Asian Journal News

[COLUMN] Fraud and entering the US under an assumed name – just some of the immigration issues that Atty. Gurfinkel answers on part 3 of a series of Q&A on Citizen Pinoy

CITIZEN Pinoy’s “Your Tanong, My Sagot” in Chicago is now on its third installment, and leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from Kapamilya in the “Windy City” and its neighboring areas. Josephine’s niece was petitioned by a nursing home, but the business closed and the lawyer helping her was disbarred….

[COLUMN] Here we go again!

CORONAVIRUSES are single-strained RNA viruses with large genomes, of which there were two. In late 2019, in Wuhan, China, a third “novel” (new) coronavirus emerged, identified as SARS-CoV2, which started this COVID-19 pandemic. It started with the Alpha strain, and subsequently mutated to Delta, Omicron-BA.1 (with subvariant Stealth Omicron-BA.2). As new mutations evolved, they replaced…

Mayor Breed announces $6M grant for gun violence prevention program

SFPD will use state grant to support and expand the Violence Reduction Initiative that works to intervene with those who are most at risk of engaging in or being the victim of gun violence. SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor London Breed and San Francisco Police Chief William Scott on Monday, June 13 announced a $6 million grant awarded…

Fil-Am designer collaborates with Vans to release shoes inspired by Filipino heritage, father’s immigration story

LOS ANGELES – When Filipino American artist and graphic designer DJ Javier was designing the shoes for his biggest collaboration with shoe manufacturing giant, Vans, all he could think about was to pay tribute to his father, Liberato. On this Father’s Day 2022, Javier wants to remember all his dad’s sacrifices and hard work being…

Biden signs off on first steps toward national AAPI museum

UNITED States President Joe Biden on Monday, June 13 signed a bill that will kickstart the creation of a national museum dedicated to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history and culture. HR 3525, also called the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act, will…

California mortgage relief program expands eligibility for homeowners amid COVID hardships

THE California Mortgage Relief Program announced that it is significantly expanding eligibility requirements to offer funding to a greater number of California homeowners who have fallen behind on housing payments due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has modified the past-due requirement to include homeowners who missed payments in the first half of…

Omicron variants fueling recent increases in COVID-19 cases

9 INCREASES in new Omicron variants continue to fuel high transmission in Los Angeles County, with cases and hospitalizations currently much higher than they were at this time last year, showing just how infectious the current Omicron variants and sub-lineages are. For specimens collected for the week ending May 21, 98% of specimens continue to…

Long Beach social justice art exhibit highlights youth stories

LONG BEACH, Calif. — To amplify the power of youth’s voices, Intertrend Communications Inc., an award-winning multicultural communications agency, recently launched the first-of-its-kind art exhibition, showcasing entries from a writing contest, dubbed “Letters To…An Extraordinary Correspondence,” conducted by its branding unit Make Noise Today (MNT). Launched in December last year, the “Letters to…” contest has…

[OPINION] The irony of Independence Day: When Filipinos embrace and hail their oppressors as their heroes

THIS year’s celebration of Independence Day felt like there was a dark cloud hovering above the 7,100 beautiful islands of our beloved Philippines. Where there should be pride and joy and a jubilant spirit in celebrating the day when we won our freedom from foreign intrusion and occupation of our Motherland, gloom and helplessness were…

Consumer Columnists

[COLUMN] Does filing bankruptcy make sense for your situation?

NO one ever likes to talk about bankruptcy. However, it’s simply a fact of life. Things happen. Whether it’s losing your job, going through a divorce, having huge medical bills that you can’t pay – or sometimes simply making poor financial decisions- any of these can lead to bankruptcy. It’s a scary thing to a…

Lifestyle Columnists

[COLUMN] Part III: Mindfulness as a survival skill

Part 2 of 2 (Continued from last week…) I plead the case for mindfulness for everyone at all times and in all places. Do you feel incomplete, naked, inept and insecure when you are not tethered electronically to your cellphone or your computer? Do you feel less of a person? Take heart. You are not…

Asia Pacific Fashion Week presents fast-rising children’s clothing designer Chewy Jang

CHEWY JANG (Joo Yung Jang) is the CEO of Kid’s Dream, a special occasion children’s clothing brand that inspires young girls to feel beautiful and confident on their special day. Whether it be a birthday, communion, life milestones, or holiday occasions — Kid’s Dream is here to celebrate them! Chewy – one of the designers…

Southern California Midweek Edition: June 15 – 17, 2022

Immigration Columnists

[COLUMN] Permanent residence for crewmen

A COMMON issue for which persons have consulted with me is whether any avenues towards permanent residence exist for a person who entered as a “crewman.” Under INA Section 245(c)(1), a person who enters the US as a “crewman” is generally barred from adjusting his status to permanent residence. Analysis of this issue must begin…

