<em>Voices That Must Be Heard</em>: The Gateway to Ethnic Media

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Sing Tao Daily

 

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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>

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>

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>

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>

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>

Chinese Americans view news companies woes

Jiang Tianduo, president of the Reporters Association of Southern California, is not surprised by these developments. He believes that American newspapers are too thick, increasing costs but not returns. more>

A farewell to silence: quick rise of Asian-American political engagement

A recent report found Asian Americans distinguish themselves in the area of naturalization, a crucial prerequisite for participation in the political process: 57 percent of all Asian-American immigrants attain citizenship. more>

In the storms of financial and housing crisis, U.S. realtors eye Chinese homebuyers

The decline of U.S. real estate market is further deteriorated by the recent financial crisis on Wall Street; at the same time, homebuyers from China gradually become an important force to bolster the U.S. housing market, and they start to gain much more attention from developers and brokers than in the past. more>

Looking towards 2009: the changes in Flushing politics

The defeat of Ellen Young – the first Chinese-American assemblywoman in New York State two years ago – and the win of Grace Meng could signal a change in Councilman John Liu’s domination of Flushing politics. more>

Two veterans’ deaths sound alarm on lack of care for Chinese elders

Chinatown residents, concerned that the veterans were found days after they died, are pushing for seniors to plan ahead, particularly when they no longer have family and friends to deal with their passing. more>

Councilman Liu meets to defuse possible racial implications by Sharpton aide

On February 13, Rev. Franklin Richardson, chair of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, an African-American civil rights organization, met with City Councilman John Liu (D-Queens) to discuss what Richardson termed “a miscommunication” regarding his speech at the funeral of Christopher Ridely, an African-American officer killed by police fire. more>

Radio station's racist slurs enrage NYC Chinese community

WFNY (93.3 Free FM), a radio station under CBS, had a show called Dog House Pranks with a segment called Chinese Food. It harassed the female and male hosts in a Chinese restaurant with insults, sexual slurs, and other provocations. Yesterday, the Fujianese community held a meeting to urge the victimized Chinese restaurant to come forward and use legal actions against the radio show. more>

Brooklyn gangs prey on Chinese for initiation

Law enforcement in Brooklyn is astounded by the discovery that some African-American and Hispanic gangs in East New York require new members to rob Chinese deliverymen before they can be officially inducted. more>

Flushing residents urged NYPD and City Council to tighten security and anti-crime measures

Lin-Qua Qu, director of a regional Chinese organization, expressed to Chief of Police Matthew Whelan at Flushing Precinct 109 that although the victim was Chinese, the crime should serve as a “red flag” for the safety of Flushing as a whole. more>

Hate crime conviction in Queens court gives closure to Chinese community

The presiding judge, Pauline Mullings, who is African American, opined that a harsh punishment would serve as a deterrent and sentenced one of two Caucasian assailants, who beat up a couple of Chinese-American youths, to three-and-half years in prison with two years of probation. more>

Spitzer urged to revoke driver’s license rule

Building owner told to evict merchants of counterfeit goods

Major Chinatown landlord is focus of new counterfeit crackdown strategy. more>

Two primary wins boost Chinese political power

Community leaders are jubilant about the strong showing of Chinese candidates, who will emphasize the importance of issues facing Asian communities. more>

Chinatown sanitation faces financial crisis

The Chinatown Sanitation Association – with a cleaning staff of only six and money woes – is bracing itself for worsening conditions during the upcoming tourist season. more>

Authorities reassure confidentiality when seeking medical help

Officials from the mayor’s office, Immigration Affairs, and the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation have assured immigrant groups that any person, regardless of his or her immigrant status, has a right to medical help. more>

Illegal parking by police cars and vehicles with special permits choke Chinatown traffic: report

Doreen Chan, a Chinatown resident said that illegal parking in front of hydrants threatened residents’ safety and property. more>

Landmarking efforts for Lower East Side rebuffed by community board

Many Chinese immigrants who recently moved into the area also showed up to voice their opposition. more>

