APIA Health Forum: Trump tax bil will have a negative impact on health care.

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Around 2:30 a.m., Dec. 2, the U.S. Senate approved the controversial tax reform bill.

The U.S. Senate passed a horrendous tax reform bill that will change America for decades if signed by Donald Trump. It was written up in secret, amended at the last minute and voted upon in the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 2.

Although called a tax bill, its impact on health care will impact Americans for decades by eliminated the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, sometmes referred to as Obamacare. 

RELATED: Asian American senators decry the tax vote

On Saturday afternoon, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum issued the following press release:

"Today, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) released a statement following the Senate's passage of tax legislation, including an amendment to repeal the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Due to the repeal, an estimated 13 million people will lose their health insurance.

"'It is shameful that in the midst of open enrollment as millions of Americans head to the Affordable Care Act's marketplace to get coverage they can rely on, the Senate has voted to partially dismantle that same coverage in order to pass tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest in our nation, while adding an estimated 1 trillion dollars to our deficit,' said Kathy Ko Chin, APIAHF president and CEO. 

"This is dangerous for communities, such as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, who disproportionately face disparities and barriers in accessing health insurance and utilizing health care. 
"The increase to the deficit will also lead to automatic future spending cuts to certain programs like Medicare and the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Health care must be affordable and available for all. We will work alongside other health advocates in calling on Congress to listen to their constituents and heed the call to protect our care.

"Since the ACA became law, the individual mandate has helped to reduce the uninsured rates for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) by half. The Congressional Budget Office estimated repealing the mandate will lead to 13 million people losing their health insurance and premiums will increase by 10 percent. 

"Many AAs and NHPIs disproportionately experience a range of chronic conditions that, prior to the ACA, were considered pre-existing conditions that required routine access to preventive care and treatment. Before the ACA, many groups, such as Korean, Indonesian and Micronesian Americans had uninsured rates above 20 percent.

"The House plans to vote on the tax bill (this week) and must work with the Senate to reconcile differences. If passed, the bill will then move to President Trump for signature, setting the stage for further attacks on health care programs in 2018.

"APIAHF urges the House to reject the Senate Bill and to stand up for the constituencies they represent."

The House in a 222-192 vote on Monday (Dec. 3) voted to approve a motion to go to conference with the Senate on tax legislation.

The people responsible for Americans' health issued a joint statement this month, the American Psychiatric Association, American College of Physicians, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, voiced strong opposition to the GOP's tax proposal.

The American Hospital Association approved of some portions of the bill that included the tax-exemption for nonprofit hospitals, but was also dismayed at the elimination of the individual mandate.

"We are also disappointed that the tax legislation passed with a provision that would eliminate the individual mandate, which would result in the loss of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans," said an AHA statement. "The goal of the ACA was to extend coverage and, as a result, millions have benefitted from access to needed care. We must protect that access to care for those who need it and ensure the most vulnerable patients are not left behind."

__________________________________________________________________________

Question of Identity: Who has the right to call oneself Asian?

Mixed cast of 'Crazy Rich Asian' left to right: Chinese/Brit Gemma Chan, Malaysian/Brit Henry Golding, and Chinese/American Constance Wu.

Originally published Dec. 6, 2017

WHO IS ASIAN? What makes someone Asian? How much of you have to be Asian to be able to call yourself Asian? Three-fourths? One-half? One-eighth?

Do you have to look a certain way in order to call yourself Asian?

In any of the dozens of countries that make up Asia that is not a question they have to grapple with because they are mostly homogeneous. However, polyglot America is built  on the back of immigrants from every country in the world. With the United States' myriad number of racial interactions, it is a question that comes up frequently and how you answer defines your sense of "just-who-the-hell you are."

Of course, it would be wonderful if the question never was asked, but the U.S. is not at the stage where it can ignore questions of race.

Most recently, the question arose in a little Twitter spat between actress Jaime Chung and Henry Golding, who was cast in the lead male role in the upcoming movie Crazy Rich Asians, based on on the best-selling novel of the same name.

When Golding, who is half-white (Malaysian British) but born and raised in Malaysia, was awarded with the pivotal role of Nick Young in the movie, Asian American actress Cheung threw some shade in his direction because of his mixed heritage and he wasn't Chinese enough as described in the novel.

Jaime Chung

Golding was reportedly hurt by the comments. “There are many arguments, for and against. Am I Asian enough? he told Variety from Singapore. "I was born here, I have lived 17 years of my life here, so for me, I feel more Asian than anything," . 

