Documentary to be released March 25 on the making of Olivia Rodrigo album

SCREEN CAPTURE

Olivia Rodrigo announces a documentary on the making of her "Sour" album.

Olivia Rodrigo, the 18-year-old Grammy nominee, announced last week that she is releasing a road-trip documentary about her debut album, "Sour." 

"Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u (a Sour film)" will follow the singer-songwriter as she travels from Salt Lake City, where she started writing "Sour," to Los Angeles.

OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u features 11 songs from “SOUR” performed with brand new arrangements in unique locations, including Mojave Airplane Boneyard, Roy’s Motel & Café, Arcosanti and the Red Rock Canyon State Park.

The documentary also includes special guest performances and appearances by GRAMMY®-nominated artist Jacob Collier, Blu DeTiger and Towa Bird. 

The film explores how “SOUR” came to be through Olivia’s personal stories and behind-the-scenes footage featuring intimate moments showcasing Olivia’s artistry in and out of the studio.

According to a Feb. 17 press release, Olivia will reflect on the process of making the hit album along the way. The film will feature performances of the 11 songs on Sour with new live arrangements, as well as special appearances by Jacob Collier, Blu DeTiger, and Towa Bird.

Fans will also be getting behind-the-scenes footage and hearing directly from the Filipina American about how she felt during this highly analyzed time of her life when she burst into the pop music world last January.

“Coming from this place of hurt, and you manage to turn it into something that you’re proud of … there’s like nothing better than that,” she says in the film’s trailer.

driving home 2 u drops on March 25 on Disney Plus, the network that introduced Olivia to the world in the series, "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," in which she plays the lead character Nini Salazar-Roberts.

“This is a unique film experience where for the first-time fans will understand how her album came to be and why it was such a personal journey for Olivia,” said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. 

“This is not a concert film per say, but really, an opportunity to experience first-hand how Olivia Rodrigo became one of the biggest music stars of the day – and a chance to see her perform the songs from SOUR like never before.”

It has been a wild year for the young performer. It comes as no surprise that Time would pick Rodrigo for the Entertainer of the Year distinction following the 18-year-old’s wildly successful debut year. She received seven nominations at the 2022 Grammy Awards, including nods in all of the Big Four categories — best new artist, song and record of the year for her breakthrough debut single and eight-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Drivers License” as well as album of the year for her Billboard 200-topping debut LP Sour.

“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t any pressure,” she told Time, which named her Entertainer of the Year. “But I sometimes remember: This happened 10 months ago. You don’t have to have it all figured out yet.”

All this new-found celebrity, plus HSMTHTS season 3 started taping last month, might seem a bit too much for the teenager. 

Olivia told Time that while she may continue acting outside of HSMTMTS, songwriting is her No. 1 priority. “Songwriting is the thing I take most seriously in my life,” she shared. “It’s the most personally gratifying too.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

US hospitals look to the Philippines to fill shortage of health care workers; nursing recruits win lawsuits

Filipino nurses settle lawsuit with Albany Medical Center.

With the emergence of the COVID-19 delta variant and continued demand for health care professionals, hospitals and recruiters around the world will look towards the Philippines for help. Filipino nurses are in high demand.

Exacerbating the shortage of health care workers is the Great Resignation. US nurses are quitting or retiring, exhausted of taking care of thousands of COVID-19 patients that have overwhelmed hospitals. Nearly 1 in 5 health care workers have quit their job during the pandemic and the Labor Department projects a shortfall of more than a million nurses in the coming year..

“Every time there’s a US shortage, the US has turned to the Philippines for help,” said Leo Feli-Jurado, professor of nursing at William Paterson University in New Jersey.

With the lure of higher pay and a better chance of securing a US, British or Australian visa, Filipino nurses are answering the call. But there are hidden pitfalls in the fine print offered by some recruiters

US embassies and consulates were instructed last summer that they may prioritize “as emergencies on a case-by-case basis the immigrant visa cases of certain health care professionals who will work at a facility engaged in pandemic response.”

“There has never been a more urgent need for the care that foreign-trained nurses provide than during the current COVID-19 pandemic and its looming aftermath,” the American Hospital Association wrote last June to the US State Department.

“These professionals play critical roles in ensuring the health of the communities we serve. … Foreign-trained nurses do not displace American workers. At the same time, the demand for nurses continues to grow. Many foreign-trained nurses are recruited to rural and inner-city hospitals, locations that find it more difficult to recruit domestically.”