With redevelopment, auto shops in Queens worried about the future

The New York City Economic Development Corporation is scheduled to break ground this summer for the redevelopment of the Willits Point Iron Triangle and Shea Stadium. The project, estimated at $909 million, will dislodge businesses in the area since the 1930s. more>

Chinese immigrants expected to send home $500 million

Instead of using legitimate banks, undocumented Fujianese immigrants simply entrust their money to friends or people from the same village who are going back. When large amounts of money are concerned, it is sent this way in order to avoid being monitored by the authorities. more>

“Model minority” students group have high dropout rate

According to an NYU study, students of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao descent actually do not do well in school compared to African Americans students, and do not receive enough government assistance. Peter Cheng, executive director of Indochina Sino-American Community Center in Chinatown, said that the myth of a “model minority” has often obscured the need within the different Asian communities. more>

Choice of Chinese TV carrier for mayoral debates criticized

When news that three-year-old New Tang Dynasty TV was selected by NY1 to carry the election debates dubbed in Chinese was made public, the Chinese community questioned the criteria and selection process, since the station reaches only from 79th Street to Downtown Manhattan. more>

‘Wanted Ads’ in Chinatown deceitful

$100 for a “Real ID” in Brooklyn

While the proposed national ID has just stepped out of the Congress doors, fake ones are already knocking about in immigrant communities. more>

NYC Council demands Bloomberg investigate disclosure of Minkuan Chen’s immigration status

Minkuan Chen, the Bronx take-out deliveryman who was trapped in an elevator for three days, now faces deportation after the police disclosed his immigration status to the media. Pressure is now on the mayor to discipline the police officers responsible for the leak. more>

Politicians urge FDNY and NYPD to hire green-card holders

As the FDNY undergoes civil rights investigations for not hiring enough minorities, politicians and immigrant rights activists are fighting for change. more>

Immigrants march to protect their right to drive

Hundreds of immigrants from diverse ethnic communities demanded the right to have a driver’s license as they rallied through the streets of Queens on March 5th. Several advocacy groups for immigrant rights and elected officials joined the march to make their voices heard in Albany. more>

Abused mother fights to be reunited with her son

Kelly violated a court order and took her son from the United States to China. She cited her former husband’s abusive behavior as the reason, saying that she feared for her and her son’s safety. Nevertheless, she was charged by the court after she returned to United States and was arrested. more>

Chinatown is not gaining from city’s record tourism

Although Mayor Bloomberg reports tourism to the city is recovering, the record number of visitors to the city in 2003 and the $16 billion spent did little for Chinatown. Chinatown leaders attribute its troubles to the area’s unsolved infrastructure problems. more>

Asian American gays hope to blend into mainstream

Several Asian American gay groups participated in the annual Gay Pride parade in Manhattan, hoping to gain mainstream society’s acceptance as well as their own community’s. more>

Chinese coalition protests Lower Manhattan development agenda

The Lower East Side and Chinatown Coalition unveiled its own rebuilding proposal demanding that more money should be invested in health care, the environment, affordable housing, sustainable land use, and the creation of jobs. more>

Once violent Staten Island school woos Chinese students back with scholars program

The once frequent reports of violence at I.S. 49 in Staten Island prompted many Chinese parents to remove their children from the school. But new academic initiatives—and beefed up security—have worked well to bring the community back. more>

Chinese-American student sues city for violence in Brooklyn high school

Brooklyn’s Lafayette High School is considered the most violent public school among the top ten most violent schools in New York City. After being victimized in school, Jin Ho used different channels to fight for his rights. more>

Chinatown parents confused about plan to close city middle schools

While his third grade promotion policy is stirring controversy, Chancellor Klein’s plan to restructure middle schools has gotten little notice. Within five years, two-thirds of the city’s 228 middle schools will be closed. more>

Chinatown’s first rapper causes controversy in the community

Jin’s popular first single “Learn Chinese” describes him as a food deliveryman and a gang member in Chinatown. With his debut disc coming soon, the community worries that it will bring violence to their streets. more>

