immigration from predominantly White Scandinavian countries.

The administration has gutted major pillars of America's civil rights protections and racial equity infrastructure, wiping away public data, slashing research funding, and rewriting history from a White perspective and erasing contributions of people of color in textbooks, museums and other media.

'Human rights emergency'

While some within the AANHPI community have found appeal in the administration's "America First" agenda, the broader reality in 2025 among AANHPI is one of heightened vulnerability, no matter if you are American-born or first-generation immigrants and especially those who are not yet citizens.

With the threat of mass deportations and the potential reinstatement of the "Muslim Ban," advocacy groups like the ACLU and Human Rights Watch are calling this a "human rights emergency." The fight to maintain a multiracial democracy has never felt more urgent, as those on the edge of society face an administration intent on redefining what it means to belong in America.

Racist rhetoric and policies is being baked into our institutions. It could take years to undo the damage Trump has done to the Federal government that sets the standards for that for over half century have protected the country's health, economy and education. And if you include the judicial system, recovery could take decades. 

This time of year when there is so much talk about brotherhood, peace and good will towards all, it is perhaps a good time to reflect how our Trump and his supporters have changed our country. We have to remember that just  because racism has come out of the shadows and become acceptable in some sectors of American society, that doesn't mean "normal"  is acceptable. It is not OK.

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

Diosdado “Dado” Banatao: The barefoot visionary who wired the world

Diosdado Banatao, 1946- 2025

If you’re reading this on a laptop or scrolling on a phone, you owe Diosdado “Dado” Banatao a debt of gratitude. He didn't just build companies; he built the very "guts" of the modern computer.

The tech world lost a titan on Christmas Day 2025. Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, passed away at the Stanford Medical Center. Banatao, often called the “Bill Gates of the Philippines,” passed away at 79, leaving behind a legacy that proves the American Dream is alive, well, and powered by silicon.

"He was 5 months shy of his 80th birthday, and ultimately succumbed to complications from a neurological disorder that hit him late in his life," writes his family on a website dedicated to the Silicon Valley giant.

"We are mourning his loss, but take comfort from the time spent with him during this Christmas season, and that his fight with this disease is over. We thank everyone for all the messages of support and prayers during this time."

Like many of Silicon Valley's pioneers, Dado Banatao was an immigrant. His story is the ultimate counter-narrative to the "model minority" myth — it’s a story of raw grit. Born in the rural barrio of Malabbac in Cagayan, Dado grew up the son of a rice farmer and a housekeeper. He famously walked barefoot to school on dirt roads, a far cry from the sleek hallways of Stanford where he would later earn his Master’s in Electrical Engineering.

Silicon Valley pioneer

After graduating cum laude from Mapúa University in the Philippines, he headed to the United States, initially working as a design engineer for Boeing before landing in the heart of the tech revolution.

In the 1980s, personal computing was clunky and expensive. Banatao changed that by thinking smaller. He developed the first system logic chipsets for the IBM PC-XT and PC-AT. He managed to condense 19 separate chips into just a handful, effectively breaking IBM’s stranglehold on the market and allowing more affordable "clones" to flourish.

If you like your high-res graphics, thank Dado. He invented the first Windows Graphics Accelerator chip, moving us away from boring text-based screens into the vibrant, GUI-driven world we live in today.

He also pioneered the first 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS chip, the foundation for how we connect devices to this day.

He wasn't just an engineer; he was a serial entrepreneur, founding Chips and Technologies (sold to Intel for a cool $300 million) and S3 Graphics. Later, through Tallwood Venture Capital, he became a kingmaker for the next generation of deep-tech startups.

Rooted in the Philippines

Despite his massive wealth, Banatao never forgot the dirt roads of Cagayan, Philippines, where he was raised by his father, a farmer, and his mother, a housekeeper. 

In his speeches, he often told Filipino students, "My story could be your story." He became the patron saint of Filipino innovation. Through the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), he spent his later years obsessed with one goal: eradicating poverty in the Philippines through STEM education and entrepreneurship.

He didn't just give handouts; he built infrastructure. From the AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator in Makati to countless scholarships for aspiring engineers, he wanted to ensure that the next "Dado" wouldn't have to walk barefoot to find a future.