Jurado said Filipino nurses often end up taking jobs in high stress environments that others might refuse. That may have contributed to disproportionate risks during the pandemic. According to a recent survey, Filipinos made up more than a quarter of COVID-19 deaths among US nurses, despite being only 4% of the workforce.

A group of nurses from the Philippines have filed a suit against Health Carousel, a healthcare staffing agency based in Ohio, accusing the company of wage theft and other unfair labor practices, reports Bloomberg earlier this month.

The lawsuit was filed by Novie Dale Carmen, a nurse from the Philippines who signed a three-year commitment with Health Carousel to come to the U.S. and work at a hospital in Muncy, Pa. Carmen ended up paying a $20,000 quitting fee to get out of her contract early.

Low wages, mandatory overtime that did not count toward the 6,240 hours on her contract, and a ban keeping her from discussing her working conditions pushed Ms. Carmen to the costly decision to pay the quitting fee.

"I was basically trapped," she told Bloomberg. "Duped."

Since originally filing the suit against Health Carousel, two more plaintiffs have joined. The suit accuses the company of human trafficking — which the Department of Homeland Security defines as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor — wage theft and racketeering.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Health Carousel denied wrongdoing.

"We are proud of our work to place internationally trained nurses at understaffed hospital systems in the United States," the company said. "We invest to recruit these professionals and sponsor their employment-based visas to fulfill their dreams," adding that it expects employees who do not finish their contracts to pay back its upfront expenses, which include things such as a visa, licensing and travel.

The news outlet cited a filing from last year where Health Carousel said it "denies all allegations that Plaintiff or any of its nurses were indentured servants to Health Carousel" and denied claims that its contract terms are "draconian."

It is the not the first lawsuit against a recruitment agency.

Most recently in June last year, a New York court ordered Prompt Nurssing Employment Agency LLC, doing business as Sentosa Services, to pay the Filipino plaintiffs $1.56 million after it had violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and broken their contract by threatening to seriously harm the nurses financially if they left their jobs early.

The court ruled that Sentosa violated the trafficking victims act because the nurses were forced to remain in the agency’s employ to avoid repercussions and charges they wouldn’t be able to pay.

In a similar case versus Albany Medical Center, Attorney General James said in a press statement: “By forcing its employees to choose between paying outrageous sums to leave their jobs, or facing immigration authorities, Albany Med violated their rights as workers and as individuals.”

A New York State Nurses Association lawsuit against Albany Medical Center led to the agreement which resulted in the hospital paying the nurses $90,000.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

President Biden proclaims Day of Remembrance; "Nidoto Nai Yoni"

The seeds of ignorance, hate and fear that ushered in a dark chapter of American history, the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII, is reemerging as attacks against all AAPI communities continue.

In this time of rising anti-Asian hate, President Biden issued a statement commemorating the Day of Remembrance, Feb. 19, 1942 when President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 that allowed the imprisonment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent.

"Today, we recognize that euphemistic terms that we have collectively used in the past — such as 'assembly centers,' 'relocation,' or 'internment' — do not adequately describe the injustice experienced by some 120,000 people; we recognize the forced removal and mass incarceration of Japanese Americans and others during World War II ..." 

RELATED: JACL statement on the 8oth anniversary of EO 9066.

This is a shameful chapter of American history some would like to forget because it is uncomfortable to acknowledge that the path to a "more perfect Union," espoused in the Constitution is littered with mistakes. We need to learn from our mistakes.

As Biden states, "We reaffirm our commitment to Nidoto Nai Yoni, which translates to 'Let It Not Happen Again.' ”

Following is Biden's complete statement released yesterday, Feb. 18, 2022:

Eighty years ago, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, stripping people of Japanese descent of their civil rights.  That order and the subsequent actions carried out by the Federal Government represent one of the most shameful chapters in our Nation’s history.  On this Day of Remembrance of Japanese American Incarceration During World War II, we acknowledge the unjust incarceration of some 120,000 Japanese Americans, approximately two-thirds of whom were born in the United States.

Despite never being charged with a crime, and without due process, Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and communities and incarcerated, simply because of their heritage.  For years, many Japanese Americans lived in harsh, overcrowded conditions, surrounded by barbed wire fences and armed guards.  Not only did they lose their homes, businesses, property, and savings — they also lost their liberty, security, and the fundamental freedoms that belong to all Americans in equal measure.

