Count on us; Census to start soon

It's time to be counted.

The 2020 Census actually began in January in rural villages of Alaska because harsh weather conditions forced everyone to be homebound. 

Now the rest of the nation gets to start taking part in the once-a-decade head count, mandated by the US Constitution. 

The 2010 Census counted about 18 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Asian Americans is the fastest growing demographic, exceeding the Latino growth rate. Ten years later, it expected that  the tally of Asian Americans will exceed 22 million.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

WHEN WILL I HEAR FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU?

The Census Bureau will begin sending out notices this week (Thursday, March 12) to 95% of the nation's households, informing people that they can start participating in the 2020 census.

The mailings will be staggered, going out from March 12 to 20 to avoid overwhelming the self-response website and a telephone helpline. 

The 2020 count will be the first one to allow all U.S. households to respond online. Paper forms will still be available, and, for the first time, you can call 1-800 numbers to give responses over the phone.

About 80% of households receiving the initial mailings will be encouraged to answer the questions online, and around 20% of households will get a paper questionnaire that can be mailed back because they live in neighborhoods with low internet access or large numbers of seniors.

Areas that are less likely to respond online will receive a paper questionnaire along with their invitation. The invitation will also include information about how to respond online or by phone.

The online census forms are offered in five Asian languages, and the Census Bureau is publishing informational guides in about two dozen Asian languages.

WILL THERE BE HOME VISITS?

Census workers will make home visits to remote areas — including rural Alaska, parts of northern Maine and some American Indian reservations — to gather census information in person. Households in the rest of the U.S. that do not respond themselves by early April may start receiving visits from door knockers trained to conduct census interviews and collect responses using smartphones.

For less than 5% of households, in areas that have been hit by natural disaster or places that use only PO boxes, a census taker will drop off the initial notices in person. Census takers will eventually go home to home, interviewing residents of households that have not responded.

If you haven't responded April 8-16, you'll receive a notice and a paper questionnaire.

If you still haven't responded by April 20-27, households will receive a final notice and an in-person visit by a Census worker.

IS THERE A QUESTION ABOUT RACE?

Notable changes for 2020 include new write-in areas under the race question for the non-Hispanic origins of those who identify as white and/or black ("German" and "Jamaican" are among the provided examples). There are also new household relationship categories that allow couples living together to identify their relationships as either "same-sex" or "opposite-sex."

The Census asks about a person’s race to create statistics about race and to present other statistics by race groups. In 2010, for example, the statistics illustrated the nation’s changing racial diversity, as well as the size, growth, and geographic distribution of various racial population groups. In addition, the data collected in these questions is needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with the anti-discrimination provisions of laws such as the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. 

Responding to the race question is easy. The 2020 Census follows the most recent race and ethnicity standards for the federal government set by the Office of Management and Budget in 1997. When you complete your census form, select one or more boxes for the race(s) you identify with. You can also print your origins in the write-in space, if you choose.

WILL THERE BE A CITIZENSHIP QUESTION?

The controversial question about citizenship will not be asked. In July, federal courts permanently blocked the Trump administration from adding to the 2020 census the question, "Is this person a citizen of the United States?" 

The Census Bureau, however, continues to include a citizenship question on other forms it asks some US households to complete, including the American Community Survey; census forms for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands; and the 2019 Census Test, which is collecting responses through Aug. 15.

WILL THE CENSUS DATA BE SHARED WITH OTHER AGENCIES?

The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the US Code to keep your information confidential.

Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.

The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics. You are kept anonymous: The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or anyone else in your home.

Being responsible stewards of your data is not only required by law, it is embedded in Census Bureau culture. Strict policies and statistical safeguards help protect the confidentiality of your information.

That being said, beware of scams.

During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for:

• Your Social Security number.
• Money or donations.
• Anything on behalf of a political party.
• Your bank or credit card account numbers.

If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it's a scam, and you should not cooperate. For more information, visit Avoiding Fraud and Scams.

NEED ASSISTANCE?

There are several ways that you can contact the U.S. Census Bureau for support.

For language support: The 2020 Census can be completed by phone in the following languages. Phone lines are open every day from 7am to 2am Eastern Time.