Dado Banatao showed the world that a kid from a small Philippine village could not only participate in the tech revolution — he could lead it. As we look at the landscape of 2025, his blueprint for success remains the gold standard for Filipino Americans and immigrants everywhere.

Philanthropic contributions

Although he didn't attent University of California, Berkeley, his wife and three children are alumni of that famous institution. UC Berkeley named a research center (the Banatao Institute at CITRIS) and a global outreach center (the Dado and Maria Banatao Center for GLOBE) after Dado Banatao and his wife, Maria, in recognition of their significant philanthropic contributions and ongoing leadership. 

Before it became trendy to be a billionaire philanthropist, alongside his wife, the Banataos were doing what they could to make this a better world and provide opportunities for new entrepreneurs and innovators.

Dado and Maria Banatao were early and foundational supporters of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS). In recognition of this, the center was renamed the Banatao Institute at CITRIS in 2016.

They founded the Dado and Maria Banatao Center for Global Learning and Outreach from Berkeley Engineering (GLOBE) in 2005. The center's mission is to expand Berkeley Engineering's international partnerships and provide global opportunities for students and faculty.

Their generosity extends to funding a fellowship grant for faculty from the University of the Philippines to collaborate on research with UC Berkeley professors, and establishing the Banatao Family Filipino American Education Fund.

Both Dado and Maria have served on various university boards, including the CITRIS Advisory Board and the UC Berkeley Foundation Board of Trustees. For their long-term leadership and service to the university, they received the 2019 Berkeley Founders Award. 

Dado Banatao's name should join the pantheon of the tech revolution innovators alongside  Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg.

He leaves behind his wife Maria and three children and nine grandchildren. The family is making arrangements for a celebration of Dado Banatao's life, details of which will be announced at this website.

The boy who used to walk barefoot to school made the world faster, smarter, smaller and a lot more inspired. 

"The legacy I want to leave is simply to be remembered as a good person first, an engineer second," he once told students at Xavier University in the Philippines. "I firmly believe that true fortune resides in fortitude, family, and faith."

Rest in peace, Dado.

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

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Heartbreak and Exile: Fei Zheng reunited With 6-year-old son only to be deported

Fei Zheng and his son , Yuanxin, have been deported to China, even though
the followed the United States procedure for asylum.

Federal immigration officials appeared to use a father's love for his child as a cudgel to convince a Chinese asylum seeker to concde to voluntary deportation.

After being detained for a month, Fei Zheng felt being with his 6-year old son was more important than go through a possibly long separation by fighting federal authorities over his deportation.

In a move critics call "coercive," Zheng was reportedly told the only way to see his son again was to waive his rights and agree to a voluntary departure. Faced with the impossible choice of remaining in detention while his son languished in a government facility or taking him home to China, Zheng chose his son, Yuanxin.

The agonizing saga of Fei Zheng (initially reported as Zhang) and his young son, Yuanxin, has reached a bitter conclusion that highlights the harsh realities of the US immigration system. 

After a month of forced separation that sparked nationwide outrage and rallies across New York, the pair has finally been reunited—but only on the condition of their immediate removal from the country.

On December 17, Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that Zheng and 6-year-old Yuanxin were put on a plane and deported back to China.

The nightmare began in November 2025, when Zheng—who had lived in the US for years—showed up for what he thought was usual ICE check-in. 

Zheng and his son first entered the United States seeking asylum this spring and had twice before spent time at a family ICE detention center in Texas before. They had only been free for about a month on parole at the time of their November arrest.

Instead, like so many immigrants obeying the law by checking in with immigration officials, he was detained, and his son was snatched away and placed into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. 

For weeks, community activists and Asian American advocacy groups, including Yuanxin first-grade classmates and parents, demanded the child be returned to his father.

As of late December 2025, the family is back in China. While they are finally together, the cost of that reunion was the loss of the life they had built in America. It’s a somber reminder of the "silent" deportations still tearing families apart in the AAPI community.

“This was a family who wanted to contribute to their community, a child who was bright and wanted to get a good education, a father who wanted the best for his child and wanted to work hard,” said Jennie Spector, a volunteer who was in touch with Zheng over the phone and in person during his confinement,. “They were denied that opportunity because of our broken and punitive immigration system, a system that is now set up to cause as much harm as possible.”