Chinese herbs making inroads in the U.S. market

The taste and the comfort that a Chinese herbal drink brought to his throat were enough to lure U.S. publishing scion Robert McGraw away from the family business to set up Longjiang River Health Products in China. He aims to introduce the magic LHK, as well as other Chinese herbs, to the world. more>

No! to taking exams on the Lunar New Year – the Chinese community complains

By scheduling mid-year exams on Lunar New Year’s Day, some New York public high schools have incensed the Chinese community. On Jan. 13, under pressure from the community, Joel Klein, chancellor of the NYC Department of Education (DOE), sent letters to school principals asking them to rearrange exam dates. more>

Bush plan "Big Gift" to employers

Fujian immigrants’ family problems concern Chinese community

On Dec. 13, a female Fujian immigrant hung herself in front of her ex-husband’s apartment. The incident has drawn much sympathy in the Chinese community. The community worries this tragedy may be part of a larger problem: the family structure of Fujian immigrants and the potential trouble it brings. more>

Non-partisan election plan stirs debate in the Chinese community

Community organizations and influential figures are using all avenues to persuade voters to vote for—or against—the mayor’s charter revision to eliminate party primaries. Both sides cite political benefits to immigrants as the basis of their opposing points of view. more>

Chinese participate in record numbers

Guiyu Feng, 76, and Yuexin Huang, 80, were dancing on the grass in the Flushing Meadow Park. Their audience were immigrants of different races. At the other end of the grass Oliver and Oscar Ni, three-year-old twins, were sitting in a stroller with a slogan board larger than their bodies. It said: “Justice for all.” more>

Patriot Act devastates Chinatown banking

Bank obliged to close down its lifeline. Its clients are undocumented immigrants. more>

Downtown Manhattan fights for Liberty Jobs

More than 300,000 New Yorkers are out of work, and half of the job loss is due to the effects of September 11th. In Chinatown, 60 percent of garment workers are unemployed. Liberty Jobs program would help, though its fate hangs in the balance. more>

Police claim that Zhang Qua was a special case

Zhang Qua, undocumented but not a suspect in any crime, was handed over to Homeland Security by the police. Fingerpointing at Bloomberg Executive Order by Chinatown community. more>

Police try to close down bootleggers again

These days, the normally bustling Canal Street is deserted. After a recent police raid, unlicensed vendors and store owners have packed up their merchandise. But they haven’t gone too far. more>

Ignored by governor but supported by many

Each worker attending the week-long strike, which started on May 6, has a tragic story. Though they were injured in different ways, all were abandoned by the New York State injured worker’s compensation policy. more>

Chinese immigrants loathe to seek mental health help

Since he opened his office, Dr. Zhang has done about 30 workshops at Flushing Library to raise awareness about mental health and the need for psychological counseling among Chinese people. The workshops were very popular, but they didn’t transfer into turnout in his office. Are cultural stigmas to blame? more>

Seward Park High School will be gone, Chinatown concerned about fate of bilingual program

Chinatown is worried about the fate of Seward Park High School’s bilingual program, the largest in the city. The city is replacing the large high school with two smaller ones and promises to keep a bilingual program in one. But with the trend away from bilingual education, Chinatown’s residents are not reassured. more>

Workers are in class, factories are empty: Owners charge September 11th Fund ESL program hurts Chinatown’s garment industry

Owners charge that the September 11th fund—which funds ESL classes for displaced garment workers—is harming the garment industry. Because of an increase in orders for army uniforms, factories have more work than their reduced staffs can handle, owners say. more>

In Flushing, fight between peaceful unification activists and dissidents causes professor’s death

Members of the Rescue Wang Bingzhang Committee, (RWBC) a Chinese political dissidents organization, and members of the New York Association for the Peaceful Unification of China (NYAPUC), a pro-Chinese-government organization, clashed about politics in front of the Flushing Library. The excitement led to the death of an elderly professor. more>

Police believe the Lins murders related to money conflicts

Although most in the Chinese community praised the Lins’ generosity and contributions to the community, some are saying that Mrs. Lin—a contributor to the Republican party—demanded bribes from apartment-seekers interested in renting in her Brooklyn subsidized housing complex. more>