English: 844-330-2020Spanish: 844-468-2020Chinese (Mandarin): 844-391-2020Chinese (Cantonese): 844-398-2020Vietnamese: 844-461-2020Korean: 844-392-2020Russian: 844-417-2020Arabic: 844-416-2020Tagalog: 844-478-2020Japanese: 844-460-2020

For information on services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing: Call the TDD number at 800-467-2020.

For general questions: Visit the US Census' Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Andrew Yang endorses Joe Biden

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After the polls closed Tuesday in Mississippi, Missouri and Michigan and the trend towards victories for Joe Biden became evident, former Presidential candidate Andrew Yang officially endorsed Joe Biden as the best candidate to beat Donald Trump.

Biden built on his momentum by racking up wins in four of the six states having primaries Tuesday. The other two states, Idaho and Washington, were too close to call.

Yang, who voted for Sanders in 2016, gave his support to the more moderate Biden.

“I believe that Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee, and I’ve always said I’m going to support whoever the nominee is. So I hereby am endorsing Joe Biden to be not just the nominee for the Democratic Party, but the next President of the United States,” Yang said on CNN where he is a political commentator.

“I say this having supported Bernie Sanders in 2016. Bernie was an inspiration for me, inspired my run. But the math says Joe is our prohibitive nominee. We need to bring the party together. We need to start working on defeating Donald Trump in the fall.”

Yang, who made his warnings of the "fourth industrial revolution" causing the loss of jobs part of the lexicon of the Democratic campaigns, said earlier that “The only person who has taken me aside and said that we need to worry about the fourth industrial revolution because it could potentially tear our country apart is Joe Biden.”

However, he cautioned Biden not to simply return to the Obama years.

“You can’t just say we’re gonna swing the pendulum back to the Obama/Biden years,” Yang said. “We have to actually start doing the work that activated people to vote for Donald Trump, that activated people to get out for Bernie Sanders. I believe Joe is open to that message.”

The New York-born entrepreneur said Biden shouldn't discount the supporters of progressive Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The progressive wing of the Democratic Party should have a voice in a Biden administration.

Yang's endorsement of Biden follows similar announcements from former presidential candidates from Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O'Rourke, all of whom support the former Vice President.

“We have to defeat Donald Trump in order to make progress on the climate, on any of these problems, in a bigger way,” Yang said

Disaggregated data reveals hidden health disparities among Asian Americans

Asians in America appear to be healthier than non-Hispanic whites, however, when the data is disaggregated, health disparities among the different subgroups become apparent. 

A new study, "Health Conditions, Outcomes, and Service Access Among Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Adults in California, 2011–2017," published in the American Journal of Public Health has appearances don't match the data. It found that Asian Americans tend to have worse health indicators than whites. especially among Vietnamese, Japanese and Koreans. Filipinos had the worst health among all Asian Americans.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Brown University found the importance of disaggregated data. They found that when Asian Americans are treated as as a monolithic group, it masks the real health needs of the different subgoups. 

“What we’re just trying to call out here is that the more we choose to treat data aggregation as the standard and then disaggregation as a novelty and nice to have, the more we choose to be blind to the health issues faced by the community,” said Alexander Adia, one of the study's authors.

The authors found that Filipino Americans appeared to be in the worst health of all Asian subgroups in the study. Filipinos were found to have a greater prevalence of high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease and delayed medication usage compared to Asians overall. Filipinos also had higher levels in the first three health outcomes compared to non-Hispanic whites.

The irony is that “Filipino Americans are disproportionately involved in the provision of health care, but it seems the data practices that we currently employed aren’t great at identifying their needs,” Adia said.

DAILY BRUIN GRAPHIC

On the other hand, Chinese Californians appear to be the healthiest subgroup with the fewest negative disparities compared with non-Hispanic white adults.

Chinese adults ranked highest in the category of no doctors visits in the past year, and the Japanese subgroup topped high blood pressure at the same rate as Filipino adults.

The study also found that Vietnamese adults had the highest rates of fair or poor health and disability while Korean adults suffered from the highest rates of serious distress. Additionally, Korean adults ranked highest in no usual source of care and delayed care in terms of health service access.

Researchers analyzed data from the California Health Interview Survey, a web and telephone survey that provides data on the state's health and health care needs. They specifically looked at data from about 13,000 Asians from 2011 to 2017, said Adia. One of the flaws of the study is that the data is self-reported and the respondents were only from California.

The findings, the researchers said, proves that further studies of health needs of the different subgroups through the use of disaggregated data is needed.