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

Filipino American's public journey from conservative Republican to Democratic candidate for Congress

George Conway

The political metamorphosis of George Conway  from a lifelong conservative Republican to a Democratic congressional candidate has been driven primarily by his vehement opposition to Donald Trump.

On December 22, 2025, the man who once spent his days in the halls of the Federalist Society officially filed paperwork to run for Congress as a Democrat. He’s aiming for New York’s 12th District, looking to fill the shoes of the retiring Jerry Nadler in what is arguably the bluest slice of the Big Apple.

“I’m going into the arena. I’ve already put my money where my mouth is, but now it’s time to lay it all on the line,” Conway wrote in a social media post Monday before filing his papers.

Conway was a staunch Republican and a member of the right-wing Federalist Society for decades. His political journey isn’t just a political pivot; it’s a full-on leap across the aisle in a high-stakes battle for the nation’s soul. 

In the 1990s, he worked on conservative legal efforts including the lawsuit by Paula Jones against President Bill Clinton.

He initially supported Trump's 2016 campaign and was considered for several high-level Department of Justice positions, including Solicitor General. Conway turned them down, later describing the early Trump administration as a "sh*tshow in a dumpster fire." He began to see the administration not as a conservative movement, but as a "personality cult" that he could no longer support.

Personal toll

His political disagreements with his then-wife, Kellyanne Conway, who was serving as one of Trump's senior advisors, became more public. In 2018, Conway officially left the Republican Party, calling it a "personality cult." 

In her 2022 memoir Here’s the Deal, Kellyanne described George’s constant social media attacks on her boss as a betrayal of their marriage vows. She famously referred to his behavior as "cheating by tweeting."

The high-profile nature of the Conways' disagreement placed significant strain on their relationship. Trump himself frequently mocked the marriage, calling George a "whack job" and "husband from hell," which Kellyanne defended as him "punching back."

The couple's daughter, Claudia Conway, also publicly documented family tensions on TikTok, which added further media scrutiny to their private life. 

In August 2020, both George and Kellyanne announced they were stepping away from their professional roles (the Lincoln Project and the White House, respectively) to focus on their family, but observers noted the damage was already "too far gone." In 2023, the couple divorced.

Anti-Trump activism

 He co-founded The Lincoln Project in 2019 to persuade disaffected Republicans to vote against Trump. The project's social media advertisements are hard-hitting and most of all, they are highly irritable to Trump.

So, what exactly pushed a lifelong conservative to trade his GOP card for a Democratic primary ticket? It wasn't just one moment, but a series of "dumpster fire" realizations.

After initially being considered for top DOJ posts, Conway turned them down, later describing the early Trump administration as a "sh*tshow in a dumpster fire". He began to see the administration not as a conservative movement, but as a "personality cult" that he could no longer support.

A major trigger was the 2018 appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. Conway broke cover, co-authoring a New York Times op-ed arguing the move was unconstitutional. This led him to organize Checks and Balances, a group of conservative lawyers sounding the alarm on Trump's "betrayal of bedrock legal norms."

He became known for questioning Trump's mental fitness, later launching the Anti-Psychopath PAC in 2024 to highlight perceived dangers of a second Trump term.

By late 2024 and 2025, Conway’s alignment with Democratic causes became formal and total. In 2024, he donated nearly $930,000 to the Biden Victory Fund and actively campaigned for Kamala Harris.

Conway didn't just disagree with policy; he became convinced of Trump’s psychological unfitness. He co-founded The Lincoln Project to keep Trump from the White House and, in 2024, launched the Anti-Psychopath PAC to keep the spotlight on the perceived dangers of "Trumpism."

Running as a Democrat

Conway's Filipino heritage is through his mother, who was a chemist from the Philippines, while his father was an engineer; He grew up near Boston, attending Marlborough High School, graduating with honors from Harvard College (biochemistry), and earning his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he led the Federalist Society. 

He clerked for a federal judge, then joined the prestigious law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, becoming a partner by his mid-30s. 

Apparently, the event that made him decide to leave the sidelines and enter the political ring was his frustration with Senate Democrats who "caved" during government reopening negotiations in late 2025. Feeling the need for more "fearless" fighters in the arena, he decided to run himself, aiming to act as a legal "wingman" for Democrats like Jamie Raskin.

