Study: AANHPI elderly most vulnerable to hate

One of the most heart-wrenching and upsetting aspect of the rise in racist attacks against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, is the targeting of the community elders.

A new report  released Tuesday (May 24) found that over a quarter of the reports collected were physical attacks as the elderly were doing ordinary, day-to-day activities such as taking a walk or going to the grocery.

"These attacks on Asian American elders reverberate throughout the entire family. Over one-quarter of all Asian Americans live in multigenerational households — the highest percentage of any racial/ethnic group," states the report from Stop AAPI Hate, a community-based organization that has been collecting anti-Asian incident reports since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Elder Asian Americans deserve to feel safe – but for the past two years have been struggling with hate, fear and isolation,” said Russell Jeung, Ph.D., co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. “This AAPI Heritage Month we need to recommit to their safety and support.”

In February of 2020, a video of the fatal attack on 84-year old Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco ent viral, and in the same week another video caught a violent blindsid shove hurtled another Chinese senior citizen to the Oakland sidewalk followed by a bloody razor attack on a Filipino American elder in New York's subway station, alarms went off in the AANHPI communities.

The attacks strike at the heart and soul of what makes up the AANHPI communities.

Not only are they the most vulnerable, least likely to fight back and unlikely to report the hate incidents, the attacks against AANHPI elders is an attack on one of the key values -- respect for elders -- held in common among the diverse communities that immigrated from Asia and the Pacific Islands.

They are the aunties and uncles, the pioneers, the trailblazers, the brave and adventuresome generation who left the comfort of their homelands in order to provide for better opportunities for the future generations of their family.

STOP AAPI HATE

Highlights from new report released by Stop AAPI Hate reveals the extent of the hate attacks against the older generations: 

Asian American elders – those ages 60 and up – experienced verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, and other hate incidents. 

• One out of four (26.2%) cases were physical assault, twice the rate of those under the age of 60 (15.4%). Elders also reported being refused service (5.7%) and having their property vandalized (7.2%) more than non-elders (4.0% and 4.2% respectively).

• Six out of 10 (62.5%) incidents reported by elders involved verbal harassment or shunning — the deliberate avoidance of individuals. 

• In one in 12 (7.8 %) incidents, elders were coughed and spat upon. 

• Asian American elders named race, ethnicity, and gender as the top suspected reasons for their discrimination. They reported language (8.1%) as a reason more than those under the age of 60 (7.2%). 

Asian American elders were most likely to encounter incidents in public and at businesses. 

• Like those under the age of 60, Asian American elders were most likely to face discrimination on public streets (36.7 %) and at businesses (26.7 %). 

• Elders were twice as likely to face discrimination at private residences (15.8%) than those under the age of 60 (9.8%).

Asian American elders – those ages 60 and up – experienced verbal harassment, shunning, physical assault, and other hate incidents. 

• One out of four (26.2%) cases were physical assault, twice the rate of those under the age of 60 (15.4%). Elders also reported being refused service (5.7%) and having their property vandalized (7.2%) more than non-elders (4.0% and 4.2% respectively). 

• Six out of 10 (62.5%) incidents reported by elders involved verbal harassment or shunning — the deliberate avoidance of individuals. 

• In one in 12 (7.8 %) incidents, elders were coughed and spat upon. 

• Asian American elders named race, ethnicity, and gender as the top suspected reasons for their discrimination. They reported language (8.1%) as a reason more than those under the age of 60 (7.2%). Asian American elders were most likely to encounter incidents in public and at businesses. 

• Like those under the age of 60, Asian American elders were most likely to face discrimination on public streets (36.7 %) and at businesses (26.7 %). 

• Elders were twice as likely to face discrimination at private residences (15.8%) than those under the age of 60 (9.8%).

READ the complete Stop AAPI Hate Report.

The hate incidents are adding a new level of stress on the older AANHPI generation causing them to experience mental health trauma that is exacerbated because of the  cultural reluctance to seek help outside of family to discuss the "shame" brought on by the stigma associated with mental vulnerability and the tendency fo keep the incidents to themselves only to suffer depression in silence.

One such report submitted to Stop AAPI Hate:

"They (feel they) have to stay inside because they can be targeted. They are staying at home, just like they did for the COVID-19 quarantine, but the way it impacts their feeling of wellness is completely different. The expression they use is, 'It hurts my spirit.'"

Local, state and federal agencies need to recognize the problem facing AANHPI seniors and adjust their services accordingly, says the report.

That includes translation services for the myriad of Asian languages, culturally sensitive staff who can recognize the mental health and physical symptoms caused by stress and who can offer the "respect" the elders deserve.