The two have apparently made up. Chung, who's plays Blink in the TV series The Gifted, apologized  last week for her earlier comments against Golding's casting.

The question, who can claim to be Asian, is not going away, especially in the U.S. as members of the AAPI community, especially among the youth, struggle with identity.

 In response, Golding accepted Cheung's apology.

Asian Americans are not the first to face this dilemma. It is a question that  African Americans have struggled with for centuries and continues even today.

The universal answer has long been that an African American, or black, is any person with any known African black ancestry. 

From slavery and into the Jim Crow era, it became the "one-drop rule:" if a person has a single drop of "black blood," it makes a person black.

The question, "Who is Asian?" can have many answers, but Asians and Asian Americans are not the first to have to face this question of identity. One way it can be answered is to see how the African American community handled the question 'Who is black?" 

This definition reflects the long experience with slavery and later with Jim Crow segregation. In the South it became known as the "one-drop rule,'' meaning that a single drop of "black blood" makes a person a black. It is also known as the "one black ancestor rule," some courts have called it the "traceable amount rule," and anthropologists call it the "hypo-descent rule," meaning that racially mixed persons are assigned the status of the subordinate group. This definition emerged from the American South to become the nation's definition, generally accepted by whites and blacks.

Still it is a question raised whenever an African/American reached a level of prominence.

There was never any doubt that Beyoncé is black, but the question arises, is she black enough?

She shouldn't have to answer but in her private life of activism in her support of Black Lives Matter and other issues and, most notably, in her music, there is no doubt where she stands. 

It is not the first time she has declared her blackness, but when something like her song  "Formation" comes along — unapologetically black, proud, Southern, political — everyone, even those ignoring her identity as a black woman and not just some post-racial music star, has to take note. There's nothing shy or subtle about it. She proclaims:

My daddy Alabama, momma Louisiana 

You mix that negro with that Creole 

make a Texas bamma 

I like my baby hair, 

with baby hair and afro,

I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils

Beyoncé uses "Formation" to remind listeners and viewers that although she's a wealthy entertainer, and she has mixed roots, she's still very much aware of and involved in the struggles faced by people who resemble her. 

Our last president, Barack Obama -- raised in a predominantly Asian American culture of Hawaii and spending a few years in Malaysia, the stepson of a Malaysian man, whose sister is half Malaysian, whose nephews, nieces and in-laws are unquestionably Asian American -- faced the question when he began his campaign for presidency.

He wasn't raised in the "African/American experience," said some members of the black community. His early critics said: He doesn't speak like us. He's doesn't know what it feels like to  be raised as a black man in America.

Beyoncé

In his eight years as president, he answered the question again and again. Now he is revered within the African American community as the first black man to be elected POTUS.

As Asian Americans -- a term new Asian immigrants must learn to understand -- if not embrace, we have distinctions between East Asians, South Asians, Southeast Asians, and even more if you break down into the  subgroups.  What we can conclude is that nobody can claim to be the "true" Asian.

To add to the debate, there is the question of Asians of mixed heritage, like Golding. Is he Asian enough?

In the early days of the Asian American civil rights movement, the question arose among some Chinese and Japanese activists, whether or not Filipinos are Asian. A new version of that debate continues today as new immigrants from South Asia try to figure out if they fit in with the more established East Asian community and as new immigrants from China question the motives of those who consider themselves Asian/Americans.

Is it enough that Hailee Steinfeld doesn't run away from the question, "Are you Filipino?" In an interview with a Manila newspaper, she said: “Very early on, I was made aware of how much passion and pride Filipinos put into anything. I feel so connected to the people and the culture."

Even though they proudly state they are Filipino, can the general Asian American community accept public figures like Steinfeld, Vanessa Hudgens, Bruno Mars, apl.de.ap, Enrique Iglesias,  Darren Criss or Lou Diamond Phillips as fellow Asian/Americans? Are they Asian enough?

Should we have a racial litmus test for other Asian Americans of mixed race such as California Sen. Kamala Harris, Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott, actors Keanu Reeves and Sharon Leal, Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson, Cubs shortstop Addison Russell or Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin? Are they Asian enough?

Asian Americans don't have a Beyoncé or Obama to represent them. They can settle questions such as that being posed here. The aforementioned Asian American celebrities who have made their individual marks on U.S. society don't have the powerful media platforms of celebrities like Beyoncé or Obama, whose actions and prominence resoundingly answer the "who is black" question.