I have always believed that great nations do not ignore their most painful moments — they confront them with honesty and, in doing so, learn from them and grow stronger as a result.  The incarceration of Japanese Americans 80 years ago is a reminder to us today of the tragic consequences we invite when we allow racism, fear, and xenophobia to fester.

Today, we reaffirm the Federal Government’s formal apology to Japanese Americans whose lives were irreparably harmed during this dark period of our history, and we solemnly reflect on our collective moral responsibility to ensure that our Nation never again engages in such un-American acts.  We acknowledge the intergenerational trauma and loss that the incarceration of Japanese Americans has caused.  We also uplift the courage and resilience of brave Japanese Americans who, despite being unjustly incarcerated, formed powerful communities and marshalled incredible dignity and strength.

Many of those whose families were incarcerated volunteered or were drafted to serve in combat — courageously serving in the 100th Infantry Battalion, Military Intelligence Service, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, Army Nurse Corps, and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team with unwavering patriotism.  The all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team became two of the most decorated and distinguished military units in our Nation’s history.  Countless Japanese Americans carry forward this legacy of extraordinary service today, and their work to preserve the history of this period strengthens our Nation and our democracy.

We reflect on the bravery of civil rights leaders like Fred Korematsu, Minoru Yasui, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Mitsuye Endo, and that of every Japanese American who organized and sought redress.  Their efforts helped bring about the first Day of Remembrance, led President Jimmy Carter to sign the law creating the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, and spurred President Ronald Reagan to sign the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided monetary reparations to living survivors and an official apology to the Japanese American community.  At the same time, we also acknowledge the painful reality that Japanese Latin Americans, who were taken from their Central and South American homes and incarcerated by the United States Government during World War II, were excluded from the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

Today, the National Park Service helps preserve several Japanese American incarceration camps.  These tangible reminders of our history provide important spaces for reflection and learning about the injustices born of prejudice.  Preserving incarceration sites as national parks and historic landmarks is proof of our Nation’s commitment to facing the wrongs of our past, to healing the pain still felt by survivors and their descendants, and to ensuring that we always remember why it matters that we never stop fighting for equality and justice for all.  My Administration is committed to maintaining these national parks and landmarks for future generations and to combating xenophobia, hate, and intolerance — including through the reestablished White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.  In the words of Dr. Frank Kitamoto, who was incarcerated as a child, “This is not just a Japanese American story but an American story with implications for the world.” 

The words we use to describe the historical and present treatment of communities of color and other underserved communities have profound meaning.  Today, we recognize that euphemistic terms that we have collectively used in the past — such as “assembly centers,” “relocation,” or “internment” — do not adequately describe the injustice experienced by some 120,000 people; we recognize the forced removal and mass incarceration of Japanese Americans and others during World War II; and we reaffirm our commitment to Nidoto Nai Yoni, which translates to “Let It Not Happen Again.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 19, 2022, as a Day of Remembrance of Japanese American Incarceration During World War II.  I call upon the people of the United States to commemorate this injustice against civil liberties and civil rights during World War II; to honor the sacrifice of those who defended the democratic ideals of this Nation; and to commit together to eradicate systemic racism to heal generational trauma in our communities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

 

Day of Remembrance: JACL marks the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066

Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt on Feb. 19, 1942.

On the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, the Japanese Americans mark Feb. 19, 1942 as their own "day of infamy."

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, initiating a controversial World War II policy, with lasting consequences to this day for Japanese Americans. The document ordered the forced removal of resident "enemy aliens" from parts of the West vaguely identified as military areas.

Japanese immigrants and their descendants, regardless of American citizenship status or length of residence, were systematically rounded up, forced to sell their homes, farms and businesses and with only the clothes they were able to carry, they were transported to faraway prison camps.

The imprisonment of these Americans of Japanese descent is widely condemned as one of the most shameful episodes of American history.

With the hope that the US never descends to the hysteria and racism that prompted the mass incarceration, the few remaining survivors of the prison camps and their descendants are determined to never let America forget the racism inherent in EO 9066, pushing that the imprisonment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent is not whitewashed in U.S. history and allying themselves with other groups who are victims of injustice or bigotry.

Executive Order 9066 marked a shameful chapter in American history.