Conway is now entering a crowded primary field that includes names like Jack Schlossberg (JFK's grandson), but his message is clear: he’s gone from defending the conservative line to a "seasoned fighter" for democracy.

He describes himself as "going into the arena" to protect the rule of law and constitutional principles, which he believes the current Republican Party has abandoned.

“We need Democrats to take over Congress — and not just any Democrats, but the most fearless and relentless ones,” Conway wrote in social media prior to filing his candidacy. “The next two years will show us exactly how much lawlessness Republicans will accept. Doing nothing is the same as saying yes.”

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

Adidas offering a shoe designed by and for Filipinos

International shoemaker Adidas recognizes the market impact of trendsetting Filipinos.

You know the old saying: "If the shoe fits, wear it." At last, Filipinos will be able to wear it ... with pride.

For years we’ve watched global brands tap designers representing every corner of the world—and rightly so. But here in the US, where Filipino Americans are one of the largest Asian American groups, we’ve been waiting for our turn in the spotlight.

Well, it’s here. German sportswear giant Adidas has finally linked up with a Filipino label, Proudrace, for a limited-edition capsule collection that’s hitting the streets right now. This isn't just a sneaker drop; it's a cultural nod to the Pinoy experience.

The collection, driven by Proudrace creative director Rik Rasos, focuses on the classic Adidas Jabbar Lo—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's first signature shoe from way back—and includes two graphic t-shirts. The whole thing is infused with a deep sense of Filipino nostalgia that anyone from the diaspora can immediately appreciate.

Co-founder and creative director of Proudrace, Rik Rasos says in a social media post that the call from Adidas Philippines was a surprise. “Adidas Philippines reached out and invited me to present a design to their global team,” he says. What began as an invitation quickly transformed into a full-scale collaboration. “To my surprise and absolute excitement, the global team selected my concept. That set everything in motion.”

The process, Rasos explains, was conscientious. “What followed was a full year of research and development, plus rounds of sampling. Each step sharpening the vision. And now, after all that work, the collaboration has finally come to fruition.” Rasos views the project as an opportunity to introduce Filipino design to the world.

The Details that Matter

Rasos didn't just slap a logo on a shoe. He dug deep into his personal memories to weave authentic Filipino elements into the design. This is representation at its best.Lace Curtains: The iconic three stripes on the side of the shoe aren't just solid lines. They have a subtle, delicate lace pattern. If you grew up in a Filipino home, you know exactly what he’s talking about—those ubiquitous lace curtains that shielded the living room from the world.

The insole design is inspired by the patterned vinyl tablecloths you see in neighborhood carinderias (eateries) all over the Philippines. A true grassroots touch.

Perhaps the most personal touch is a stamp-like patch on the tongue. It features the Proudrace logo and the words "I Miss You." Rasos shared that this is a tribute to letters his father used to send home while working overseas. It speaks to the universal story of the OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) and the deep ties that bind families across oceans.

The execution uses quality vintage suede and smooth leather lining, giving the shoe a  retro feel with a dash of California comfort.

Getting Your Hands On A Pair

The collection officially launched on November 21, 2025, and carries a retail price of around P7,000 (or about $118 USD) in the Philippines.

If you want to grab a piece of this history, it might be difficult for buyers outside of the Philippines. If you have relatives or friends in the Philippines, it would be easy for them to buy the shoes for you at select Adidas locations, on the Adidas app and website, and have them mail it to you. In the Philippines the retailers that serve the Filipino community, including Commonwealth, Foot Locker, Atmos, and Titan are suuposed to have the shoes.

The media has been solid, with features in Vogue Philippines, Preview.ph, and Garage Magazine, all acknowledging this moment as a historic first for a Filipino designer collaborating with the global sportswear giant.

These shoes aren't just sneakers; they are wearable art that celebrates Filipino identity, creativity, and history, turning local pride into global statements, say Rappler and Garage.

It might not feel like a big deal, but for Filipinos, no matter where they are in the world, it is a moment of pride for Filipinos. Go get 'em while you can. You know what they say, "If the shoe fits ...."

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

Chinese American wins 'Survivor' and $1-million

CBS

Former TV news anchor Savannah Louie is the Sole Survivor of the reality show.

