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Austin Woerner

 

Voices Stories by Austin Woerner

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Chinese immigrant loses health to language barrier

Unfamiliar with his options for treatment and fearing the costs, Mr. Cai passed up the chance for early intervention. Now his cancer has advanced to Stage III and the 45-year-old father can no longer walk.

 

VIDEO :: Understanding the details of the American healthcare system is challenging for native speakers, much less Chinese immigrants with limited English proficiency. more>

Deportation for minor criminal offenses leaves 88,000 children stranded

Current immigration law strictly forbids immigration judges from taking an immigrant's children into account when considering a case.

VIDEO :: The Real News reports on the inhumanity of the U.S. detention and deportation system. more>

Over 10,000 from New York to attend D.C. immigration rally

U.S. immigrant communities are already fed up with the Obama administration's ineffectual and unacceptable approach, and in the next election they will speak with their ballots, says NY Immigration Coalition's Chung-Wha Hong. On the day of the rally over 200 buses will be deployed to transport protestors to and from New York State alone. more>

Police turning immigrants with criminal backgrounds over to ICE

This year news is circulating in the NYC Chinese community that more and more immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are being investigated on account of previous criminal records and even deported. more>

Tightened import controls bad news for Chinese merchants

U.S. Chinese Chamber of Commerce President Long Dong, who has been involved in the importation business for over 10 years, says that this move by the FDA is related to recent friction in U.S.-China trade relations. more>

Increase in immigration cases nearing crisis point

The state of Maryland has roughly 250,000 undocumented immigrants but only a single immigration court located in Baltimore, and five immigration judges, who must deal with upwards of 1,200 cases a year, on average. more>

ICE tight-lipped on Chinatown bus raid

Reports from Chinatown bus companies say that ICE officials boarded a bus in Buffalo and apprehended three undocumented immigrants. more>

NYC Housing Authority ignores residents’ voices

A recent report by the NYC watchdog group Community Voices Heard found the NYC Housing Authority in violation of federal regulations that guarantee residents the right to participate in policy decisions about public housing. more>

State Assembly members speak out against anti-immigrant gubernatorial candidate

State Assembly members warned that if Steve Levy runs for governor of New York, he may exploit his anti-immigrant stance in order to win votes. more>

Immigration reform next year? Chances aren’t good

 

VIDEO :: Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) provided this statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) last June. more>

Proposed new schools would not solve Flushing overcrowding

The DOE's response to Councilman John Liu's question about alleviating overcrowding in schools with high concentration of Chinese students was not encouraging.  more>

Green-card marriage misadventures: Chinese immigrants tell their stories

When attractive young Ms. Wang decided to arrange a fake marriage to fulfill her American Dream, she had no idea she was about to fall into a green-card marriage nightmare. more>

Hard times: Chinese-American unemployment rate soars

The rate of unemployment among Asian Americans, usually quite low, has doubled over the past year. This rate of increase is among the highest of all ethnic groups.

 

VIDEO :: A year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, some Asian Americans and U.S.- educated Asians are considering opportunities outside the U.S. in China, India, and beyond. Nathan King of Voice of America reported from New York. more>

Bloomberg losing popularity with Asian voters

Obama’s first year: A political bubble?

He's lost 10 pounds and 29 percentage points in his approval rating. Commentators are calling him a lion on the campaign trail but a mouse in the office. A year after his initial triumph, Obama himself admits it: Change is not easy. more>

It was bound to happen: Koo’s victory no miracle

With a five-to-one ratio of Democrats to Republicans in Flushing's District 20, Republican Koo's victory in securing a City Council seat points to the success of a coalition-building strategy straddling ethnic and generational lines.  more>

For children sent back to China to be raised, troubles abound

It is a relatively common practice for Fujianese immigrants to send their infant children back to their hometowns in Fujian to be raised by grandparents or relatives.  But when the children reach age 4 or 5 and return to the United States to start school, problems arise.

 more>

Anger simmers against Chinatown employment agencies

Reports of labor disputes between job-seekers and Chinatown's employment agencies have been on the rise following the financial crisis. Immigrant job-seekers deplore these agencies, which they say hoodwink them and take advantage of their lack of knowledge.