The "one-drop rule," adopted by African Americans, seems like a worthy example for Asians and Asian Americans. Likewise, if someone says he or she is Asian and there is a tiny iota of DNA evidence to confirm that, why should we question how that person perceives himself or herself no matter how they might appear? Why should that person be denied his or her self identity, especially when there are some "full-blooded" Asians called "bananas" or "coconuts" who try to not own up to their Asian roots? 

Asian Americans don't have the luxury to argue among themselves whether one is Asian enough to call themselves Asian. Mainstream America still sees Asians as one amorphous "inscrutable" mass made up of "others," foreigners or outsiders.

If an Asian American is fortunate enough to rise up and make a name for oneself -- mixed heritage or not -- to be noticed, praised or admired by the rest of America, we should see that as a door opening.

(And, to be clear, nor should those passing through that door, slam it shut behind them.)

"I was proud to be able to represent Asia," said Golding of his role in Crazy Rich Asians. "There are some sour people out there, but we should be getting together and fighting for something bigger, rather than Asians against Asians.”

The Twitter feud between Golding and Chung may be over, but the debate will certainly continue as we seek to find ourselves in this multi-racial country and as we inevitably interact with other races in a pluralistic America.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Edited throughout for clarity on Dec. 6, 11 a.m.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Supreme Court allows Trump Muslim ban implementation; appeals court to hear challenges

NAPAWF

Donald Trump's Muslim bans sparked protests. Above, members of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum marched in front of the Fourth District Court in Maryland.

NOT SURPRISINGLY, the conservative U.S. Supreme Court is allowing Donald Trump's controversial Muslim ban to go into effect.

The third version of the controversial travel ban prohibits people from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. 

However, the temporary victory for Trump was not an endorsement of the proposed travel restrictions, notes the ACLU. The court ruling merely stayed the lower court orders that prevented the executive order from being implemented while the lawsuits against the travel ban make their way through the lower courts.

Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, had this reaction:

"President Trump's anti-Muslim prejudice is no secret — he has repeatedly confirmed it, including just last week on Twitter. It's unfortunate that the full ban can move forward for now, but this order does not address the merits of our claims. We continue to stand for freedom, equality, and for those who are unfairly being separated from their loved ones. We will be arguing Friday in the Fourth Circuit that the ban should ultimately be struck down."

Seven of the justices ruled in favor of the administration while two — Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor — said the partial stay on the ban should continue.

The court did not give a reason for its decision. However, the travel ban could still be found unconstitutional as the lawsuits against the ban make their way to the Supreme Court.

Two appeals courts, the 9th and 4th circuits, are scheduled to hear arguments this week in separate cases that were filed in Hawaii and Maryland challenging the travel ban.

Among the issues raised by challengers was whether the travel ban discriminated against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on the government favoring or disfavoring a particular religion. The same arguments are being used against the new ban.

The travel ban — the third one Trump has issued — bars most travelers from eight countries — Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Six are Muslim-majority nations.

Two Asian/American judges, Theodore Chuang of  Maryland and Derrick Watson of Hawaii had blocked the third version of the travel ban from being enforced.

RELATED:

• Court stymies implementation of Trump travel ban
• Second U.S. district court denies Trump travel ban

The Supreme Court's decision Monday essentially throws out a compromise that exempted foreign nationals who have credible claims of a bona fide relationship with someone in the United States, including grandparents, brothers- and sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles and cousins.

"This decision ignores the very real human consequences to American citizens and their families abroad imposed by President Trump's Muslim Ban 3.0," said Lena Masri, national director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Asian American senators react to the Senate Republicans' tax scam

IN THE MIDDLE of the night when America was asleep, Republicans passed a tax bill that could add over a trillion dollars to the national debt according the Congressional Budget Office.

The GOP presented a 500-page bill that was rammed through hours later even though no Senator had time to read the entire bill. Portions of the bill was done in unreadable hand writing. 

The three Asian/American senators voted against the bill and showed their disappointment in different ways. 

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, in a tweet called the legislation "disgusting, disgusting."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, tweeted a picture of her daughter Abigail with a comment:

RELATED: AAPI adversely affected by tax bill

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., a member of the Senate Budget Committee, voted against the bill along with every single Democrat and one Republican. She issued the following statement on the passage of the Republican tax plan.