When the dust settled on the 49th season of Survivor this week, Chinese American Savannah Louie, a familiar face to news junkies in Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Antonio emerged as the Sole Survivor and winner of $1 million.

Louie, the 31-year-old former broadcast journalist, didn't just win; she carved her name into the show's history books with a performance that was as much about grit as it was about grace.

Louie took the title on December 17, in a 5–2–1 jury vote, besting fellow finalists Sophi Balerdi and Sage Ahrens-Nichols. It was a historic night, marking the first all-female Final Three in over a decade.

Savannah’s path to the $1 million prize was paved with physical dominance. She tied the all-time record for individual immunity wins by a woman in a single season, snagging the necklace four times. But it was her strong "Tres Leches" alliance and a high-stakes fire-making victory over her closest ally, Rizo Velovic, that ultimately punched her ticket to the Final Tribal Council.

Before she was dodging tribal councils, Savannah was a well-traveled rising star of TV news. A native of Walnut Creek, California, she earned her journalism degree from Southern Methodist University in 2016. Her career took her from Knoxville to KENS 5 in San Antonio and KSDK in St. Louis before she landed at Atlanta News First (WANF) in 2021.

She left the WANF news desk in September 2024, citing a need for better work-life balance. It turns out that "balance" included a lifelong dream: competing on Survivor, a goal she had pursued since first applying at age 17. she described living out this dream as "surreal" and felt "full of gratitude".

"My decision to pursue journalism was fueled by an intention to make the world a better place," she told People. "We can’t foster change in our community without being aware of WHAT is going on in our community."

According to her LinkedIn account, she now works as a marketing content specialist at Hyperdrive Leadership.

Savannah credited her journalism background for her win, noting that years of getting people to "open up and share their personal stories" prepared her for the social gymnastics of Fiji.

Asian American winners of Survivor include Yul Kwon (Season 13: Cook Islands), who was the first, followed by Natalie Anderson (Season 29: San Juan del Sur, of Sri Lankan descent), and Erika Casupanan (Season 41, of Filipino descent), who was the first Canadian and Filipino winner,  and Rachel LaMont, winner of the 47th season. Survivor is the popular reality competition where contestants are stranded in a remote location, divided into tribes, and compete in challenges for rewards and immunity, all while forming alliances and voting each other out until only one person remains to win $1 million.

And if you haven't seen enough of her, don't worry. CBS has already confirmed that Savannah along with her key ally, Rizo Velovic, will return for the landmark Survivor Season 50: In the Hands of the Fans. Season 50 will feature fans' favorite players from previous seasons and set to premiere on February 25, 2026.

Being cast for Season 50 came with a load of criticicsm from fans who felt Season 49 contestants were not "legendary" enough. "To the haters out there, I’ll just say, you know, just wait," Savannah told The Hollywood Reporter. "See how things turn out. After you watch 50, if you really feel that strongly that the two 49ers shouldn’t be included, that is totally your prerogative, but don’t knock anything before you see what happens, OK? Have a little fun with it. Don’t be such a downer and a negative Nancy."

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

Poll: Trump policies are turning the American Dream into a nightmare

As 2025 winds down, the "American Dream" is starting to look more like a recurring nightmare for the millions of immigrants who call this country home. Usually brimming with hope and optimistic outlooks, immigrants report rising fear, increasing negative outlooks economically and healthcare.

A new KFF/New York Times Survey of Immigrants reveals deepening anxiety and fear among immigrants of all statuses amid the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement and restrictive policies. For our AANHPI community, these aren’t just statistics; they are the aunties, uncles, and cousins living in the shadows of the San Gabriel Valley or the high-tech corridors of Jersey City and Silicon Valley.

In the first year of Trump’s second term, the comprehensive  survey revealed a community under significant strain, characterized by widespread fear, economic instability, and worsening health.

While most immigrants still value their decision to move to the US, a growing majority (60%) believe the country is no longer the "great place for immigrants" it once was.

The survey paints a portrait of families under strain—where fear of detention and economic instability are negatively impacting immigrants’ health and reshaping immigrant families’ daily lives and views of US political parties.

The partnership survey builds on KFF’s groundbreaking work surveying immigrants over the past few years, including a 2023 survey in partnership with the Los Angeles Times, a 2024 survey during the presidential election cycle, and a survey earlier this year that was paired with a focus group report on the experiences of undocumented immigrant families. As of June 2025, there were 51.9 million immigrants living in the U.S.