“We’re asking that elected officials honor this month with action by creating safer public spaces for AAPI communities and all communities of color,” said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “Funding and supporting community-based organizations across the country is key to building safe places for elder Asian Americans.”

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

Asian Americans and heart disease risk: Why one size does not fit all

REPRINTED FROM MEDICAL NEWS TODAY

Asian American people are typically categorized simply as “Asian” for the purposes of health research and reporting. It is a simplification that does not expose their true diversity.

A new large, retrospective study finds that some Asian American subgroups are at particular risk for ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease.

Working with mortality data from 2011 to 2016 collected in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyTrusted Source, the study reveals the flaw in considering the health of all Asian Americans as a single entity.

A recent analysisTrusted Source of the same data found that non-Hispanic Asians were more likely to have ideal cardiovascular health than non-Hispanic whites, missing entirely the higher cardiovascular risk associated with some Asian subgroups.

READ the original article in Medical News Today

Dr. Pei Jai Michael Ho is a co-author of an editorialTrusted Source released alongside the new study. He told Medical News Today:

“Americans with Asian ancestry can trace their roots to more than 20 countries, ranging anywhere from China to the Indian subcontinent. These origins come with incredibly unique cultures, languages, and histories, including immigration status. Therefore, it is difficult to expect that these diverse individuals will face the same medical problems or have similar medical needs.”

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing demographic group in the U.S., increasing from 11.9 million people in 200 to 22.4 million people by 2019, which is an 88% increase.

The new study was published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and OutcomesTrusted Source.

Examining Asian American heart health

While an accurate assessment of Asian Americans as a single group is difficult for risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, the new study focused on deaths from three cardiovascular disease categories:

• Ischemic heart disease — A weakness in the heart muscle caused by an insufficient flow of blood and oxygen, ischemic heart disease can lead to heart attacks. It is also called “coronary artery” or “heart disease.”

• Heart failure — When the heart muscle does not pump strongly enough, blood may back up, causing a fluid buildup in the lungs. This may cause swelling of the feet and legs, and shortness of breath.

• Cerebrovascular disease — Restricted blood flow from the narrowing of blood vessels can cause blood clots, ruptures of blood vessels, or blockages. This can lead to strokes, aneurysms, and vascular malformations in addition to carotid, vertebral, and intracranial stenoses.

To determine age-standardized mortality rates from the three disease categories, the researchers compared deaths from all causes for 618,004 Asian Americans, 30,267,178 non-Hispanic white Americans, and 2,292,257 Hispanic Americans.

Not a monolithic group

For the purposes of the study, Asian Americans were identified by the country from which they or their families migrated to the U.S.

Deaths from ischemic heart disease significantly decreased for all women over the period the data covered.

They also decreased for non-Hispanic white men, Hispanic men, and for Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Korean men. However, deaths remained stagnant for Asian Indian and Vietnamese men.

The highest number of deaths from ischemic heart disease was among Asian Indian women and men.

Hearth failure levels remained static for Chinese, Korean, and non-Hispanic white women, and Chinese and Vietnamese men. They significantly increased, however, for Filipino, Asian Indian, and Japanese women and men, as well as Korean men.

The greatest increases in terminal heart failure were for Asian Indian women and Asian Indian men.

Deaths from cerebrovascular disease fell for Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese women and men, and remained stagnant for Asian Indian, Korean, and Vietnamese women and men. Even so, Vietnamese women and men accounted for the highest number of cerebrovascular fatalities.

Dr. Ho told MNT, “It’s important to realize that no amount of racial subgrouping can adequately capture the ethnic makeup of the rapidly evolving U.S. population.”

“When an individual self-identifies as part of a racial/ethnic group, they may refer not just to their ancestral origin but also to multiple origins, to their own definition of what identifies a person as belonging to that group, and to their living experience with this identity,” he added.

“Racial subgroup disaggregation is a start toward capturing this information, but further research is needed.”

“This study should be only the beginning of a complicated subject and should start the conversation of how we can better care for our patients,” Dr. Ho said.

Kamala Harris: "What we do between now and November will determine the future of our nation"

Fighting hate hinges on who gets elected this November, said Vice President Kamala Harris.

"You know, we have always known — and we believe in speaking truth as leaders — we have always known that racism is real in America, that xenophobia is real in America, that sexism is real in America," Harris said May 20 at the inaugural AAPI Victory Celebration and AAPI Next Generation Reception.

"We are witnessing, again and again, the terrible human cost of this hate. We are seeing this hate manifest itself in violent acts," she said.

Harris made her remarks at the Kennedy Center on Friday for the AAPI Victory Fund’s first-ever celebration that also marked the first anniversary of the signing of the Hate Crimes Act.  