“The tax plan approved (Dec. 2) by my Republican colleagues is shameful. Tonight, corporations and the top 1% of Americans won at the expense of middle-class families. This is wrong and does not reflect the best of who we are as a country.

“At a time when corporate profits are at an all-time high and pay for workers has stagnated, my Republican colleagues have given corporations and the top 1% of Americans a permanent tax cut. This plan does this by adding $1 trillion to the deficit and asking workers and middle class families to pay for it. We should not explode the deficit and pull the rug out from the middle class to give billions to those who already have so much.

“Under this bill, 572,000 tax payers making over $1 million a year will get $34 billion in tax cuts in a single year. If you’re a senior relying on Medicare, this tax plan puts you at risk by slashing Medicare by up to $410 billion over a decade, with more than $45 billion of those cuts hitting California. And because Senate Republicans couldn’t repeal the Affordable Care Act, they’re trying to take away the health care of millions of Americans and increase the premiums for millions of Californians, by repealing the individual mandate.

“Instead of playing politics with people’s lives, we should be delivering for the American people who have spoken loud and clear that this isn’t what they want. There is a better way to reform our tax code, one that is bipartisan, transparent, and fair for all Americans.”

The New York Times, not known for hyperbole and known as The Grey Lady for its underwhelming appearance and reluctance to sensationalize, calls the Senate tax bill passed by the Republicans, "The Biggest Tax Scam In History."

This is a terrible, terrible bill. One of the worst pieces of legislation ever conjured up. Not only is it bad, it is insidious and deceitful. 

The Senate's bill is a ticking time bomb. Thee worst impacts won't occur immediately.

• In 2025, those middle-class taxpayers who initially receive a token cut on their taxes will see them disappear as the tax cuts expire but the corporations continue to keep their cuts.
• With the ACA's individual mandate gone, the ACA will become too expensive for the majority of its enrolees. Thirteen million people will lose their healthcare but if the entire ACA goes under because of of the loss of the mandate, that number could be mean more 25 million without healthcare.
• As the national debt increases, the GOP solution will seek savings to compensate for the losses. They will be able to cut programs in other areas. That puts social security, Medicaid and Medicare in jeopardy, the programs Republicans have long sought to get rid of.

This plan will affect every single American: from our children and grandparents to teachers, first responders, and college students. 

Conceived behind closed doors, amended at the last minute and voted upon in the dead of night. This is no way to govern. It's irresponsible, unfair, and disrespectful to the American people.

________________________________________________________________________ 

Bay Bridge toll taker struck and killed on the job

COURTESY OF HAN FAMILY

Si Si Han is seen in this undated image with her mother in Yosemite National Park.

ASAM NEWS

FAMILY FRIENDS and co-workers are mourning the death of a San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll taker. Si Si Han was struck and killed Dec. 2 when a suspected drunk truck driver rammed his rented truck into others, causing a chain reaction.

Han, 46, has worked as a Caltran employee for ten years and is survived by her husband, Ryan Saw, and her ten-year-old daughter, Ashley. 

Han moved to the U.S. from Burma and married her husband 15 years ago, according to SF Gate.

California Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife Ann Gust Brown released a statement saying they “are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Caltrans toll collector Si Si Han, who died today while serving the traveling public. On behalf of all Californians, we extend our condolences to her family, co-workers and friends.”

A close relative who asked not to be identified told ABC7 her husband “is devastated, depressed. And then the daughter, she is going to have a difficult time.”

“We loved her here,” said co-worker Latasha Luster. “She always smiled and always asked about the family. And I asked about her daughter, her husband, her mother. It’s hard right now.”

The truck driver has been identified as Daniel Berk, 32, of Foster City. He is currently hospitalized with serious injuries. Police arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

SCREEN CAPTURE / KCRA

The bridge toll booth was demolished when a truck slammed into waiting cars and killed toll taker Si Si Han.____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Indictments vs. 3 Chinese nationals spotlight criminal activities of Gothic Panda hackers

A TRIO of Chinese computer experts, believed to be part of a criminal group called Gothic Panda, allegedly used phishing scams and malware to attack 3 U.S.-based companies:, according to a federal indictment filed in Pittsburgh and unsealed Monday (Nov. 27).
Acting U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania Soo C. Song charged Wu Yingzhuo, Dong Hao and Xia Lei with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to steal trade secrets, wire fraud and identity theft.