FYI: Access the full survey reports and methodologies on the KFF Survey of Immigrants series page.

 Findings from the new survey are detailed in three KFF reports and help inform the reporting in a package of news stories released by the New York Times. One KFF report focuses on the worries and experiences of immigrants amid increased immigration enforcement, a second examines the political views of immigrant voters, and a third probes the health and health care experiences of immigrants.

The survey finds that more than one in five (22%) immigrants personally know someone arrested, detained, or deported for immigration-related reasons since the president’s return to office—nearly triple the share from April 2025. Forty-one percent of immigrants now fear they or a family member could be detained or deported, up sharply from 26% in 2023. Fear has increased the most among lawfully present immigrants and naturalized citizens, indicating that growing unease is not confined to those who are undocumented.

About half of immigrants – across all statuses – report feeling less safe since the president’s second term began. Three in ten immigrants say they or a family member avoid traveling, working, going to other public spaces, or seeking medical care because of fear of enforcement since January. Among likely undocumented immigrants, this avoidance rises to three in four. More than half of immigrants (53%) lack confidence they would be treated fairly if detained.

About one in ten eligible US voters today are naturalized citizens. In the current climate, nearly six in ten immigrant voters say their views on the Trump administration’s immigration policies have had an impact on which political party they support — including over four in ten who say they have had a “major impact.”

When immigrant voters are asked to describe how the administration’s immigration policies have impacted which party they support, a larger share express views that reflect negative views of these policies or a shift away from Republicans (36%) than express views in support of these policies or the Republican party (19%).

Among other key findings:

• Most immigrants still say their own lives are better for coming to the U.S., and most would come again. But while about one-third say the U.S. is a great place for immigrants, nearly twice as many (60%) say the country used to be a great place for immigrants, but that’s no longer true.

• About half of immigrants report struggling to pay for housing, food, or health care—up from 31% in 2023. Many say it’s become harder to earn a living since January.

• 29% of Asian immigrants in 2025 reported worrying that they or a family member could be detained or deported, more than doubling from 14% in 2023.

• Data shows that 6% of Asian immigrants avoided applying for assistance programs due to immigration-related fears in 2025.

• Approximately 8% of Asian immigrants were reported as uninsured in 2025.

• A majority of Asian immigrants (54%) say their safety is better since moving to the US, though this is lower than the overall immigrant average of 65%.

Impacting health

Four in ten (40%) immigrant adults overall and nearly eight in ten (77%) likely undocumented immigrants say they have experienced negative health impacts since January 2025 due to immigration-related worries. These include increased stress, anxiety, or sadness; problems sleeping or eating; and/or worsening health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. About one in five (18%) immigrant parents say that their child’s well-being has been impacted due to immigration-related worries since January 2025.

The share of immigrant adults who reported skipping or postponing health care in the past 12 months increased from 22% to 29% between 2023 and 2025. Among those who went without care, about one in five (19%) say it was due to immigration-related concerns. 

About three in ten (30%) immigrant parents say that any of their children delayed or skipped health care in the past 12 months due to immigration-related fears, cost or lack of insurance, and/or not being able to find services at a convenient time or location, rising to about six in ten (58%) of parents who are likely undocumented.

The Political Pivot

The most telling part of this new reality is how it’s reshaping the immigrant vote. About 60% of immigrant voters say these aggressive enforcement actions have fundamentally changed how they view the political parties.

While there is a nuanced split on border security, there is a loud, clear rejection of Trump's more radical proposals. A staggering 80% of immigrant voters—including many in our Asian American neighborhoods—are standing firmly against "third-country" deportations and the push to end birthright citizenship.

The message from the 2025 KFF survey is clear: the welcome mat has been pulled out from under immigrants. For the first time in recent memory, a majority of immigrants (60%) believe the US is no longer a great place for those seeking a new life.

Despite the Trump-instigated hardships facing immigrants, most immigrants said that if they had to make that decision to leave their home countries to come to the US, they would do it all over again. Such is the power of the American dream and the opportunities it offers.

In essence, while the aspiration for a better life remains a powerful motivator for coming to America, the actual path to achieving that dream has become significantly more challenging and less certain for many.

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