The AAPI Victory Fund is a voter mobilization group for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Friday’s event was intended as a launch of the group’s voting efforts for the 2022 elections.

Harris, AAPI leaders, elected officials, artists and community leaders will gather on the one-year anniversary of the signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to honor, empower and mobilize the country's fastest-growing voter bloc ahead of this year's midterm elections

After record-high voter turnout for the 2020 election, AANHPIs were the margin of victory in several key battleground states. It is imperative that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community continue the momentum of showing up and fulfilling their civic duty in the midterms.

"And because of the work of the Victory Fund and the support and the hard work in 2020, our country is, therefore, getting back on track.  And this year, then, we need our voters to once again be the margin of victory.  Asian voters were the margin of victory in 2020." Harris said.
 
"So as the midterm elections draw near, we know that so much is at stake: the progress we have already made; the progress we must make on voting rights, workers’ rights, women’s rights; the work we must do to bring down costs, to create good-paying jobs, union jobs; the work we must do to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to succeed, no matter where their grandmother was born.
 
"It is not hyperbole to say: What we do between now and November will determine the future of our nation.," said the Vice President.

The combined in-person and virtual event was hosted by actor Daniel Dae Kim. AAPI Victory Power Fund's AAPI Victory Celebration celebrated the political and civic leaders who inspire the AAPI community and  the one-year anniversary of the signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. Besides Harris, others who were honored were:

• The Honorable Andrew N. Kim, U.S. Representative (NJ-03) 
• The Honorable Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati 
• The Honorable Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston 
• Daniel Dae Kim, Actor, Producer and Activist
• Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Emmy Award winning Host and Producer
• Aasif Mandvi, Actor and Comedian
• Prabal Gurung, Award-winning Fashion Designer and Activist
• Phillip Lim, Award-winning Fashion Designer and Activist
• Japanese Breakfast, Grammy-nominated Musician and Author
• Tamlyn Tomita, Actress and Producer
• Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist, Filmmaker and Immigration Rights Activist
• Min Jin Lee, Award-winning Author and Journalist
• Auli'i Cravalho, Actress and Singer from Disney's award-winning Moana
• Arianna "Ari" Afsar, Singer, Composer and Activist
• Beau Sia, Tony Award-winning Slam Poet
• MC Jin, Rapper, Songwriter and Activist

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

DOJ announces grants, programs and policies to fight hate

SCREEN CAPTURE / C-SPAN

A year ago, President Biden signed the Hate Crimes Act witnessed by members of Congress and Vice President Kamala Harris.

As attacks against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders continue to rise and white supremacists grow bolder to impose their racist views on the rest of America, the US Department  of Justice announced Friday a series of actions to deter and confront hate crimes and other bias-related incidents.

“Throughout our history, and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact because of the terror and fear they inflict on entire communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland at an event at the DOJ commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Attorney General’s memorandum on improving the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes and hate incidents and the enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes and Khalid Jabara-Heather Heyer NO HATE Acts. 

“No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate fueled violence," Garland said. "The Justice Department will continue to use every resource at its disposal to confront unlawful acts of hate, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.”

The Hate Crimes Act anniversary and the DOJ's announcement comes days after President Biden and Vice President Harris met with scores of AANHPI leaders at the White House to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month and the hate-inspired mass shootings in Buffalo, Dallas and Southern California.

The anniversary of the Hate Crimes Act and the DOJ announcement was welcomed by the AANHPI members of Congress.

"We know that a lot of work remains. Anti-Asian hate is still on the rise, and we just witnessed a horrific domestic terrorist attack against the Black community in Buffalo last week," said Hawaii's Senator Mazie Hirono. "We must reaffirm our commitment to combatting the discrimination, prejudice, and racism that communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, women and more, continue to face. Our work is not finished until everyone in this country is safe, welcomed, and respected.”

The Justice Department's actions include: 

• Issuing new guidance with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Releasing grant solicitations for programs to create state-run hate crime reporting hotlines and to support community-based approaches to prevent and address hate crimes; and
• Hiring the Department’s inaugural Language Access Coordinator.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney Lisa O. Monaco, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta were joined by family members of Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer, members of Congress; Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community-based organizations; civil rights organizations; and law enforcement leaders.

“We have seen a spike in hate crimes against many communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cases, individuals are still scared to leave their homes – not only because of worry that they may contract the virus, but out of fear for their physical safety. This is unacceptable,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who serves as Co-Chair of the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

As set forth in the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the Justice Department and HHS announced the joint issuance of guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID–19 pandemic. A recent study found that a third of Americans are not even aware that there is a wave of anti-Asian incidents, these past two years ince the pandemic began.