On this Day of Remembrance, Feb. 19, 2022, the Japanese American Citizens League, issued the following statement marking the 80th anniversary of President Roosevelt signing Executive Oder 9066:

Eighty years ago on February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 after growing pressure from the Department of War, Navy, and the general public in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entrance into World War II. The order, though never explicitly stating any racial or ethnic group, gave the Army and Navy the power to prescribe military zones within the United States and to exclude any and all persons deemed necessary. Today, we remember EO 9066 as the order that gave way to the forced removal and mass incarceration of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry. All without due process, trial, or even evidence. 

This piece of paper and the subsequent events that followed forever changed the course of the Japanese American community. Those 120,000 people lost their livelihoods, their homes, countless personal belongings, millions of dollars in lost revenue and savings, and most of all their dignity. From living in modified horse stalls, whitewashed with mud, hair, and the lingering scent of manure, to the barren desert camps and tar-papered barracks where dust seeped into everything, the toilets and showers gave no privacy, and the machine guns were pointed inwards. It is hard to fathom the feelings and emotions all those who lived through this experience must have felt. 

We saw our community torn apart when their loyalty was questioned even further by being forced to fill out the infamous “loyalty questionnaire.” It asked all incarcerees, regardless of age, gender, or citizenship if they would serve the United States on combat duty and if they would forswear any and all allegiance to the Emperor of Japan. Families, siblings, friends, loved ones, all were forced to take sides, and in many instances were torn apart by the decision to answer “yes, yes” or “no, no.” Both sides believed that in taking a stance they would be proving their loyalty and would be on the right side in the pages of history, and they were both correct. 

On the one hand, there were the exploits of Japanese American service members who joined the fight against oppression and tyranny while their families were locked away back home. The members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Infantry Battalion, and Military Intelligence Service were not only the most highly decorated unit for their size and duration in all of US Military history but they were also credited with helping to shorten the war through their missions in Europe and the Pacific. 

On the other, there were those whose resistance was their fight against tyranny from their own government. Whether it was all the way to the Supreme Court in the cases of Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui, Fred Korematsu, and Mitsuye Endo. Or in the individual and collective resistance of those who were removed to Tule Lake segregation center, or those who resisted the draft and spent time in federal penitentiary. Or even those who’d faced enough humiliation and asked to be repatriated to Japan, a distant memory that some had never even seen before. 

We also remember the generation after camp who, along with their parents and grandparents, fought to right the wrongs their country committed in the halls of Congress. When the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was passed, it was a commitment from the government, finally acknowledging what our community had known all along, that we had done nothing wrong and that the incarceration had been caused by, “war hysteria, racial prejudice, and a failure of political leadership.” While it would never make up for the monetary losses and the years of trauma, the redress era put our community and our nation on a path of healing and using the story of the incarceration to make change today. 

So here we stand, 80 years later, in remembrance of the event that forever changed our community. But we also celebrate achievements that have come in its aftermath, such as the recent passage of the Amache National Historic Site Act to bring Amache into the National Parks Service. Yet, we also look forward to new challenges, such as supporting the African American community in their campaign for redress that too is long overdue. This year, we should remember all of this history in order to work better as a nation to make a change and to continue righting wrongs for other communities who are victimized by injustice and bigotry.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

'48 Hours' investigates case of missing Filipina American

Larry and Maya Millete

The case of a Filipina American who has been missing for over a year will be the subject of a 48 Hours investigation tonight.

Police arrested Larry Millete last October on suspicion of killing his wife nine months ago, at his home in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista, a day after San Diego County prosecutors charged him with murder and illegal possession of an assault weapon, officials said at a news conference.

If found guilty, Navy veteran Larry Millete faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted of killing his wife.

 CBS network’s true-crime series 48 Hours Investigates will be airing an hour-long report on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. (Pacific Time) on the case of Maya Millete, the missing mother from Chula Vista.

It’s the kind of national exposure that can lead to a break in a missing person case, a break Millete’s family has been waiting for.

The correspondent for 48 Hours, Jonathan Vigliotti, traveled to the Anza Borrego Desert for the episode, where volunteer search teams were looking for Maya’s remains.

“It was both inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time, as you can imagine; inspiring because there were so many volunteers that joined in on this search effort that was first launched as a grass roots effort by family and friends,” Vigliotti told CBS 8. “There were easily dozens of people. It was incredibly hot. When we talk about just how vast this is, it is truly the equivalent of looking for a needle in a haystack.”

The 48 Hours investigation explores Maya’s life before she went missing, and the behavior of her husband, Larry Millete, who remains behind bars charged with Maya’s murder.