An indictment was unsealed Monday, (Nov. 27) against the three alleged hackers, Chinese nationals and residents of China, who work for the purported China-based Internet security firm Guangzhou Bo Yu Information Technology Company Limited (a/k/a “Boyusec”).

“Defendants Wu, Dong and Xia launched coordinated and targeted cyber intrusions against businesses operating in the United States, including here in the Western District of Pennsylvania, in order to steal confidential business information,” said Song during a press conference). 

The targeted companies included Moody's Analytics, Siemens AG and Trimble Inc., a GPS manufacturer.

“These conspirators masked their criminal conspiracy by exploiting unwitting computers, called ‘hop points,’ conducting ‘spearphish’ email campaigns to gain unauthorized access to corporate computers, and deploying malicious code to infiltrate the victim computer networks.”

Song, said arrest warrants had been issued for the three men, but the case was not being prosecuted as state-sponsored hacking.

The hacking group described in the indictment has been active since 2007. The group, known to some cyber security experts as “Gothic Panda,” was active as recently as September, said one expert. It has targeted aerospace and defense, chemical, energy, financial, healthcare, industrial and transportation firms in Britain, France, Hong Kong, the United States and other western nations, he said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing on Tuesday (Nov. 28) that he was unclear on the details of the case but added that China opposes hacking and wants to work with other countries to ensure global security.

“China firmly opposes and responds in accordance with the law to all forms of cyber attacks,” Geng said.

Siemens has 13 offices in Western Pennsylvania, including a facility in the Westmoreland Business & Research Park in Upper Burrell and Washington Township, an automated rail factory in Munhall and East Pittsburgh and health care offices in Green Tree and Pittsburgh. A computer network in at least one of those offices was breached in the attacks, according to the indictment, which was filed in September.

The trio worked at or with a Chinese cybersecurity firm in Guangzhou, China. They're accused of stealing emails, employee usernames and passwords, proprietary commercial data and important documents, according to the indictment.

Between June 2015 and August 2015, about 407 gigabytes of data were stolen from Siemens' network. The emails of an economist working for Moody's were hacked and forwarded to the three. About 275 megabytes of computer files were stolen from Trimble, many with confidential or proprietary information and trade secretes about a new project by the company.

According to court documents, the three suspects along with others known and unknown to the grand jury (collectively, “the co-conspirators”) coordinated computer intrusions against businesses and entities, operating in the U.S. and elsewhere. 

To accomplish their hacks, the co-conspirators would, for example, send spearphishing e-mails to employees of the targeted entities, which included malicious attachments or links to malware. If a recipient opened the attachment or clicked on the link, such action would facilitate unauthorized, persistent access to the recipient’s computer.

With such access, the co-conspirators would typically install other tools on victim computers, including malware the co-conspirators referred to as “ups” and “exeproxy.” In many instances, the co-conspirators sought to conceal their activities, location and Boyusec affiliation by using aliases in registering online accounts, intermediary computer servers known as “hop points” and valid credentials stolen from victim systems.

The primary goal of the co-conspirators’ unauthorized access to victim computers was to search for, identify, copy, package, and steal data from those computers, including confidential business and commercial information, work product, and sensitive victim employee information, such as usernames and passwords that could be used to extend unauthorized access within the victim systems. 

For the three hacked businesses, such information included hundreds of gigabytes of data regarding the housing finance, energy, technology, transportation, construction, land survey, and agricultural sectors.

“In order to effectively address the cyber threat, a threat that respects no boundaries and continues to grow in both its scope and complexity, law enforcement must come together and transcend borders to target criminal actors no matter where they are in the world,” said the FBI's Special Agent in Charge Robert Johnson.
________________________________________________________________________________

New leader named for White House Initiative on AAPIs

Holly Ham

AFTER MONTHS of wondering if the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders would continue to exist in the Donald Trump administration, a new executive director has been named.

The advisory commission is assured to continue within the U.S. Department of Education after the announcement Thursday (Nov. 29) naming Holly Ham as executive director.

In this capacity, she is responsible for directing the efforts of the White House Initiative and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs to advise federal agency leadership on the implementation and coordination of federal programs as they relate to AAPIs across executive departments and agencies. The White House Initiative on AAPIs works with these entities to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased access to, and participation in, federal programs in which they may be underserved.

