[COLUMN] On honoring APA Heritage Month
By Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes WHETHER one identifies as Asian Pacific American, Asian American Pacific Islander, some subset of those categories or, like me, all of the above, May…
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[COLUMN] To vax or not to vax; to mask or not to mask — these are the questions we need to answer in this war against COVID-19
JUST as people are dying in the Philippines, and lockdowns continue to be enforced in many parts of the country, life-saving vaccines are in danger of expiring in storage areas…
[COLUMN] Appreciate nurses — we can all do our part to help end the pandemic
By Dr. Raynald Samoa THROUGHOUT the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been inspired by the strength and resilience of California’s nurses, many of whom are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)….
[COLUMN] How President Biden’s jobs plan creates jobs, expands the middle class, rebuilds the United States to be more competitive in the 21st century
AFTER the hardship of the Great Depression, the United States showed the world how to rise from the rubbles, reinventing itself by using the challenges as opportunities to become the…
[COLUMN] Mothers’ Day wish: Let’s all get vaccinated to attain herd immunity, save lives, and win the war against COVID-19
THIS piece is a tribute to all mothers as we celebrate Mothers’ Day this weekend. We all have been blessed with life because we have a mother who nurtured us…
[OPINION] Biden’s American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan invest in the most important resource of the United States — the ordinary hardworking people like you and me
THE coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted the lives and economy of the world has so glaringly highlighted how America — supposedly the most powerful and richest nation in the world,…
[OPINION] A call to action and for abolition during Heritage Month
By Gregory A. Cendana WE have arrived at another May, which many in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities know as our Heritage Month. It is yet another moment, for…
[OPINION] First Joint Address to Congress: President Joe Biden ignites hope with his caring, steady leadership and bold vision to invest in ordinary Americans
PRESIDENT Joe Biden might not have lifted our spirits up as much as Barack Obama’s lofty oratorical skills splendidly did, nor did he arouse strong emotions that made us angry,…
[OPINION] Potential pork crisis looming in California
AS advocacy-oriented organizations of community, faith-based, and nonprofit leaders working collectively to empower underserved communities, the National Asian American Coalition and the National Diversity Coalition have been intensely focused on…
[COLUMN] Being fully vaccinated ushers us back faster and safely toward the ‘normal’ life we have been missing because of COVID-19
IF you have been fully vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask outdoors when you take a walk, go to the park, enjoy picnics and barbecues with family and…
[COLUMN] Community pantries for hungry kababayans garner global attention as the Philippine government lags behind in pandemic aid
A COMMUNITY pantry is definitely NOT the “Communist Party.” Some people with ill intentions are linking the grassroots initiative to “communism” and creating fear and doubt among people instead of…
[COLUMN] To vaccinate or not to vaccinate
TO vac or not to vac, that is the question Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of coronavirus Or to give arms to vaccination…
[OPINION] Why George Floyd matters in our pursuit of justice: Ex-police officer Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder, manslaughter in Floyd’s death
THE jury has reached a verdict: Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday, April 20 has been found GUILTY on all counts he faced over the death of George Floyd….
[OPINION] Enough of the wars! Let’s welcome our troops back home from Afghanistan on September 11, 2021
EVERY TIME we watch funerals and burials of our fallen soldiers, every time we see and hear the pain, the anguish, the indescribable sense of loss in the eyes and…
[OPINION] Pragmatism vs ideology: Why rule of law should not be political
In 2016, I was a victim of crime. This came shortly after the passage of Prop 47 when certain violent and property crimes increased due to lighter sentencing. For me,…
[OPINION] Dismantling AAPI hate for a more inclusive future
By Bobby T. Rimas SO far this year, America has seen many great moments of more diverse representation than ever before with Deb Haaland, the first Native American United States…
[COLUMN] What to know about vaccine passports in the age of global mobility and in our war against COVID-19
VACCINE PASSPORTS are just the electronic versions of the paper proof of vaccinations we have been using in the past — whether it’s to enter the United States as new…
[COLUMN] Get vaccinated: Our shield and weapon against the growing threat of COVID-19 variants
AS the world continues its fight against the deadly COVID-19 and its variants, we Filipinos in the United States must be grateful that as of April 7, 1 out of…
[OPINION] Of course we will survive
THE latest Bloomberg news on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines seemed to me like a doomsday report. I was, frankly, rattled and found myself asking knowledgeable…
[COLUMN] Voter suppression by Republican leaders is a blatant violation of the most important constitutional right of citizens in a democracy
DEMOCRACY is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. The laws of the land, therefore, are meant to protect the governed, and not the governor; the…
[COLUMN] A border of bureaucracy has kept my family apart for 35 years
by Michael Milan I was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from the Philippines. My father served in the U.S. Navy and my mother was a registered nurse who…
[COLUMN] My mother’s journey: Chasing the promise of Easter in the age of coronavirus
IF Good Friday is here, can Easter be far behind? This is a rhetorical question that takes on a different meaning during these challenging times as we continue to fight…
[COLUMN] On dealing with racists, bullies and thugs
TWO instances of unprovoked attacks on elderly Asian women were featured on network TV in March — one in New York and the other incident, in San Francisco. The New…
[COLUMN] Getting vaccinated will help end the pandemic and get us back to the life we miss
Every Californian age 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination on April 15. Vaccination is one of the most important ways to end the COVID-19 pandemic, and…
[COLUMN] COVID-19 is the cross we continue to carry this Holy Week. How do we move toward resurrection?
FOR the second year in a row, we are still in calvary, carrying the load of our cross brought by the escalating threat of the coronavirus pandemic. We thought it…
[COLUMN] The way of a conscious heart: Confronting unconscious bias in institutions and hate crimes
Part 2 of 2 “I see, above all, the pressing need to strengthen institutions, which are a vital reserve of moral energy and civic love. The hyperinflation of the individual…
[COLUMN] The life story of CA’s first Fil-Am attorney general Rob Bonta: A shining beacon of how immigrants build and strengthen the US
ONE silver lining during this period in our history when the violent physical and verbal attacks against Asian Americans have again escalated is the appointment of Rob Bonta, a 48-year-old…
[OPINION] Gun violence in the US: An epidemic politicians beholden to the NRA and gun-addicted Americans might not want to ever go away
INSANITY, an old age says, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. “Pag gusto, may paraan. Pag ayaw, may dahilan” (If you want…
[OPINION] Dear Filipinos in America: It is time to have a serious talk with the family about racism and the spread of the virus of hate
BREAKING NEWS about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) being massacred and assaulted because of their racial identity has dominated the headlines in recent weeks. Many of them are of…
[OPINION] A challenge and an opportunity against hate, misogyny & gun violence
The fatal shootings in Atlanta, Georgia of six women of Asian descent at businesses known to employ Asian workers are frightful and terrifying. It marks an escalation in the level…