“Without a body, though, the prosecution really has their work cut out for them, which is why those search efforts that continue on every weekend, this weekend, and beyond are so crucial,” said Vigliotti.

Larry Millette said from his jail cell that he had no hand in his wife's disappearance and that she's out there somewhere.

At the time of Maya Millete's disappearance, the Millete couple was having marital problems.

During a large family camping trip the week before went missing, Maya Millete mentioned her divorce plan to a few relatives, along with an ominous comment, “If anything happened to me, it’ll be Larry.”

“She wanted to warn us to just get ready,” her sister, Maricris Drouaillet, said. “It’s going to be a messy divorce.”

Relatives insist Maya Millete loved being a mother and would never just abandon her kids.

The correspondent interviewed two of Maya’s co-workers at Naval Base San Diego, Claudio Julao and Allison Alexander.

“I had a lot of respect for her. She was a very strong and confident leader. A lot of women in the office really looked up to her,” said Alexander

“Maya loved her kids. There's no way she would have up and left,” Julao told the network.

An unusual element in the case is the use of "spellcasters."

Days before California mom Maya Millete disappeared, Larry Millete, reached out to spellcasters, asking them to to “punish” and “incapacitate” her, according to messages shared by authorities. Maya’s last known call was to a divorce attorney, and authorities believe her husband may have attempted to employ magic as a last-ditch effort before allegedly murdering his wife, according to the latest episode of “48 Hours.”

“Larry was trying to hold onto Maya, and he resorted to contacting what are called spellcasters,” San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said shortly after Larry’s arrest, KGTV reported.

One of the messages he wrote to the spellcasters read, “Please punish May and incapacitate her enough so she can’t leave the house. It’s time to take the gloves off,” authorities said, according to 48 Hours.

Search volunteers will be back out this weekend. They have teamed up with a search and rescue instructor, who is conducting informal training in the field.  

#TeamMaya and law enforcement are pleading for the public’s help — particularly seeking information on sightings of the Millete’s Lexus SUV on Jan. 8, 2021.

The black GX640 has a California specialty plate displaying “maylani.”

#TeamMaya is asking for information from “anybody that knows anything, no matter how insignificant they think it might be.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Olympics 2022: Eileen Gu makes history with her third medal

Eileen Gu celebrates her third Olympic medal.

Before Eileen Gu began her first run down the halfpipe, she closed her eyes and repeated her mantra three times, "My name is Eileen Gu, and I'm the best halfpipe skier in the world."

Then the 18-year old pulled her goggles over her eyes, pushed off on her skis and made history.

Eileen Gu, who competes for China, is the first action-sports athlete to win three medals at the same Olympics -- two gold and one silver.

In her first run, despite wind gusts, her series of spins, the California-born teenager scored a 93.25. On her second run, she scored two points higher.

Waiting for her third ring, she was informed that she was assured a gold medal. She fell to her knees and screamed, "Oh, my god!." In celebration, Gu went down the halfpipe as a sort of victory lap.

“I was very emotional at the top and I chose to do a victory lap,” Gu told the media of her celebratory final run down the halfpipe. “Because I felt like, for the first time, I really deserved it and I really earned it.”

Earlier in the Games, Gu won a gold medal in the freestyle Big Air and a silver in the Slopestyle.

MORE OLYMPIC STORIES:

US figure skaters do their best but come up short 

California-born Eileen Gu wins her second medal in freestyle

Filipino American snowboarder qualifies for for finals in Big Air

Ice dancers Chock and Bates will continue to compete after missing podium

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate for a medal

Nathan Chen, Chloe Kim win gold medals in their events.

Eileen Gu evades question about citizenship after winning gold medal

US wins silver in figure skating team event

Born and raised in San Francisco, Eileen Gu will represent China

Five AAPI skaters named to USA Figure Skating team.

NBC puts Nathan Chen and Chloe Kim in the spotlight to promote their coverage

Snowboarding star Chloe Kim: "I'm going to go off"

20 Asian Americans and Asian Canadians to watch at the Winter Olympics

Emotions flood over Chinese American athletes in Beiging Games

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a developing story. Check back later for updates. For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

With winds gusting left to right on a 3 degree F (minus 16 degree C) day, Gu put this contest to rest on her first run. It included a pair of 900-degree spins in different directions, each frosted with full, second-long reaches downward to grab her skis.

Gu scored a 93.25 for that, then on her second run, she scored two points better.