"I am excited to step into this role at a time when Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are now the fastest growing racial group in the country," says Ham. "This is a wonderful opportunity to connect this diverse community to federal programs and resources, and I look forward to meeting with community members across the country."

RELATED: Mass resignation of President's Advisory Commission of AAPIs

Two of Ham’s immediate priorities include filling the President’s Advisory Commission and touring across the country to mend fences with AAPI community leaders. 

Sixteen of the 20-member commission resigned in February citing differences with the new administration on sanctuary cities, refugee bans, increased border and immigrant enforcement and attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The vast majority of the AAPI voters did not support the Republican candidate or the new president's actions since he took office.

Chris Lu, former Deputy Secretary of Labor and former co-chair of the commission said Trump’s position on issues have been “destructive” toward the AAPI community.

Ham has been at the U.S. Department of Education since Trump took office helping in the transition from Obama's team to Trump's. She was named to the post as the Assistant Secretary for Management after serving on the Trump campaign team in 2016.

Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Ham had an extensive career in private enterprise focused on increasing organizations' productivity through technology. Ham is a fellow at the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute (APAWLI) through the Center for Asian Pacific American Women.

Ham is a graduate of the University of Houston, where she received both her Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees, graduating Beta Gamma Sigma. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.

The advisory body was created by President Bill Clinton and continued under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Filipino adobo in the Magic Kingdom reflects Disney's strategy of inclusion

Pork Belly Adobo

THE HAPPIEST PLACE on Earth, just got a little bit happier.

As part of its Festival of Holidays, Disney California Adventure park is offering adobo and chana masala as part of its food offerings. It might seem minor, but the decision to widen its cuisine is reflection of the Disney Company's strategy of inclusion.

Through Jan. 7, you’ll be able to feast on these delicious items at the Festive Foods Marketplace and Disney ¡Viva Navidad!. This year, 12 different marketplaces are scattered throughout the area with dishes spanning various cultures and holidays. Here’s your list of everything available this year!

The adobo sits atop garlic fried rice with chichiron scattered over the dish. It is being offered at the kiosk Blissfully Braised.

Chana Masala, Disney-style

The Chana Masala is being offered at the Classic Crocks and Casseroles kiosk.

In addition, the spirited Blue13 Dance Company celebrates Diwali with traditional styles of folk dance that culminate in a Bollywood party to remember.

The Blue 13 Dance Company is dancing at Disney's Festival of Holidays.

DisneyworldI

International dining fare has always been part of Disney World over on the other side of the country. The Yak and Yeti Restaurant features Asian fare such a Malaysian Seafood Stew, Chicken Tikka Masala or Korean BBQ Ribs.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Disney World also has its version of the Festival of the Holidays where they feature the Hokkaido Holiday Kitchen that features Celebration Holiday Soba or Cinnammon Mochi Cake; or, the Shanghai Holiday Kitchen where you can dine on Mongolian Beef Bao Bun or Celebration Pork Rice Bowl.

This is all to point out that Disney, one of the largest and most successful corporations in America, has some recognition of the growing diversity of the United States. 

Celebration Holiday Soba at Disney World's Hokkaido Holiday Kitchen. 

Instead of fighting against the demographic trends that will have people of color in the majority by mid-century, the empire that was started by visionary Walt Disney is embracing the future instead of seeking a return to the past.

Besides the wildly popular amusement parks around the world, Disney has extended this philosophy into other parts of its entertainment business, most evident in the way it makes its movies.

In the motion pictures of Moana, Queen of Katwe, Coco, (which is currently topping the holiday box office) and the upcoming Mulan, the corporation has taken great pains to ensure the films' cultural authenticity. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton's creator) will co-star in a Mary Poppins sequel. TRogue One: A Star Wars Story had four men of color led by a woman, in the center of its story. Disney execs say that between 2016 and 2018, about 24 percent of the studio's live-action releases will feature ethnic minority leads, Disney says.

“Across all of our studios, we strive to tell inclusive stories — both in front of and also behind the camera,” Alan Horn told Vanity Fair. “It’s one of the most important issues facing our industry, and we continue to seek out and work with filmmakers and creatives who understand and share our commitment to making films that reflect the world around us.”

That is why Diversity, Inc., has inculded the Disney Company  as one of the top 50 U.S. companies 
They might not always get it 100% riight. There have been missteps, but at least they are moving in the right direction despite the policies of Donald Trump and the fear and hatred stoked by his rhetoric.

