Category Archives: History

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver talks about Asian Americans

This Last Week Tonight segment on Asian Americans hosted by John Olliver gives an overview of Asian American history and the current issues facing Asian Americans, done in his usually satirical style.  I was pleasantly surprised by how thorough it … Continue reading

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Lola’s Work: An Animated StoryCorps Feature

I was moved by this story about a devoted grandmother, which was featured on NPR and StoryCorps, and now StoryCorps has turned it into a featured animated story!   It also features some pictures painted by her and her grandson of … Continue reading

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San Jose to Add Delano Manongs Park, named for Filipino American Farm Workers

The City of San Jose is adding a new park called Delano Manongs Park, honoring the Delano Manong farm workers, key players in the founding of the United Farm workers and the Delano Grape strike.  According to this City of … Continue reading

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The Stories of our Elders: Lola’s Sacrifices and Life Lessons

With our Asian American elders under attack, we should remember that one way to honor them is to preserve their stories. One really convenient and great way to do that is through StoryCorps, which provides apps to record their stories … Continue reading

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In Praise of Spam: Prose, a Play, and a Poem

Spam, Eggs, and Rice. That was a familiar and comforting meal when I was a kid, and I still feel that way today. While Spam has been condemned as the epitomy of unhealthy processed food, I recently learned about an … Continue reading

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The First US Television series featuring an Asian American Actor is Lost and Probably Gone Forever

The blog title above might make you wonder if something happened to Fresh off the Boat.  Perhaps if you were older or well versed in pop culture, you might wonder if something happened to copies of All American Girl (1994), … Continue reading

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Asian American Cultural Landmarks: The San Gabriel Valley and Beyond

While conflicts have increased about American historical monuments and landmarks, especially regarding statues of slave owners or institutions named after racists, this article from Hyperallergic asks, what kind of cultural landmarks do Asian Americans establish?   In “In American’s “First Suburban … Continue reading

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Why there are so Many Filipino Nurses in the US: A Video Explanation

We talked about how Filipino American nurses have been hard hit by the Coronavirus, which makes sense since they are a significant proportion of the US nursing workforce compared to their proportion of the general US population.  How did that … Continue reading

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A Remarkable Search: “A Vanished Dream: Wartime Story of My Japanese Grandfather”

Long hidden family secrets, an African American journalist’s deathbed request, and the Japanese American internment – all these seemingly unconnected elements connect to create a moving and timely documentary about a man taken away by the authorities and never again … Continue reading

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US Memorial Day: Remembering Hazel Ying Lee, WASP Pilot

Hazel Ying Lee  was one of two Chinese American women in United State’s Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) program during World War II (Maggie Gee was the other).  She learned to fly and later volunteered to fight the Japanese in … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “Year of the Rabbit” by Tian Veasna

Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna is a stunning graphic novel detailing the true story of one family’s struggle to survive under the Khmer Rouge. Veasna himself was born in 1975, three days after the Khmer Rouge came to … Continue reading

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Fire Likely Destroys Museum of Chinese in America Collection

Last Thursday, a fire at 70 Mulberry Street in New York City’s Chinatown likely destroyed  85,000+ objects that comprise the collection of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). The main museum is at 215 Centre Street, but 70 Mulberry … Continue reading

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