As Gu prepared to head down it for the first time of her last event, she placed her hands on her hips and closed her eyes, then repeated one sentence three times.

“I said ‘My name is Eileen Gu,” she told reporters as tears welled up in her eyes, “and I’m the best halfpipe skier in the world.”

 routeOn the medal round of the freestyle halfpipe skiing event

Olympics 2022: US figure skaters do their best but fail to medal

US figure skaters, from left, Karen Chen, Mariah Bell and Alysa Liu.

Updated Feb. 18.

American figure skaters Alysa Liu and Mariah Bell had impressive performances on Thursday (Feb. 17) evening but wound up in 7th and 10th place respectively.

The American figure skaters each put out performances to remember at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 but it was not enough to overtake the leaders. 

Alysa, from Richmond, Calif., was even in the lead for a while after 19 skaters had performed. However, after the final group performed their routines, she ended up in seventh place.

“I’m just really glad that all my training paid off because I’m here competing,” Liu told NBC. “And the goal of my whole life and my skating career was to compete at the Olympics. So now I can officially say I’m an Olympian.”

The women's competition was eventually won by Russian skater and World Champion Anna Shcherbakova. Another Russian, Alexandra Trusova won the silver and Japan's Kaori Sakamoto took bronze.

The skater expected to win it all, and the most controversial, 15-year old Kamila Valieva, fell during her free skate routine dropping Russia's top skater to fourth place and off the medal podium.

Kamila is at the center of controversy after test results showed that she had taken a banned drug before the Olympics. Her performance in the team competition vaulted the Russian team to first place but since the drug test results were discovered, the final results of the team competition remains up in the air.

Despite the controversial drug test results, the Russian teenager was allowed to compete in the individual skating competition. After the short program Tuesday, she was in first place.

Alysa Liu led the U.S. figure skaters finishin in 7th place.

Sixteen-year-old, Alysa was the US champion in 2019 and 2020 - her first title making her the youngest American ever to win a national title - at age 13. At age 16 years, she is the youngest member (in any sport) sent to Beijing by Team USA.

The California teen opened her "Violin Concerto in D" free skate with a triple Axel attempt, landing the jump but having it downgraded as she finished her rotation on the ice. She would score a 139.45 in the segment. Added to the score from her short program, her final score totaled 208.95.

Gone are the difficult quads that gave Alysa the US championships. She was the only US woman to perform the judge-pleasing four-revolution jumps.

“It was a lot easier when I was smaller, and a lot shorter,” said Liu, who stands approximately 5 feet, 2 inches. “It’s just been harder. Especially when COVID hit, I couldn’t train it as much. I stopped training it for a period. So, there was a lot of other factors, but definitely puberty (was one factor).”

“I’m so happy with two clean programs,” Liu said. “It’s better than I ever thought I would do at the Olympics, and I’m really happy about it.”

MORE OLYMPIC STORIES:

California-born Eileen Gu wins her second medal in freestyle

Filipino American snowboarder qualifies for for finals in Big Air

Ice dancers Chock and Bates will continue to compete after missing podium

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate for a medal

Nathan Chen, Chloe Kim win gold medals in their events.

Eileen Gu evades question about citizenship after winning gold medal

US wins silver in figure skating team event

Born and raised in San Francisco, Eileen Gu will represent China

Five AAPI skaters named to USA Figure Skating team.

NBC puts Nathan Chen and Chloe Kim in the spotlight to promote their coverage

Snowboarding star Chloe Kim: "I'm going to go off"

20 Asian Americans and Asian Canadians to watch at the Winter Olympics

Emotions flood over Chinese American athletes in Beiging Games

Prior to Liu's skate, Bell, 25, performed her routine to "Hallelujah" earning her a 136.92 total. Her combined score of 202.30 left her in tenth place.

Liu was in eighth place after the women's short program, while Bell sat  at 11th.

Karen Chen, 22, finished her routine after falling during her routine.

Earlier, their American teammate Karen Chen, from Fremont, Calif., struggled in her free skate, her total score registering a 179.93 that gave her the 16th spot.

“It’s incredible to just know that I’ve made it here,” Chen said. “It did not go the way I wanted to, but I also had my moment in the team event, too. So, there are a lot of positive things to look at.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

AAPI community advocates file brief supporting 'China Initiative' victim

Temple University Professor Xiaoxing Xi

Amid increased concerns over the FBI’s and Justice Department’s targeting of scientists based on their Chinese descent, 72 Asian American organizations, civil rights groups, science associations, and academic groups filed an amicus brief supporting a professor's appeal to reinstate his suit vs. the federal government.