Instead of trying to mold the world into its former fantasy vision of 1900s America depicted in the Disney park's Main Street, Disney has decided to reflect the real world in its parks and movies. The company's decision to embark on the business strategy of inclusion  - which now includes the ethnic cuisine - needs to be emulated by other U.S. corporations. It is not a Mickey Mouse decision.
________________________________________________________________________________

Smithsonian: 'America Is In The Heart' inspires the immigrants of today

SMITHSONIAN

Most new immigrants had never heard of Carlos Bulosan or the stories of Asian immigrants.

GROWING UP in 1950s-1960s California, our history textbooks would have us believe that the immigrant story was all about Europeans coming to America.

Like many of us, filmmaker Frank Chi discovered the works of Carlos Bulosan in college. We discovered that the history of America we were taught told only half the story.

An Asian-American immigrant who had difficulty finding a sense of belonging, Chi said the Bulosan's most famous work, "America Is In the Heart"— which loosely mirrors Bulosan’s immigration from the Philippines and describes the suffering of migrant laborers in the 1930s — resonated with him, helping him learn how to be an American in his own way.

Now, in a short film released Wednesday (Nov. 29) with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (Smithsonian APA Center), Chi is bringing Bulosan’s words to life.

“There’s a lot of negative portrayals of the families who come to this country from all parts of the world searching for a better life,” Chi said. “Given the times we live in, I wanted to revisit Bulosan this way because we can all use a reminder that there have been other tough times in America, and we have persevered and become stronger as a people, and as a nation.

" ‘America Is In The Heart’ is about what sustains us as a people — in the past, today and forever." 

The film features comedian Hasan Minhaj, activist Ivy Quicho, and writer Junot Díaz reading from “America is in the Heart” set against images of immigrants and their families across the country working, going to school, and serving in the military, among other activities.

Since Bulosan's novel was published in 1946, over 45 million new immigrants have come to the U.S. While the majority of the immigrants came from Latin America, in recent years, the largest number of immigrants are coming from Asia.

In the production of the film, the Smithsonian APA Center reached out to an array of immigrant communities across the country, according to Adriel Luis, curator of digital and emerging media for the center. Luis told NBC that most had not heard of Bulosan’s book, but after reading the passage used in the film, many were inspired.

“Similar to how other historic writers like James Baldwin and Sylvia Plath have been rediscovered by younger generations, Bulosan’s work also continues to resonate beyond just the Filipino American experience of the 1940s,” Luis said. “The Bulosan film also takes a written artifact of that era [and] time, but captures the spirit of hope and determination that is still felt by immigrants today.”

________________________________________________________________________________

Ann Curry "processing" sexual allegations vs. Matt Lauer

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Viewers blamed Matt Lauer for Ann Curry's departure from NBC's 'Today Show.'

IT WOULD have been easy for Ann Curry to say what is happening to Matt Lauer, as karma: What goes around, comes around.
Instead, in an interview with People Magazine the Asian/American journalist refrained from commenting on the topical subject. She said she's "still really processing it."

Curry and Lauer worked together on the Today Show for a year, 2011-2012, before Curry left on a controversial note amid tensions between the two anchors. Lauer had complained to the producers that the chemistry wasn't working between him and Curry, and that was the reason Today was slipping in the ratings to ABC's Good Morning America.

After her departure, Curry said one of the reasons she was ousted was because the Today Show's old-boys-club culture. They reportedly made fun of her supposed awkwardness in the morning format and they made fun of her fashion choices.

After Curry's tearful departure, ratings for Today dropped a fifth, with many viewers blaming Lauer for her exit and GMA took over the No. 1 spot in the mornings.

Although she didn't address the sexual misconduct allegations against Lauer, Curry did comment to People, “The women’s movement got us into the workplace, but it didn’t make us safe once we got there.”

“And the battle lines are now clear. We need to move this revolution forward and make our workplaces safe. Corporate America is quite clearly failing to do so, and unless it does something to change that, we need to keep doing more ourselves.

“I admire the women who have been willing to speak up both anonymously and on the record," she continued. "Those women need to keep their jobs, and all women need to be able to work, to be able to thrive, without fear. This kind of behavior exists across industries, and it is so long overdue for it to stop. This is a moment when we all need to be a beacon of light for those women, for all women, and for ourselves.”

WATCH Curry say goodbye to the Today Show's viewers and Lauer's awkward body language below:

_______________________________________________________________________________