COVID cases increase at LA County skilled nursing facilities anew

With high rates of transmission across Los Angeles County, positive cases and outbreaks are increasing at skilled nursing facilities, the public health department reported on Friday, June 10. For the week ending May 29, skilled nursing facilities reported 114 new cases among residents and 205 new cases among staff. This represents a 443% and 439%…

California officials call for more funding for Asian-language teachers

DESPITE the growing Asian community in California and nationwide, the Golden State does not have enough accredited Asian-language teachers and instructors, statewide officials say. For the 2020-2021 school year, almost 1,200 accreditations for bilingual instructors were confirmed by the California Dept. of Education (CDOE), but only 93 of those accreditations were for Asian-language instructors. California…

[OPINION] Poll: A majority of Americans believe gun control is more important than protecting right to own guns

THE philosophical question is again being made the center of the ongoing debate involving our rights and liberties in America. This comes amid the escalating number of mass shootings and massacres of people, including many children in schools, perpetrated by civilians using high powered guns intended to be used by military men in the battlefield….

[OPINION] With rising inflation, just say no to California’s costly Plastics Tax Initiative

LIVING in California, in good economic times, is an expensive endeavor. But, with rapid inflation and runaway home prices, the state is quickly becoming unaffordable for all but those at the top of the income pyramid. The nation’s highest gas prices, shortages of essential consumer items and rising grocery bills make it increasingly harder for…

Consumer Columnists

[COLUMN] What is retaliation against a ‘protected activity’?

Q: I HAVE been employed by a mid-size company in Los Angeles for over 2 years. Recently, some co-workers privately talked to me that several workers in their department often make crude sex jokes that make everyone else uncomfortable. They’re afraid to complain because two of the perpetrators are in management positions. What can we…

Lifestyle Columnists

[COLUMN] What’s stirring inside of us

HAPPY Trinity Sunday! It’s the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit What do this feast and the dogma mean to us? How do we make sense of this mystery of our faith? In childhood, the first thing we learn about God is that He is love in a…

Consumer Columnists

[COLUMN] How important is it to have a living trust?

THINKING about one’s demise is not something people want to spend time thinking about. However reality is that we all have to face this one day. It is just a matter of whether you depart this world prepared or unprepared. If you pass away with at least $184,500 in gross assets and you do not…

Consumer Columnists

[COLUMN] Senior client with business faces crossroads with $70K credit cards

THE client is 72, married, and owns a small business. He’s been operating the business for the last 30 years. At its height, when times were good, the business had 10 full-time employees. He used to net between $120,000 to $150,000 of profits after tax. That’s a nice and decent profit. Well, what happened to…

Los Angeles Weekend Edition: June 11 – 14, 2022

Fil-Am candidate for LA city controller Kenneth Mejia advances to November election

If elected, Mejia would become the first Filipino elected official in the city of LA FOLLOWING the 2022 primary election, Kenneth Mejia, the ambitious grassroots candidate for Los Angeles city controller, advanced to the November runoff against Councilmember Paul Koretz, making him one step closer to becoming the first Filipino elected official in the city…

Art, musical event takes place at iconic Yamashiro Hollywood

IN 1911, when the Bernheimer brothers built Yamashiro with a hundred Japanese craftsmen to replicate a palace located at the Yamashiro province mountains near Kyoto Japan, they had the vision of housing priceless collection of Asian treasures and artifacts for enjoyment of the general public. It was indeed a window to reimagine the colorful and…

San Diego Edition: June 10 – 16, 2022

Las Vegas Edition: June 09 – 15, 2022

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta advances to Nov. general election

CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta is advancing to the general election in November after being the top vote-getter in the state’s primary on Tuesday, June 7. Bonta, who was appointed to the top post in 2021, was the only Democrat in the primary race and received 57% of the vote (1,819,199) as of June 8,…

Fire Island: A raunchy rom-com all about chosen family

THIS story began when comedian Joel Kim Booster went to Fire Island in the summer of 2016 and brought along with him a copy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. “I was next to Joel when he came up with the idea. He was reading Pride and Prejudice and we were next to each other…

Children’s vision problems often go undetected, despite calls for regular screening

Jessica Oberoi, 13, can’t exactly remember when her eyesight started getting blurry. All she knows is that she had to squint to see the whiteboard at school. It wasn’t until last fall when her eighth grade class in Bloomington, Indiana, got vision screenings that Jessica’s extreme nearsightedness and amblyopia, or lazy eye, were discovered. She’s…