They explained that the idea of Asian Americans as a “model minority” has been debunkedin other areas such as educational attainment, employment, and income. The idea of the model minority myth doesn't apply in health, either, they learned.

Second study author Jennifer Nazareno said, “When we think of model minority, a lot of the academic research focuses on identity politics and the difference between social classes. But in terms of health disparities and health inequities, that is severely under-researched.”

Bill introduced to stop deportations of Lao Americans

Minnesota's Hmong Americans protest the deportations.

ASAM NEWS

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-MN, announced in an op-ed piece in the Star Tribune a bill to stop the deportations to Laos for 72 months.

Last month, the Trump administration announced it was negotiating a repatriation agreement with Laos to allow the deportations to proceed.

These communities are now threatened by the Trump administration’s cruel and destructive immigration policies that betray the promises made to Hmong veterans and their families,” McCollum wrote. “Today, more than 4,700 Hmong and Lao individuals in the U.S. who never became naturalized citizens face deportation to Laos due to past criminal convictions that may have taken place decades ago.

“It is inhumane. It is cruel. And it can be a matter of life and death,” she continued.

Some, however, in the Asian American community fear the bill doesn’t go far enough. KaYing Yang, director of programs and partnerships at the Coalition of Asian American Leaders, says while she’s thankful for McCollum efforts, she says the bill would only defer the deportations, not stop them.

“We do not want the introduction of this bill to be a symbolic gesture because it will instill false hope in our community,” Yang said to NBC News. “It will also divert resources and energy from supporting urgent concrete actions that can lead to helping impacted families. We want our congressional leaders to reach across the aisle to do all that they can to enact policies that lead to stopping the deportation of refugees to countries where they fled political conflict.”

Rep Ron Kind, D-WI, says the deportations threatened by the Trump Administration are unacceptable.

“With ongoing reports of serious human rights abuses in Laos—especially towards Hmong people since the end of the Vietnam War—cited in the State Department’s own reports to Congress, it would be a huge mistake for this Administration to send these individuals or their families back to a country where they will be put in harm’s way,” he said to WisPolitics.com. "I’m proud to work with my colleagues to introduce legislation to block the Administration from pursuing such a reckless action.”

Time Magazine names AAPIs among 100 most influential women of the past century

For Women's History Month, Time Magazine has named the 100 most influential women of the past century. Among the women are 14 from Asia and Asian America.

For 72 years, the weekly magazine has been naming a "Man of the Year" and it wasn't until 1999 that the honor was changed to "Person of the Year" to include women.

As former TIME editor-in-chief Nancy Gibbs writes, this project is an exercise in looking at the ways in which women held power due to systemic inequality. “Women,” Gibbs writes, “were wielding soft power long before the concept was defined.”
The female game-changers the magazine  chose from over 600 nominations, include these Asian and Asian American women:

1922: Xiang Jingyu, One of the early members of the Chinese Communist Party, she became the first director of the Chinese Communist Women's Bureau.She was executed in 1928 by the Nationalists.

1927: Queen Soraya Tarzi. As the wife of Afghan King Amanullah Khan, Queen Soraya Tarzi was the daughter of exiled Afghan intellectuals. Her European upbringing brought unheard progressivism to Afghanistan. She went unveiled in public and encouraged the education of girls. In 1929, she and Khan went into exile.

1928: Anna May Wong was born in Los Angeles to second-generation Chinese-American parents, was limited in her silent-film career by miscegenation laws which prevented the appearance of interracial couples on screen. Nevertheless, she is considered the first Chinese American Hollywood star.

1937: Soong Mei-ling  became the second woman ever to grace the Time cover under the heading “Man and Wife of the Year” alongside her husband, Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek. She was pivotal to gathering support for China’s war against Japan speaking in front of both houses of Congress.

1945: Chien-Shiung Wu — Born in China’s Jiangsu province in 1912,  she left in 1936 to ear a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. After teaching at Smith College in Massachusetts and at Princeton. In 1944, she joined one of the Manhattan Project’s labs operating at Columbia University where “she helped develop the method for separating nonfissionable uranium 238 from fissionable U-235—the bomb’s key fuel.”

