CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom will include Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) support services in his California Comeback Plan following the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year. The $100 billion plan will allocate $5 million for research, conducting hate prevention activities, and approving grants at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Meanwhile,…
MORE than three million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the Philippines, according to an official. National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday, May 18, said that the country has utilized a total of 3,114,847 doses since March 1. Meanwhile, NTF Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and…
Photo by Pam Menegakis on Unsplash Nurses’ union denounces CDC, state guidance Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement last week that face masks are no longer necessary for fully vaccinated individuals, California says it will not lift its mask mandate until June 15, the state’s targeted re-opening date. After the CDC’s…
AROUND 39 million families across the United States will receive the first monthly payment of the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) from the American Rescue Plan on July 15. The credit, which will cover 88% of children, will be sent as monthly payments without any further action required by the families, the Internal Revenue Service and…
FROM using a cane as a self-defense weapon to how to escape while in a headlock — these are some of the tips community members learned during a recent workshop in Carson, California. The “Defend Our Elders” event at Carson Park featured a live demonstration from Filipina American martial artist Diana Lee Inosanto (“The Mandalorian”)…
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez/Kaiser Health News Q: THE federal government approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. What does this mean for my child? Extending the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to preteens and young adolescents adds nearly 17 million more Americans to the pool of those eligible to be immunized against COVID-19,…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the country will not abandon its claims in the West Philippine Sea. In a statement read by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Duterte maintained that his position in the West Philippine Sea will not waver. “Our principal position and stand on the West Philippine Sea remains. I…
KABABAYANS who chose to uproot themselves from the Motherland share one aspiration: to give ourselves and our family life opportunities that have increasingly become scarce in the Philippines. This is especially true, not just in job and career opportunities, but more so in the quality of life the United States has been offering us and…
A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to support a documentary that explores the history and humanity of Filipino nurses in the United States risking their lives on the frontlines of a global health crisis. “Nurse Unseen,” directed and produced by Filipina American filmmaker Michele Josue, dives into why troves of Filipino nurses left the Philippines…
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 is a month where we celebrate the national contributions of a diverse group representing over fifty ethnic minority peoples and the fastest-growing minority demographic in…
ARE you seriously in debt and don’t know what to do about your situation? Are you afraid that unless you do something about it, thing will just continue to get worse every day? When people are going through financial difficulty and are unable to pay their bills, their first reaction is often to ignore their…
WHEN, and not if, this blasted pandemic finally leaves without a trace, what are your plans? Here’s a thought. How about playing tourist in your own native land? Get out of the city and really look with fresh eyes at the countryside. Let it not be said that aliens and other strangers saw something worthwhile…
Newly formed non-profit RE:Her announced a COVID-19 relief grant program, sponsored by DoorDash, to help women-owned restaurants in Los Angeles. This initiative builds on the organization’s January 2021 event called 10 Days RE:Her. RE:Her will distribute 15 cash grants of $10,000 each to female-identifying food and beverage entrepreneurs in LA County, which recipients can use to…
Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Asian American and woman vice president, will deliver the keynote address for the first-ever virtual AAPI Unity Summit hosted by the AAPI Victory Alliance on Wednesday, May 19. The virtual summit will begin at 3 p.m. PST/ 6 p.m. EST. Joining former Secretary of…
MISS Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo has concluded her pageant journey after finishing as a semifinalist at the competition’s Top 21. Mateo failed to enter the Top 10 of the 69th Miss Universe held on Sunday, May 16, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. In an Instagram live video hosted by…
CA, LA County begin accepting vaccination appointments for kids in this age group THE U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, May 10 announced that it amended its emergency use authorization for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to include teens between the ages of 12 and 15, clearing the way for the 17 million people…
THE daughter of the elderly Filipina immigrant who was assaulted in New York has launched a project that encourages Asian Americans to share their personal stories of racism and belonging in the United States. “AAP(I belong) is a place to share stories and words of encouragement from those who have encountered anti-Asian hatred,” Elizabeth Kari…
LA County still requires masks inside businesses AFTER a year of wearing masks, fully vaccinated individuals can forgo face coverings when outdoors or in most indoor settings, according to new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The relaxed measures were announced on Thursday, May 13, paving the way for safely resuming…
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Assemblymember Evan Low spoke about the need for Asian American politicians to create inclusive legislation to protect the Asian American community. The new attorney general announced a new Racial Justice Bureau will be created within the state’s Department of Justice to implement systemic changes within the…
THE Philippines’ National Capital Region (NCR) Plus will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” from May 15 to May 31. President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, May 13, downgraded the quarantine status of NCR Plus following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). “President Rodrigo…
AMONG the many problems made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles County is a familiar one: hunger. For the county’s Board of Supervisors it’s a top priority. “No one in Los Angeles County should be experiencing the pangs of hunger,” First District Supervisor Hilda Solis said at a virtual town hall press conference…
FILIPINA American Disney star and singer Olivia Rodrigo has followed up her chart-topping singles with a new track from her upcoming debut album. Rodrigo on Friday, May 14, released “Good 4 U,” the third single off of her highly-anticipated album “Sour” out on May 21. In her Billboard cover story, the star of “The High…
WITH a bigger budget, IRS recently hired new personnel to increase their historic low audit rates. Here are 7 targets for IRS audits: 1. Non-filers IRS estimates that nonfilers represent $39 billion in lost revenue annually. To make even worse, nonfilers leave the tax system for good. The IRS has restarted its delinquent return investigation and…
Q: I worked in a company for over 5 years. A client accused me of making a mistake in a big order. This was not true. But the new manager, who did not like me and wanted to bring in his best friend to do my job, used the client’s complaint as a reason to…
BITCOIN and other cryptocurrency has become popular lately as a new store of value. It is decentralized and not subject to regulation in any jurisdiction. It can be stored in a digital wallet or hard drive. Due to its lack of regulation, it is easy for one to assume that it is not necessary…
A DEBTOR who is 50 has accumulated credit card debt at the rate of $6,000 a year for the last 20 years. Now, he owes $70,000 of credit cards. He needs $2,400 a month of minimum credit card payments to keep all $70,000 current. His mortgage payment is $2,500 with a mortgage balance of $400,000….
FRIENDSHIP is one of our most precious values. It brings us joy, comfort, and hope. It sustains us and inspires us in our work and aspirations. Paulo Coelho says, “Friendship isn’t a big thing — it’s a million things.” Proverb 17:9 states, “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Then many of us agree to the…
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 of the Department of Health. “Supply of about 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses scheduled to expire by June 30, 2021. The doses were part of the…
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). This May and every day, I urge everyone to express appreciation to nurses by helping to end the pandemic. As we celebrate Asian Pacific American…