Lafayette High student charged with school hate crime

Brooklyn authorities charged a Lafayette High School student with a hate crime. He allegedly assaulted a fellow student while cursing Chinese people. The incident is one of several similar attacks at Lafayette recently. more>

New strategy of self-help: Chinatown garment industry turns to China for hope

Teddy Lai, the Executive Director of the Greater Blouse, Skirt & Undergarment Association, will lead a delegation of Manhattan’s Chinatown garment industry executives to try to convince China’s wholesalers to promote clothes labeled “made in Chinatown” in the big market in China. The delegation will visit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou this month. more>

Redistricting: the people of Chinatown try to create its history

As redistricting only occurs every 10 years, Chinatown’s residents want to ensure that new lines are drawn in their best interests. In District 1, with wealthy areas like Soho, many feel that their issues are ignored and would be better served in a new district that included the growing Hispanic population on the Lower East Side. Others feel that Chinatown’s lines should stay put. more>

Chinese Americans pleased by Pataki’s landslide

“In New York, the Republican Party is the minority party. However, its policies match the visions of many Chinese Americans,” said Republican Hsieh Mei-Lin. Others disagree, saying that although Pataki has a good record of achievement, the governor’s failure to address workers’ problems after September 11th exposes his weakness. more>

Asian organizations fight against discrimination: Costume maker recalls Kung Fu mask

Asian organizations accused San Diego-based costume maker Disguise, Inc., of discrimination because of their Kung Fu-style mask, which the company put on the market this September in time for Halloween. After protests, Disguise apologized and recalled the masks. more>

Councilman Alan Gerson works with several Chinese organizations to initiate an Asian American Art and Culture Center

Councilman Alan Gerson said that Chinatown must play a significant role in rebuilding lower Manhattan; to that end, he is petitioning the state government for research funds to investigate building an arts center in Chinatown. Local arts organizations, many of which are part of the planning, say such a center is badly needed. more>

Flushing has become the second-largest banking area in New York; deposits exceed $3 billion

Managers of both the international banks and Chinese-run banks agree that as more and more new Chinese immigrants and Chinese-run banks rush in, there is no limit to the potential demand for banking services in Flushing. more>

Reflections on “pseudo-Chinese culture” and cultural introduction prompted by Amy Tan’s book signing at FAO Schwartz

Amy Tan’s appearance at FAO Schwartz to sign her children’s book “Sagwa,” crated some controversy and reflection within the Chinese-American community here. Tan, who speaks only a little Chinese, claims that she does not mean to be a representative of the culture, only of her own experiences. more>

Chinatown jewelry industry still struggling

“Discount” and “sale” signs are everywhere in the windows of the hundreds of jewelry stores along crowded Canal Street. As one of the major traditional businesses in Chinatown, the jewelry stores are still struggling even one year after September 11th. more>

No sane New Yorker will eat in Chinatown? Customers and Chinese restaurants owners disagree

“It is crazy!” said Enrique Calzada when he learned of a Health Department inspectors’ comment in The New Yorker magazine while eating in Chinatown. The comment offended Chinatown’s regulars, irked restaurant owners, and provoked a response from Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields. The Health Department has since apologized. more>

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory’s twenty five year legend

Read through any Chinatown tour guide and you will always find the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory on Bayard Street gets high marks. Founded 25 years ago by five second-generation Chinese brothers, CICF has attracted a large group of loyal customers, both Chinese and Western, with its special flavors. more>

From subway stations to Carnegie Hall

Most members of the Bao An Group had to live from subway station performances when they first came to the United States—and some continue to do so, even now. So, the road to Carnegie Hall was not an easy one. more>

With city officials cutting budget, who will care for the elders? Senior citizen community organizations explain difficulties fo

Members of the Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York and the Coalition Against Hunger gathered at the City Hall Senior Center to discuss the effects of city budget cuts on senior citizens. They urged everyone to respect and to take care of the elderly. more>

McDonald’s takes its “dollar menu” to the bathroom

The Choice is Yours: At the McDonald’s on Canal Street, you can use the bathroom only if you buy a $1 certificate or unless you’ve already spent at least that on food or drink. more>