This guidance provides an overview of the rise of hate crimes and hate incidents during the pandemic, including a surge of hate crimes and hate incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and several steps that law enforcement, government officials, and others can take to raise awareness of increased hate crimes and incidents, and to use increased awareness as a tool for the prevention of and response to hate crimes.

The Justice Department also announced the release of $10 million in grant solicitations in newly created grant programs to address hate crimes and hate incidents. 

This includes solicitations for grants authorized under the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act programs. Through these programs, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will provide up to $5 million in grant funds for the Bureau of Justice Statistics to support the transition of state and local law enforcement agencies to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and reporting of hate crimes through NIBRS, and for the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) to fund states to establish and run state-run reporting hotlines for victims of hate crimes. 

OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) also released $5 million in grant solicitations under the Community-Based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes Program, which supports community-based organizations and civil rights groups with implementing comprehensive approaches to promote community awareness and preparedness, increase victim reporting, strengthen community resiliency, and improve responses to hate crimes. 

The Justice Department announced that Ana Paula Noguez Mercado will join the Office for Access to Justice, where she will serve as the Department’s first-ever Language Access Coordinator. Language access is a key barrier to the reporting of hate crimes, and the Language Access Coordinator will help improve knowledge, use, and expansion of the Department of Justice’s language resources.

Finally, the Justice Department announced that Saeed Mody will serve as the Department’s new Anti-Hate Crimes Resources Coordinator, after the first ever Coordinator was recently named Director of the newly restored Office of Access to Justice. 

Over the last year, the Justice Department has taken a number of other actions in response to a rise in hate crimes and hate incidents. Some of these actions include:

• Designating a Deputy Associate Attorney General as the Justice Department’s first-ever Anti-Hate Crimes Resources Coordinator;
• Designating the chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division to serve in role of facilitating the expedited review of hate crimes;
• Going above and beyond the directive under the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to expedite the review of certain hate crimes by including additional types of hate crimes;
• Designating at least one Assistant U.S. Attorney as a Civil Rights Coordinator in every U.S. Attorneys’ Office (USAO);
• Vigorously investigating and prosecuting hate crimes - since January 2021, the department has charged more than 40 defendants in over 30 cases and obtained more than 35 convictions of defendants charged with bias-motivated crimes;
• Elevating civil rights violations and hate crimes enforcement for prioritization among the FBI’s 56 field offices;
• Facilitating FBI-hosted regional conferences across the country with state and local law enforcement agencies regarding federal civil rights and hate crimes laws; to encourage reporting; strengthen relationships between law enforcement and local civil rights organizations; and build trust within the diverse communities they serve;
• Launching an FBI-led National Anti-Hate Crimes Campaign involving all 56 FBI field offices to encourage reporting. The campaign includes outdoor advertising, billboards, and radio streaming in addition to social media;
• Ensuring that all states have now become certified for participation in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting National Incident Based Reporting System;
• Revitalizing the Community Relations Service (CRS) by, among other things, seating newly-confirmed director, Paul Monteiro;
• Adding information to the Department of Justice’s website on reporting hate crimes in 24 languages, including 18 of the most frequently spoken AAPI languages in the United States;
• Creating an online toolkit that provides USAO Civil Rights Coordinators with customizable community outreach materials and ready access to other resources and training;
• Piloting a new outreach training called United Against Hate help improve the reporting of hate crimes by teaching community members how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes and to provide an opportunity for trust building between law enforcement and communities;
• Developing additional resources to help empower local officials, community leaders, and residents to address and devise community responses to hate crimes and incidents, including a toolkit to address hate crimes and incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, which has been translated into Arabic, Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Urdu, Tagalog, and Vietnamese;
• Releasing close to $21 million in grant funding through these programs to state and local partners to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and assist hate crime victims, including through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies in their efforts to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and in their outreach to and education of the public, victims, and others on hate crimes; and
• With the Department of Education, issuing facts sheets addressing harassment and discrimination in school, including harassment based on COVID-19 related issues, harassment of LGBTQI+ students, and discrimination based on national origin and immigration status.

"Of course, these resources are not useful if they cannot be accessed by the communities they are intended to help. That is why the department has focused on translating the resources that are most relevant to communities impacted by hate," said Associate Attorney General Gupta. "For example, translating the Civil Rights Division’s online reporting portal into at least 24 languages, including eighteen of the most frequently spoken AAPI languages in the United States. 

"But translation alone is not enough," she continued. "We have also sought to increase cultural competency both within the department and among our state, local, territorial and Tribal partners through trainings and other resources. How we engage with communities impacted by hate crimes can be crucial to establishing a lasting relationship of trust."