1947: Amrit Kaur was appointed India’s first Health Minister in 1947 after a lifetime as an activist agitating for Indian independence. fought for women’s education, sufferance and for an end to child marriage. “In leaving her life of luxury, Kaur not only helped build lasting democratic institutions, she also inspired generations to fight for the marginalized,” reads Time.

1972: Patsy Takemoto Mink, a third generation Japanese American, became the first woman of color and first Asian American elected to the U.S. House to Representatives. She served as Hawaii’s representative for 12 terms. Her biggest accomplishment co-authoring  the Title IX Amendment of the Higher Education Act.

1976: Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, Initially jeered, she would go on, as India’s first and only female prime minister, to centralize power and lead India into a war with Pakistan in support of Bangladesh’s 1971 bid for independence. She was assassinated in 1984.

1979: Tu Youyou — Tu, born in Ningbo in 1930, was inspired to pursue a career in medical research after surviving tuberculosis in high school. She helped establish treatment for malaria patients. For her research, Tu was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for her discovery.

1986: Corazon Aquino, the wife of Benigno Aquino Jr., a leader of the opposition to Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. After her husband was assassinated in 1984, Cory Aquino ran for president against Marcos in 1986. After the authorities declared Marcos the winner, Aquino called for protests and soon the People Power Revolution had swept Marcos from power and Aquino was proclaimed president.

Philippine President Corazon Aquino and Filipino American journalist Maria Ressa made the list.

1990: Aung San Suu Kyi  became an international darling in 1990. She’d fought, following her father Aung San’s death, against Myanmar’s military dictatorship. In 1990s, her National League for Democracy (NLD), won the elections but the results were invalidated by the junta.  She was placed on house arrest for 15 years. In 1991 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but since then, her defense of the military has darkened her reputation.

1995: Sadako Ogata — As the only Japanese and first woman to lead the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ogata oversaw responses to some of the worlds worst refugee crises, from Kurdish refugees following the Gulf War to refugees fleeing the Rwandan genocide to refugees of various Cold War conflicts around the world.

2009: Malala Yousafzai's campaign to educate young girls won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.  In 2012, the Pakistani Taliban tried to assassinate Malala, whose writing about her life and desire to pursue an education angered them. But Malala survived being shot in the face to become the face of women’s empowerment not only in Pakistan but around the world. 

2018: Maria Ressa — In 2018, Time named “The Guardians” — journalists facing persecution and violent — as the Persons of the Year. Among them was Fillipino journalist Maria Ressa. Ressa’s publication, Rappler, has become one of the Philippines’ most fierce critics of President Rolando Duterte, Because of her work, Ressa has been arrested and the target of a hate campaign.

The gala to announce the 100 women scheduled for Sunday, March 9, International Women's Day, was canceled as a cautionary move against the spread of the coronavirus.

Click here for the complete list of 100 women.

Kamala Harris endorses Joe Biden

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Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cordially greet each other after one of the debates leading up to the primaries.

California's Sen. Kamala Harris Sunday joined other former Democratic presidential candidates in endorsing Joe Biden for president.

"When I started my run for president, I said America needs a president who reflects the decency and dignity of the American people; a president who speaks the truth; and a president who fights for those whose voices are too often overlooked or ignored. I still believe that to this day. That is why I am proud to announce I am endorsing my friend, Vice President Joe Biden, for President of the United States," Harris said in a statement on Sunday.

The Indian American senator also announced her decision on social media from Alabama where she was to attend the 55th anniversary of Bloody Sunday when civil rights activists marched across the Edmund Pettis Bridge only to bludgeoned by police and chased by dogs.

Sen. Kamala Harris too to Twitter to announce her endorsement.

Biden retweeted her post and thanked her for her endorsement: "Kamala — You've spent your whole career fighting for folks who've been written off and left behind — and no small part of that alongside Beau. From our family: thank you."

Harris' endorsement follows the endorsements of Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Beto O'Rourke last week before Super Tuesday and a few days later, Mike Bloomberg added his endorsement. Her announcement also precedes another round of primaries on Tuesday, March 10 involving six states: Idaho, Washington, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota. 

After starting her promising campaign with 20,000 people attending her Oakland rally in January of 2019 and great debate performance in June, Harris' support dwindled. By the time she ended her campaign last December, her poll numbers were in the single digits. 

When she chose to drop out of the race for president, Biden was asked if he would consider Harris as a running mate.