 

AUDIO :: In early September, Brian Lehrer discussed a comprehensive new report revealed widespread abuse of low-wage workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. Annette Bernhardt, policy co-director of the National Employment Law Project and co-author of the new report, Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers, discusses the findings. Plus, Amy Carroll, supervising attorney at Make the Road New York, addresses employment law questions raised by the new report.

  more>

Chinatown apartment building to be demolished, AAFE cries foul play

The Buildings Department and an independent engineering specialist suggested practical measures by which the building could be saved, said Christopher Kui, executive director of AAFE. But the landlord acted unilaterally to demolish this rent-stabilized building without considering other options.

 

AUDIO :: Two years ago, WNYC's Lisa Chow reports on Chinatown's resistance to gentrification. more>

John Liu: Comptroller today, mayor tomorrow?

With voter participation in primaries at an all-time-low, political analysts were shocked to see more than 22,000 voters turn out for the Democratic runoff for comptroller, roughly 30 percent more than forecast. more>

Despite economy, no shortage of work for immigrants

Demonstrators show support for new affordable housing plan

With New York State facing an unprecedented housing crisis, the state government has an obligation to establish and protect affordable housing for senior citizens and veterans, says State Assembly Housing Committee Chairman Vito Lopez.

 

AUDIO :: NY State Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D-53), who represents Bushwick and Williamsburg and is Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman, argues in favor of a contested plan to build affordable housing at the Broadway Triangle in Williamsburg. He talked with WNYC's Brian Lehrer on August 5th. more>

Court cases against employers of illegal immigrants spike

President Obama has assured that his administration's stance on immigration will be more lenient than Bush's; however, the immigration policy that Obama has been vigorously enforcing was in fact put into place under Bush. more>

Illegal border crossings cost Chinese 10 times more than Mexicans

The number of Chinese people illegally immigrating to the United States is rapidly increasing, despite the exorbitant costs to get here.

 

 

VIDEO :: Some fear that Mexico's easing of visa restrictions for Chinese tourists will increase illegal border crossing into the US. more>

Restaurant workers protest management abuses

Chinese restaurant workers in New York are protesting against employers paying wages way under the legal minimum and keeping their tips. For those who try to fight back, many have been fired or are facing harassment at work. more>

Brooklyn Chinese groups weigh in on Shem Walker incident

 

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VIDEO :: Family claims more violence following the police killing of Shem Walker.

  more>

Chinese-Americans divided on Obama health care reform

The reactions from Chinese Americans to Obama's plan were many and varied. Compared with the extremely positive attitude from those directors or CEOs of companies, unemployed workers might think it is still hard to make the plan work because of the high costs. more>

Sending children back to China leads to psychological difficulties

An increasing number of Chinese immigrants are sending their babies back to China to be raised by relatives because they are too busy making a living in the United States. Child psychologists express dismay that parents are taking these unusual measures. more>

Translating for mom and dad: A heavy burden for immigrant children

"I'm basically responsible for all my mom's credit card bills, health insurance bills and drug prescriptions," stated a Chinese boy. Children begin to wonder who the child is and who the adult is in their family dynamic. more>

Labor and advocates neglect impact of reform on legal immigrants

Immigration reform is not such a happy topic for the sizable group of Chinese immigrants with H1B visas, who could expect to line up shoulder-to-shoulder with the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants to get green cards should Obama's plan go through. more>

Union workers picket Chinatown restaurant

Although hiring has not started at soon-to-open restaurant, members of the 318 Restaurant Workers' Union continued to picket outside the restaurant, accusing the owner of discriminating against union workers and having an insincere attitude toward the hiring process more>

Report: NYC public schools drag feet in providing translation services to immigrant parents

Immigrant parents are widely and inaccurately described as being unconcerned about their children's education; however, the report shows that 80 percent of immigrant parents are extremely willing to participate. more>

Jose Davila with New York Immigration Coalition speaks on the need for parental involvement and translation services in schools.

New policy good news for Chinese banks, businesses

President Barack Obama announced a new policy that would ease restrictions on loans to small businesses and offer loans with more lenient terms to community banks as an added cushion. Bankers in the Chinese community have rejoiced at the news, and Chinese business owners are eager to apply for relief. more>

Chinatown’s transformation hard on low-income residents

A new report details the especially disastrous effects the area’s development has had on Chinese businesses. more>

Asm. Sheldon Silver wants to close loophole, to control rising rents in affordable housing

Tenant’s rights advocates hope that the slow erosion of New York City’s rent controlled apartments will end. more>

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