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

US Navy ship to be named after Filipino American Medal of Honor winner

The campaign to name a US Navy ship after a Filipino American hero will become a reality, announced Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

Del Toro announced Thursday, May 19, that a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named USS Telesforo Trinidad (DDG 139), honoring Fireman 2nd Class Telesforo De La Cruz Trinidad, the only Filipino in the U.S. Navy to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

“My first time learning about Petty Officer Trinidad’s story was as a midshipman at the Naval Academy and since being sworn in as secretary, I have wanted to honor his heroic actions by naming a ship after him,” said Del Toro. “This ship and her future crew will be a critical piece in strengthening our maritime superiority while also emphasizing the rich culture and history of our naval heritage.”

Trinidad was born Nov. 25, 1890, in Aklan Province, Panay, Philippine Islands.

The Asian American community has been campaigning towards the goal of honoring Trinidad for several years. They said a named ship would also honor the tens of thousands of Filipinos and Americans of Filipino descent who have served in the U.S. Navy since 1901, when the Philippines was a United States territory.

"It's incredibly important to honor the bravery of this man, especially as we see this rise in anti-Asian sentiment, to really show that the Asian American community has a long history of service to our country, and it's time we honor that," said San Diego Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs.

On 21 January 1915, while steaming in the Gulf of California as part of the naval patrol established to protect U.S. interests and citizens in México, the captain of San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) decided to conduct a four-hour full-speed and endurance trial to determine if the cruiser could still maintain its officially rated flank speed. 

At the end of the trials an obstructed tube of one of the ship's boilers gave way, creating an eventual chain reaction of other boilers. The first explosion, in the No. 2 boiler, forced Trinidad from the fireroom as Ensign R. W. Cary, Jr. was closing the door. 

Trinidad then realized that his crewmate, Fireman Second Class R. W. Daly, was still inside. Risking his own life, Trinidad re-entered the smoke-filled fireroom and carried him out to safety while Ensign Cary secured the door. 

However, as Trinidad carried Daly through the No. 4 fireroom, an explosion of the No. 3 boiler hit Trinidad, burning him in the face. After seeing Daly to safety and in spite of his own injury, Trinidad then assisted in rescuing another injured crewman from the No. 3 fireroom.

In gratitude for his bravery, the Navy awarded Trinidad the Medal of Honor and a $100 gratuity. 

Trinidad passed away at the age of 77 on May 8,1968 in Imus, Cavite, Republic of the Philippines.

“I am pleased to honor Trinidad’s life and legacy today — especially during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month,” said Del Toro. “Having a ship named after such a significant figure highlights our diverse culture and that our people will always be our strategic advantage against any adversary. I hope the naming of this ship is a beacon for not only Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders but for all our Sailors, Marines and civilians who serve across the Department of the Navy. The service and sacrifice of these men and women have made our military and our nation stronger and better.”

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

Asian Pacific American museum commission goes to the White House after passing Senate

GRACE MENG

Rep. Grace Meng has been working for an APA national museum for seven years.

The legislation to create a commission to study the possible creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture passed the Senate Thursday and awaits President Biden's signature.

U.S. Representative Grace Meng,D-NY, and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY,  announced Thursday the Senate passage of H.R. 3525 by unanimous consent. The House passed the legislation earlier this month. 

Congresswoman Meng championed the bill during several sessions of Congress, testified about the legislation before two Committees, and led it to passage in the House of Representatives last month.  

"AAPI’s have been a part of America’s fabric and growth for generations, and this bill brings us one step closer to a physical museum where AAPI history, culture, and contributions to this nation would be displayed and preserved for future generations," said Meng. 

"As we reflect on our past, celebrate our present excellence, and dream of our future during this Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this bill provides an opportunity to showcase the importance of telling our full and diverse American story in a national museum."

The “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act” would create a commission of eight individuals with various expertise in museum planning or Asian Pacific American history and culture to examine the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, funding and operating such a facility in the nation’s capital, possibly as part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. which is the world’s largest museum and research complex. 

READ H.R.3525 for more details.

Meng has been working for passage of the bill for seven years in the making.

While the legislation does not guarantee the establishment of an AANHPI Museum, the measure requires that the commission “report recommendations for a plan of action” and “develop a fundraising plan to support the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the museum through public contributions.”

The commission will present a draft of a plan to Congress and if approved, another bill will have to be introduced to fund construction of the museum.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016 and the American Latino Museum is in the process of looking for a site.

“From the beginning of our founding, Asian Americans have played a great role in shaping the country," added Schumer. "They have worked hard, grown families, established businesses, made America better, and they continue to do so. 