"Of course I would," answered Biden. "Look, Senator Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be. I mean it sincerely. I talked to her yesterday. She's solid, she can be president someday herself, she can be vice president, she could go on to be a Supreme Court justice, she could be attorney general. I mean she has enormous capability."

AAPI workers need protection vs. COVID-19 and xenophobia, says organized labor

In light of the outbreak of the coronavirus, cases emerging in the US, American workers are speaking up on how xenophobia and racism interact with America’s inadequate healthcare system and outdated labor laws to endanger workers and hinder disease prevention. 

Over 2 million AAPIs work in healthcare, transportation and service industries -- these workers are facing xenophobic and racial discrimination in the workplace in addition to increased exposure to communicable diseases, according to the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA). 

APALA is asking employers in various fields where AAPI workers are common to put in place procedures to protect their employees.

Without federal policies guaranteeing paid sick leave and adequate health insurance coverage for all workers, many working people are effectively prevented from following the CDC’s guidance to stay home when they are sick, said APALA in a press statement.

 “As flight attendants, we are well trained with regard to health and safety protocols because we have been on the frontlines of deadly viruses such as SARS, Ebola, swine flu (H1N1) and avian flu (H5N1)," states APALA National executive board member and Association of Flight Attendants - CWA Local 29011 member Stan Kiino. "We face higher risks of exposure to illnesses through travelers’ coughing and sneezing in enclosed spaces. 

"As we escalate precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we must prioritize protecting workers by informing them with facts, providing protective gear, and creating contingency plans as our workplaces are closed or scaled back; cancelled flights impact our ability to pay bills,” says Kiino.

Filiipino nurses throughout the US hospital system are being tasked to care for people who may or may not have contact with people infected with the coronavirus. 

“Healthcare workers are the ones who care for us when we are sick, but as workers on the frontlines they face an increased exposure to illness," says APALA National Executive Board Member Ligaya Domingo and SEIU 1199NW Education Director. 

"That is why we need to ensure that hospitals and healthcare facilities have sufficient staffing levels, well informed workers, personal protective equipment for all workers, and screening protocols that are based on likely exposure to the virus, not anyone’s language, skin color, or country of origin. COVID-19 is preventable and treatable, but only if we ensure working people are informed and protected.”

APALA National Executive Board and UTLA/ AFT/NEA member Arlene Inouye states: 

“As a proud product of California’s public education system and as Secretary for UTLA, the second largest teachers’ local in the country, I know very well how educators are often left to figure out how to support sick students who come to school because their parents are not able to take a day off work. During times of heightened xenophobia and racialized discrimination, we are also left responsible for protecting all students and creating safe environments for them to learn and thrive. Right now, with widespread misinformation related to COVID-19, we are ready to protect our Asian American students, who already face some of the highest rates of bullying in this nation.”

Employers must include a protocol against racial discrimination in their responses to COVID-19. APALA issues the following guidance to protect Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers:

Sunday Read: C'mon media: stop linking the coronavirus to images of Asians

Corona virus afflicts people ct any race, many of whom wear face masks.

It happened again last night. I was watching a local Bay Area TV newscast about the spread of COVID-19. All the footage used to accompany the story were of Asians wearing masks.
There were so many Asians, it looked like the TV station's newsroom just lifted footage of an airport in Asia.

After working in newsrooms for over 30 years, I know that some of the editorial decisions to run specific pictures or footage is based on a matter of convenience under the pressure of meeting a deadline. There's a slot to fill, so fill it with what the news wires provide. There's no consideration of the implicit message that visual sends to the viewer or if the another picture could convey the same message without the cultural impact.

The Bay Area, with one of the highest concentrations of Asian Americans in the country, should be better served.

But lazy news coverage of the virus is not just limited to that one TV station. Its happening around the world. And the world is responding after seeing all the news reports, if you're Chinese, you must be infected.

It should be said, however, in the US, the media has been careful in not releasing the race of the patients who have contracted the disease.

As soon as the viral outbreak became newsworthy last month, the Asian American Journalists Association put out guidelines and cautionary suggestions to the media-at-large to be careful not resort of promoting race-based reporting on COVID-19.

At best, implementation of those guidelines have been spotty.

The Centers for Disease Control, the agency tasked with fighting the outbreak, also issued tis own guidelines against associating the virus with any particular race. 