The brief in Xi v. Haugen, pending in the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 

 calls on the US government to end the China Initiative, a policy launched by the Trump administration, that is being criticized for its discriminatory targeting and racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants.

“By targeting scientists for investigation based on their ancestry rather than evidence of crime and naming the China Initiative after those practices, the FBI and Justice Department perpetuate insidious stereotypes of Asian Americans as disloyal and inherently suspect,” noted Glenn Katon, litigation director at Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus. “Those FBI and Justice Department practices also divert resources from investigating real dangers to our communities.”

Advancing Justice - AAJC and Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus submitted the brief in support of Temple University Professor Xiaoxing Xi’s appeal to reinstate his claims for damages against the federal government for their discriminatory investigation and prosecution of charges that were later dismissed. 

In 2015, FBI agents entered Xi’s home with a battering ram, pointed guns at him, his wife, and two daughters, and arrested him. The government falsely accused him of sharing sensitive technology for a pocket heater with scientists in China, for which he faced potentially 80 years in prison and $1 million in fines. 

The Justice Department dismissed the indictment after federal agents learned that they had misunderstood the technology, and that universities regularly encourage academics to share this legally protected information.

“It is a very difficult fight for me, my wife, and my daughter to hold the government accountable for the wrong they did to us,” said Professor Xiaoxing Xi, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics at Temple University. 

“But we must do this because if they can violate our rights without any consequence, the lives of many more innocent people may be ruined like what happened to us. We will fight for as long as it takes, not just for ourselves, but for countless people who are being profiled by the Department of Justice because of their ethnicity or where they came from.”

“The U.S. government has an abysmal track record on the treatment of Asian American and immigrants and has often scapegoated our communities as national security threats,” said Gisela Kusakawa, staff attorney of Anti-Racial Profiling and Immigration at Advancing Justice - AAJC. 

“This has worsened under the Justice Department’s controversial ‘China Initiative,’ which has driven federal prosecutors and FBI agents to target Asian American and immigrant scientists based on their ethnicity. It’s time to end racial profiling starting with terminating this initiative now.”

The Asian American community, along with civil rights and academic groups, are standing in solidarity with Xi and his family in calling for government accountability for this injustice in their appeal after a federal district court dismissed nine of Professor Xi’s 10 claims.  

Xi is one of many Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers annd academics across the country who have been targeted and profiled by the federal government and law enforcement allege critics of the initiative. 

“By targeting scientists for investigation based on their ancestry rather than evidence of crime and naming the China Initiative after those practices, the FBI and Justice Department perpetuate insidious stereotypes of Asian Americans as disloyal and inherently suspect,” noted Glenn Katon, litigation director at Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus. “Those FBI and Justice Department practices also divert resources from investigating real dangers to our communities.”

The amicus brief addresses the widespread prevalence of racial discrimination and profiling against Asian Americans and immigrants, particularly scientists and academics of Chinese descent in the last decade, when Xi was subjected to racially motivated actions alleged in his Complaint. 

The brief alleges that context reveals racial bias against persons of Chinese descent which has permeated federal agencies and influenced FBI training, investigations, and prosecutions, traumatizing families and undermining the credibility of our institutions.

“The government’s wrongful prosecution of Professor Xi had devastating consequences for him and his family. Years later, they are still dealing with the trauma of this ordeal,” said Ashley Gorski, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s National Security Project. “If the Xis are unable to hold the government accountable, there will be little to stop the government from profiling other Asian American scientists and upending more lives as a result.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Amache concentration camp for Japanese Americans during WWII to become historical site

In the grasslands of Colorado stands an old watchtower that used to look over the the concentration camp that housed thousands of American citizens of Japanese descent. It will become part of the future Amache National Historic Site.

Late Monday (Feb. 15), the US Senate unanimously passed legislation to establish the Amache National Historic Site, located outside of Granada, Colorado, as a part of the National Park System.

“I have waited many, many years to see the day where we can be certain that Amache, as a place of reflection, remembrance, honor, and healing, is protected for our current and future generations,” said Amache survivor and advocate, Bob Fuchigami, in a statement. “My parents did not live to see this day. The time is not only right; it is long overdue.”