"Too much of their history is unknown and many students never come across these stories and lessons in school. That is disappointing, but it is also why this Asian Pacific American History and Culture Museum is so important, to show the greatness of the Asian American community—past, present and future. An Asian Pacific American History and Culture Museum would celebrate those achievements with all Americans and exalt our wonderful, growing, strong, beautiful Asian American community,” said the Senate Leader.

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

Slain doctor hailed as a hero for charging gunman at Taiwanese American church.

Dr. John Cheng was the lone fatality in a California shooting spree.

If not for the heroic sacrifice of Dr. John Cheng, the gunman in the Laguna Woods church shooting spree would have killed dozens more parishioners last Sunday afternoon.

Cheng, 52, is being hailed as a hero.

"Dr. Cheng is a hero in this incident," Orange County Sheriff Donald Barnes said Monday. "Without the actions of Dr. Cheng, it is no doubt that there would have been numerous additional victims in this crime."

Cheng was the only person killed in the mass shooting at the Geneva Presbyterian Church, where a Taiwanese church held services, in Laguna Woods, California. Five others were wounded by gunfire -- and if not for Cheng's efforts, more people could have been shot and killed, said Barnes.

About 40 group church members were gathered at a banquet outside the sanctuary to honor Rev. Billy Chang, a former pastor of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church visiting from Taiwan.Cheng, who was not a church members, was attending the reception with his recently widowed mother.

The gunman, 68-year old David Wenwei Chou, a former security guard from Las Vegas, Nevada, first shot at the ceiling.

While some bystanders thought it was a balloon popping, Chou, a martial arts instructor, saw the weapon and quickly charged at Chou despite being shot three times. This gave other parishioners time to join the fray to disarm and pin down the gunman.

The pastor, Billy Chang, struck the gunman with a chair, and others hogtied the man with an extension cord and took at least two handguns from him, officials said.

Cheng's quick action charging Chou caused the firearm to jam, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

"If that event had not occurred, in other words, if the gun had not jammed, that suspect, Mr. Chou, he was ready to kill everybody in that church," he said.

Chou lived in Las Vegas and was a US citizen who immigrated from China years ago, according to Barnes. Authorities found out that Chou had also secured the doors of the church from the inside using chains and super glue, and he also had a bag of Molotov cocktails and a bag of extra ammunition.

The attack is being seen by officials as politically motivated act.  The Chinese American suspect was apparently upset about political tensions between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. He has been charged with murder and nine other counts, Spitzer said.

The California mass shooting occurred days after a gunman shot at customers in a Korean nail spa, wounding several employees and customers, in Dallas Texas and a supermarket shooting spree in a supermarket that claimed the lives of 10 African Americans in Buffalo, NY. Both shooting incidents are being investigated as racial hate crimes.

Cheng leaves behind a wife and two children, worked as a family and sports medicine physician at the South Coast Medical Group in Aliso Viejo, California.

"Dr. Cheng was a natural protector and healer. It was characteristic of Dr. Cheng, to charge forward at the gunman. It doesn’t surprise any of us, that he was the HERO!," said a statement from the medical group. A GoFundMe page has been established for his family.

“No one should have to fear going to their place of worship,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Our thoughts are with the victims, community, and all those impacted by this tragic event.”

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

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Biden, Harris celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month with White House gathering

WHITE HOUSE

President Biden (at podium) addresses the gathering of AANHPI leaders at the White House.

After speaking out against white supremacists, hate and rightwing extremists in a speech in Buffalo where a gunman killed 10 Black shoppers in a neighborhood market, President Biden continued the message at a White House gathering of AANHPI leaders from media, entertainment, business, politics and community advocates. 

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (May 17) condemned violence and hateful rhetoric toward minority communities at a White House celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with scores of movers and shakers from the AANHPI communities.

Both Biden and Harris spoke out against the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic and linked the issue to the mass shooting over the weekend in Buffalo, N.Y., where authorities said the gunman specifically targeted the neighborhood because of its high density of Black residents.

FYI: For complete remarks by President Biden and Vice President Harris, click here.

“We must always speak out against violence, against hate crimes and against discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. And we must do everything in our power to end this epidemic of hate,” Harris, who is the first Asian American to serve as vice president, said in remarks at the Rose Garden.

Both Harris and Biden called out GOP leaders and rightwing pundits for helping fuel the rising racism in the country.

RELATED: AANHPI communities have benefited from the Biden Administration

“Hate can have no safe harbor in America. And every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” said the President. “But you know, you have folks on television stations talking about the replacement theory, scaring the living hell out of people who don’t have a whole lot of emotional stability.”