"People of Asian descent, including Chinese Americans, are not more likely to get COVID-19 than any other American. Help stop fear by letting people know that being of Asian descent does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19," said the CDC.

Nevertheless, news agencies -- including The New York times, the New York Post and teh Hill have all used photos of Asians wearing masks accompanying articles about confirmed coronavirus cases in New York, reports NBC Asian America.


Perhaps the most widely example of sensationalized reports was the emergence of a video of “a Chinese woman eating alleged fruit bat soup”.

Although this video has been debunked, once online, always online. The video is still circulated online, promoting the narrative that Chinese people deserve their virus because they eat exotic dishes.
Most journalists pride themselves in remaining neutral in reporting a so-called balanced story, but they are as guilty as anyone else in believing that they are without ingrained, sometimes unknown, biases.

“Journalists need to be attuned to their biases. We all have them and must work to reverse the harmful stereotypes our point of view has created,” says Kainaz Amaria, Vox’s visuals editor who has been recognized for her ethical practices within photojournalism. “We need to retrain ourselves to better reflect a diverse audience.”

Family Karma: Historic reality show premiering Sunday has a chance to break stereotypes of Indian Americans

FAMILY KARMA

The Indian American cast of 'Family Karma' debuting Sunday.

By Louis Chan
ASAM NEWS

An aspiring fashion designer, a reluctant fiance, a playboy, a gay lawyer, a two time divorcee, choreographer, and rich entrepreneur – these are all characters you’ll get to know in Bravo’s new reality program - Family Karma.
Oh, and did we mention? All of them happen to be Indian American, thus making the program (debuting on Bravo Sunday at 9 ET/PT) the first reality show centered around this growing South Asian American ethnicity.

For many viewers, this will be their first look at the Indian American culture. AsAmNews had the opportunity to interview six of the cast members and preview the first two episodes.

“We are a very unique cast and I think this show will break common pre-conceived notions that many people have about Indians and India in general,” said Anisha Ramakrishna, 34, who just moved home to Miami in an effort to save money and support her fledgling fashion design business.

“I’m confident we’re going to make some Indian Americans uncomfortable because we are unapologetic and unfiltered almost immediately,” said Bali Chainani, a two-time divorcee and single mom. “However, I think showing the country that we don’t all fall under the stereotype that follows us will be massively appreciated. They’re going to love us or love to hate us.”

The show revolves around seven friends in Miami and their daily lives. Not only will viewers get to know the seven, they’ll also meet their parents, future in-laws and who knows who else. The program moves quickly and at least in the beginning, you’ll need a scorecard to keep up with everyone.

“What non-Indians I think will be surprised by is how close we are to our parents, aunts, and uncles,” wealthy entrepreneur Shaan Patel said. “In our Miami Indian community, it is not uncommon to hang out, drink, and dance with people of all ages, and our friendships are only deepened by this family bond.”

The first two episodes are lighthearted and fun. The cast is diverse enough so that viewers are likely to find at least one character they become invested in following. For me, that’s playboy Brian Benni and his longtime friend, Monica Vaswani. How many of us know longtime friends who show occasional sparks of potential passion? That’s Brian and Monica.

“You’ll see differences of opinions when it comes to relationships and matters of the heart,” said Benni, not necessarily talking about just him and Monica.

'Family Karma' centers on this group of hip, beautiful, stylish and rich Indian American friends in Miami

“I think what will surprise viewers more about this series is the type of drama we have,” Monica said. “Every comment, every joke, every confrontation has the potential to not only ruin a friendship but ruin a lifelong relationship going back generations.”

Despite the lightheartedness of the first episodes, I suspect viewers will have plenty of opportunities to both empathize and cry with the characters in future episodes.

“I agreed to be a part of this journey so I can serve as an example of a person of South Asian descent who was able to come out as LGBT to his family and never looked back,” said Amrit Kapai. “I wish to be a voice and pillar of support to those who have dealt with, and are currently dealing with, issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

“I’m sure many people from all walks of life can relate to some of the issues that I’ve faced in terms of emotional as well as my physical well-being,” said ,, who has been engaged for three years, but is reluctant to set a date. “I hope that people can provide more empathy and understanding for another. ”

For Asian Americans unfamiliar with the Indian culture, many will be surprised about the similarities and differences Indian Americans have with their own culture. For that reason alone, it’s worth watching.