“This is an important action by our nation in acknowledging the injustice that was inflicted upon the Japanese American community by our government," said David Inoue, executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League.

"This will be an opportunity to share not only the injustice of what happened to those incarcerated at Amache, but also puts their story in the context of Colorado’s history and the bravery of Governor Ralph Carr, who was the rare politician who stood up for the rights of Japanese Americans and opposed the incarceration. His steadfast values cost him his political career.”

The legislation was led by Colorado Senators Michael Bennet (D) and John Hickenlooper (D) and Colorado US Representatives Joe Neguse (D) and Ken Buck (R).

To get the Senate's full support, backers agreed to a last-minute amendment in order to address the concerns of Utah's Republican Senator Mike Lee, who held up its earlier passage last week.

"Senator Lee does not object to this specific historical site. He does object to any increase in the total amount of land owned by the federal government as the federal government fails to adequately care for the land already in its vast holdings," Lee's spokesman, Lee Lonsberry, told The Associated Press.

After negotiations between Lee and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, the final version of the bill merely requires the National Park Service accept the land, less than a square mile of public land maintained by volunteers, as a donation from the nearby town of Granada, reports Colorado Public Radio.

With the amendment, the bill will have to return to the House for final approval. It originally passed that chamber 416-2. The bill will then go to President Biden for his signature.

HISTORICAL FILE

The Amache camp housed 7,000 Japanese Americans during WWII.

Amache was one of the 10 American concentration camps where nearly 120,000 people of Japanese descent were incarcerated during WWII under the false pretense of national security. Over 7,000 men, women, and children were at Amache, formally known as the Granada War Relocation Center.

The passage of this legislation this week is particularly poignant as on February 19, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066 which paved the way for the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans in the following months. The result was thousands of families uprooted from their homes with little to no time to pack any belongings or set their affairs in order. The government issued a formal apology for what it had done through the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

“I’m thrilled the Senate passed our bill to establish Amache as a part of the National Park System,” said Sen. Bennet after the passage of the legislation. "The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II at sites like Amache is a shameful part of our country’s history. Our bill will preserve Amache’s story to ensure future generations can learn from this dark chapter in our history.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Olympics 2022: Freestyle skier Eileen Gu wins her second medal for China

China's Eileen Gu wins her second medal at the 2022 Olympics

China's golden girl, San Francisco-born Eileen Gu won her second medal at the Beijing Games and she still has her strongest event coming up.

As a member of China's Olympic team, Gu won a silver medal in the Slopestyle competition for freestyle skiers. The gold medal went to Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland. Kelly Sildaru of Estonia won the bronze.

“I’m happy I was able to push through and turn that pressure into fuel, and it feels so, so good,” Gu said Monday after the Slopestyle event. “My goal coming into the Olympics was to have one gold and have one more podium in a different event. I’ve already met that goal, and going into my strongest event.”

Like her earlier event, Freestyle Skiing Big Air, it came down to her third and last attempt. This time, however, Gu failed to  top Gremaud's score. 

She almost pulled it off, though. Gu landed two 900s on the first and last jump and a double cork 1080 – or two off-axis flips with three spins – on the second jump.

Gu is the favorite to win gold in the Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe event which begins later this week. The Stanford-bound teen has special incentive to perform well in her favorite event. “My grandma's coming out today, so she's gonna watch me compete in halfpipe, which means the world to me,” Gu said. “She's never watching me compete before, so hopefully I can put on a good show for her.”

Eileen Gu rides a rail in one of her runs in the Slopestyle event.

In other Olympic news, Hailey Langland, the Filipino American from San Clemente, California, failed to improve from her 12th place finish Monday in the Snowboard Big Air event. She was the only American to qualify for the finals.

MORE OLYMPIC STORIES:

Filipino American snowboarder qualifies for for finals in Big Air

Ice dancers Chock and Bates will continue to compete after missing podium

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate for a medal

Nathan Chen, Chloe Kim win gold medals in their events.

Eileen Gu evades question about citizenship after winning gold medal

US wins silver in figure skating team event

Born and raised in San Francisco, Eileen Gu will represent China

Five AAPI skaters named to USA Figure Skating team.

NBC puts Nathan Chen and Chloe Kim in the spotlight to promote their coverage

Snowboarding star Chloe Kim: "I'm going to go off"

20 Asian Americans and Asian Canadians to watch at the Winter Olympics

Emotions flood over Chinese American athletes in Beiging Games

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.