'It was ... only last year that we — that I was with the President in Atlanta, mourning the murder of eight people, including six who were Asian American women," said Harris.

"And, sadly, what I said then remains true now: Racism is real in America. It has always been. Xenophobia is real in America. It has always been. Sexism too.

"I said last year and I sadly say again today: We have had people in positions of incredible power in our country scapegoating, people with the biggest pulpits spreading this kind of hate.

"This requires — these moments — sadly, tragically require us to ask, 'Who are we as a nation? And what do we stand for?'"

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

Sports Illustrated cover features Asian American plus-size model

The May cover of Sports Illustrated with Yumi Nu.

Yumi Nu is not the first Asian American to land on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, but she as the first plus-size AANHPI model on the iconic cover, she is breaking multiple barriers.

When she first got the news that she was picked to be on the coveted SI cover, the second-generation Japanese American model didn't know how to react.

"I could not speak," the 25-year-old told the New York Post on Monday following the announcement. "I had full body chills. I was shaking. I was crying. They got me really good."

"It’s amazing. I’m on cloud nine," Nu told the Post. "There is nothing I could prepare for. It’s unexpected. I feel like we’re in a place right now where people are making space for more diversity on magazine covers. It’s a big time for Asian American people in media. I know I play a big role in representation in body diversity and race diversity, and I love to be a role model and representative of the plus-size Asian community."

Nu's mother is the daughter of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki. That means her uncle is internationally renown DJ Steve Aoki and fellow model Devon Aoki.

SI is not the first cover she appeared on. She was on the cover of the coveted September Vogue issue alongside a supermodel posse, but she was also the first Asian curve model to land the cover of Vogue Japan.

Nu's journey has not been easy. Not only did she have to contend of being Asian in a predominantly white community, she also had to overcome the fetish some men have for Asian women. Intersecting with those issues is the western standards of beauty that insists on a certain body size and figure.

She grew up in a predominantly white area in Maryland. She tells Yahoo of her struggles to accept her multifaceted identity and to embrace her different cultures. It took some time for Nu to realize that all of these things were intertwined.

While learning to embrace her body and her multicultural identity, introducing a more inclusive standard of beauty to Asian countries and the US has become a cause for Nu.

"I've shoved down this part of my identity and being Asian for the longest time because it wasn't really popular to be anything that wasn't white until a few years ago," she tells Yahoo. 

"I think so many people of color are going through that process of like, 'OK, now the media is accepting us,' which plays a huge role in how we feel about ourselves and in a messed up way, it's given a lot of people permission to finally feel proud where they came from," Nu says. "But when I started thinking about that and processing it and going to therapy and talking about cultural and generational trauma and how that affects my behavior and my problems that reoccur on a day to day and the way I feel about my body, a lot was clicking."

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Model Yumi Nu during the photo shoot in Montenegro.

The annual swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated hits the newsstands on Thursday, May 19, smack dab in the middle of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The swimsuit issue, which features 28 women this year and four multiple covers. The other cover models are Kim Kardasian, Ciara and Maye Musk.

"I'm trying my best to understand the magnitude because I think if I really think about it, I would not get off the floor," Nu shares with Yahoo. "I'm still learning and healing through so many things myself. I'm in a good place and I feel powerful and I'm ready to be a role model in that sense. But I'm also just honored and humbled."

"Sports Illustrated was definitely the start of this huge wave that I am riding right now," says Nu, "... the fact that they took a chance on me and I'm here again ... I've had way quite a long journey so far, but it also feels like it's just the beginning."

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

ABC passes on Jo Koy's Filipino American sitcom 'Josep'

INTAGRAM / TESS PARAS

The cast of the 'Josep' pilot starred Filipino American comedian Jo Koy, far right.

The world will have to wait a little bit longer for a TV series about a Filipino American family. Josep, a sitcom starring wildly popular standup comedian Jo Koy is getting picked up by ABC.

ABC ordered the pilot for Josep last year and production began (and ended) in Vancouver with an almost all-Filipino American cast playing the friends and family of a recently divorced nurse played by Koy.

Koy starred alongside Mia Katigbak, Rory O’Malley, Kimee Balmilero, Tess Paras, Jason Rogel, Kaden Alejandro. Steve Joe (Young Sheldon) penned the pilot, which was exec produced by Koy, Kourtney Kang (Doogie Kamealoha) and Randall Park.

Paras expressed her disappointment on Instagram: "The thing that hurts is the all-too-familiar pang of narrative scarcity for the Filipino American experience. For me, rooting for this movement of AAPI-led shows feels good. Rooting for a funny, Filipino-led show felt even better. Having a chance to air would have been best ... It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like the right fish in the right pond."