“I think the viewers will see that despite our ethnicity, we will be relatable to people of all backgrounds,” said Ramakrishna.

TGIF Feature: This weekend, go see 'Go Back to China'

Veteran actor Richard Ng, lft, and Anna Akana, right, star in 'Go Back To China.'

Like the story in last year's critically acclalimed The Farewell, Emily Ting's Go Back To China feature is loosely based on a real-life experience.

After a year playing in a limited release for a year, the comedy feature had its general release Thursday. 

The movie which takes place mostly in China, Ting’s second effort as writer-director is a semi-autobiographical comedy focused on the “Westernized” Chinese diaspora in the post-Crazy Rich Asians era. 

Sasha Li, played perfectly by Anna Akana, is a spoiled LA fashionista who has just discovered that her trust fund has been cut off by her dad—oh no! To see another penny out of the trust, her father insists she goes back to her roots and learn about the family business in Shenzhen, China. 

Akana has long been a star on YouTube with 2 million subscribers to her channel. Her father was born in Japan, is a Marine Corps officer and her mother is from Olongapo, in the Philippines. On her Twitter account, she has stated on Twitter that she is of mainly Japanese Hawaiian, and Filipino descent, along with Irish, German, French, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry.

Shot in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the film is loosely based on the Taiwanese-born Ting’s 12 years working at her family’s toy factory in China in-between filmmaking efforts. Her family's toy factory was used as a setting in the film.

Although the  fish-out-of-water film theme is common enough, in Go Back To China with its Asian American perspective, it seems fresh. Plus, it doubles as familiarizing non-Assian audiences with a growing segment of the America.

Andrew Yang moves forward with new foundation

ANDREW YANG

ASAM NEWS

After ending his presidential campaign last month, entrepreneur Andrew Yang,has founded a new nonprofit organization called Humanity Forward, which aims to advance the policies that he proposed during his campaign.

When he was running for president, his major planks included a universal basic income, human-centered capitalism and data as a property right.

“We knew we wanted to keep the movement growing, the only question was what form that would take,” Yang said on Wednesday in an interview with the New York Times. Prior to running for president, he also ran Venture for America, a nonprofit dedicated to helping train recent college graduates in entrepreneurship.

The New York Times reports that venture capitalist Albert Wenger and entrepreneur Susan Danzinger have collectively pledged $500,000 for a trial in a town in New York State yet to be selected, and professional poker player Daniel Negreanu has committed t$100,000 for additional test runs. Other contributors are reported to be anonymous.

While Yang was able to share his ideas during the presidential campaign, he noted that his new organization would be an opportunity to put some of his policy ideas directly into practice.

“I have to say I’m super excited about it,” Yang told The New York Times. “My hands were tied as a political candidate to some extent. And now I get to work.”

Humanity Forward will utilize mediums such as podcasts and high-impact events to advance the ideas popularized during his democratic campaign, according to the organization’s website.

According to the New York Times, Michael Bloomberg’s campaign reached out after Yang concluded his bid for the presidency to offer counsel for a potential mayoral bid.

Yang said he would not rule a mayoral campaign out, but expressed that his current priority is establishing Humanity Forward.

“I’m just about solving problems,” he said. “I would want to see who else is running and what the world looks like. I just want to put myself in the position to have the greatest possible impact.”

In earlier interiews, Yang also said that he is open to working in some capacity within the new administration if the Democrats are successful in defeating Donald Trump.

College president & vp resign over vandalized artwork about Japanese incarceration

Portions of the plaque at right explaining the artwork were covered up.

ASAM NEWS

The president of Bellevue College near Seattle and one of his Vice Presidents has resigned after that same Vice President vandalized a mural on campus depicting the incarceration of Japanese Americans, reports MyNorthwest.com.
The decision to fire the two apparently came after a meeting of the school’s Board of Directors.

“The recent defacement of the ‘Never Again Is Now’ art installation along with the response to this deplorable act has deeply impacted students, staff and faculty,” said Board Chair Richard Fukutaki. “It has damaged the credibility of the college locally, regionally and nationally. But beyond that, it was just fundamentally wrong, and we needed to act decisively.”

The college placed Gayle Colston Barge, vice president of institutional advancement, on leave after she admitted removing the reference to “decades of anti-Japanese agitation, led by Eastside businessman Miller Freeman and others.”