ABC held out a thin thread of hope, with sources saying the series could be "redeveloped," according to Variety. The network reportedly remains  high on the series concept an Koy. The comedian said in an interview if the the show is redeveloped it would retain elements of the pilot.

In the meantime, Koy's feature movie, Easter Sunday, which also centers on a Filipino American family, is set to premiere on August 5.

Koy is best known for his stand-up comedy specials. His  most recent Netflix special “Jo Koy: In His Elements” was taped in the Philippines was first aired in 2020.

Currently on his "Funny is Funny" tour, sold-out performances  will be taped for his fourth Netflix special.

ABC's earlier forays into Asian American -driven shows include Fresh Off the Boat, which finished a seven-year run and boosted the profiles and careers of Randall Park and Constance Wu, and the short-lived Dr. Ken with comedian Ken Jeong.

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

Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, Silk Sonic win Billboard Music Awards

Olivia Rodrigo, left, and Silk Sonic members Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak.

Olivia Rodrigo won the most Billboard awards Sunday with seven, including new artist, female artist, Hot 100 artist, streaming songs artist, radio songs artist, Billboard Global 200 artist and Billboard 200 album.

The Billboard awards was icing on the cake for the Filipino American songwriter/singer. Since she released her first single, drivers license, Rodrigo continues her winning streak that began   with the MTV Music Awards, Peoples Choice and continued with major wins in the prestigious Grammy's. 

The K-pop boy band BTS won awards for Group, Sales Song Artist and Song Sales.

BTS won Top Group Billboard award for the third straight year.

The R&B duo Silk Sonic of Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak took home awards for Top Song (Leave the Door Open) and Top R&B Tour.

Unlike other award shows the Billboard awards are based on hard data. Nominees and winners are determined by Billboard chart rankings and winners are selected based on several criteria, including their album and digital song sales, airplay and streaming success and touring.

Don't miss the documentary: 'Like A Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres'

NETFLIX

Rolling Stone journalist Ben Fong-Torres, became a cultural icon himself.

OPINION

I never met Ben Fong-Torres and I'm certain he's never heard of me, but for me, like so many of my peers of a certain age, he was one of my role models as a journalist and as a stereotype-buster.

I'm pretty sure he would be uncomfortable being labeled as a "role model," but after viewing the excellent documentary, Like A Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres, age has a way of mellowing one out. The doc is available on Netflix, just in time for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Mont.

Fong-Torres began writing for Rolling Stone in 1969, about the same time I was awakening as a student at UC Berkeley. 

There were not many Asian Americans in media at that time. Just seeing his byline, opened up my eyes to the other career options beyond that was (unwittingly) mapped out by my parents.

Before social media, Rolling Stone,  a music magazine born in San Francisco, which at the time, was the center of the '60's counter culture, was one of the voices of the baby-boomer generation and Fong-Torres was at the center of the whirlwind. 

A lot of things were happening then: the anti-war movement, the beginnings of the feminists movement, people were connecting the dots on climate-change and corporate greed, and the civil rights movement and the budding awareness of being Asian American, were churning American society.

With no internet, no Google, I had to fill in the blanks. In my imagination, I conjured up a belilef that Fong-Torres was a fellow Filipino American. As I found out later, his father got around the Chinese Exclusion Act limiting immigrants from China by obtaining a Filipino passport, which was still a colony of the U.S.

Like many Asian Americans, Fong Torres grew up in a White environment, finally settling in Oakland, CA, which helped shape his multi-cultural outlook and put him at ease interviewing music artists of all races and economic roots. Likewise, being Asian American, artists of color were confident the inner thoughts that they entrusted to him would be interpreted and written about from their perspective.

“It strikes me that probably more than a few times, musicians, especially those of color, in some way connected to me as a kind of a fellow outsider,” Fong-Torres says in our new episode. “I think they saw me as a sort of a fellow marginalized person, doing something extraordinary, just as they were.”

As depicted in the hour and a half documentary, directed by Suzanne Joe Kai, Fong-Torres’ era-defining articles of all the major music artists of the 70s — and the music magazine's ever-growing influence — helped him raise his own profile to become a cultural icon in his own right in the Seventies. 

Beyond his skill as a journalist and just as impactful, Fong-Torres was cool - countering the nerd and servile image foisted upon Asian American men.

While I was going through the process of self-discovery, Ben Fong-Torres was one of few guiding lights available for Asian Americans. Together with martial artist Bruce Lee, Fong-Torres opened 

Like A Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres is available on Netflix. It is also making the rounds in the Asian American film festivals so check local

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