Fukutaki told the Seattle Times the school does not believe Barge actually whited out the reference, but instructed someone else to do so. More than 20 percent of the school’s student body and staff are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The Board made the decisions to fire President Jerry Weber and Barge during an emergency meeting over the weekend.

Erin Shigaki is the artist who created the Never Again is Now mural.

This week, she penned an op-ed about the incident.

“When I found out that the Day of Remembrance mural I had installed at Bellevue College had been defaced just days after it went up, I was angry and shocked, but not entirely surprised,” she wrote in the South Seattle Emerald. She said references to the Freeman family role in anti-Japanese agitation has long been controversial.

Last fall at the City of Bellevue’s Bellwether Festival, something similar happened. Her reference to the Freemans on another art installation was also removed.

“Another artist, Khadija Tarver, was also forced to remove the Freeman name from her work, and a third, James Snowden, was asked to strike what he wrote about an anti-Asian slur heard on the streets of present day downtown Bellevue.”

CDC warns against the disease of anti-Asian attacks

I was walking down Broadway on a warm winter day in Oakland. Approaching was a woman and man with those surgical masks on. I thought it was strange that they were wearing ihe masks around the neck instead of covering the nose and mouth.

As we passed each other, they deliberately coughed.

A microagression? or was it a genuine case of itchy throat? I couldn't help but think of the timing -- just as they were passing me. Paranoia is growing because of the coronavirus.

Attacks -- minor, like mine to physical altercations are rising as the coronovirus or COVID-19, becomes more prevalent. Xenophobia against Asians is spreading even faster. It is as if the virus has given people permission to openly display their anti-Asian racism.

Business is drastically down at Chinese restaurants. Tourists are noticeably absent from Chinatown streets. From hard resentful glares from fellow commuters to a resurgence (it never went away) of the "Go-back-to-China," expletives, the fear of the virus and anti-Asian bias is on the rise.

My experience was minor compared to some of the stories around the country. It has gotten so bad that the US Centers for Disease Control, the same federal agency fighting the spread of the virus, felt compelled to issue a notice about anti-Asian acts and statements.

"At this time most people in the United States have little immediate risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. However, some people are worried about the disease," reads the notice. "Fear and anxiety can lead to social stigma towards Chinese or other Asian Americans. Stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, with a population or nationality, even though not everyone in that population or from that region is specifically at risk for the disease (for example, Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans living in the United States).

"Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem. We can fight stigma and help not hurt others by providing social support. We can communicate the facts that being Chinese or Asian American does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19."

Stigmatized groups may be subjected to:

• Social avoidance or rejection
• Denials of healthcare, education, housing or employment
• Physical violence.

"Stigma affects the emotional or mental health of stigmatized groups and the communities they live in. Stopping stigma is important to making communities and community members resilient," says the CDC.

The Asian American Journalists Association put out guidelines to editors and reporters to refrain from referring to the virus as the Chinese disease, or showing Asian people wearing facemasks.

"This is a global emergency that should be met with both urgency and also cultural awareness that COVID-19 is not isolated to a single ethnic population. Xenophobic attacks and discrimination towards Asian American communities are unacceptable and will not make our families safer or healthier,” said Jeffrey Caballero, executive director of Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO).The CDC has also issued additional guidelines to officials and communicators to:

• Maintain privacy and confidentiality of those seeking healthcare and those who may be part of any contact investigation.
• Quickly communicate the risk or lack of risk from associations with products, people, and places.
• Raise awareness about COVID-19 without increasing fear.
• Share accurate information about how the virus spreads.
• Speak out against negative behaviors, including negative statements on social media about groups of people, or exclusion of people who pose no risk from regular activities.
• Be cautious about the images that are shared. Make sure they do not reinforce stereotypes.
• Engage with stigmatized groups in person and through media channels including news media and social media.
• Thank healthcare workers and responders. People who have traveled to areas where the COVID-19 outbreak is happening to help have performed a valuable service to everyone by helping make sure this disease does not spread further.
• Share the need for social support for people who have returned from China or are worried about friends or relatives in the affected region. 

“Many Asian Americans are just as concerned as everyone else about the coronavirus--even more so considering how in some cases, our extended families could be impacted," said Gregg Orton, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). "But to let someone’s health status be a measure of how American they are is absurd. Mass hysteria will not help, and neither will bigotry.”