Illinois primary results highlight rising political power of Asian Americans
By Jenny G. Zhang Tuesday’s primary election proved a big win for Asian Americans, as candidates Theresa Mah, Josina Morita, Tammy Duckworth and Raja Krishnamoorthi won their respective races in Illinois. Mah and Morita made history by becoming, respectively, the first Asian American elected to the Illinois General Assembly and the first Asian American elected […]
Volunteers phone bank for Asian American civic engagement
By Shanshan Wang Audio by Jenny G. Zhang Rebecca Ozaki has been trying to encourage Asian Americans to vote through phone banking, which she hopes will be effective in getting them to the polls. “Why we call is because a lot of people may not be told what difference they can have by voting in […]
“Collective Voices, Shared Journeys”: Art that pays homage to survivors of gender violence
By Jenny G. Zhang Malala Yousafzai. Benazir Bhutto. Gloria Gaynor. These women of color – activists, leaders, cultural icons – stand in sharp relief against the sky-blue background of the collage. Pasted together, their edges overlapping, the figures pay homage to survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, political violence, deportation, incarceration and hate crimes. “They […]
Community performances raise awareness for the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
By Jenny G. Zhang “Coming, Mr. King!” the caregiver calls to her bedridden employer. His bell chimes insistently, joining the cacophony of shrill rings from her cell phone and the landline. Ding! – her family in the Philippines – ding! – requests for more money – ding! – her sick father – ding! – Mr. […]
Chinese artist Xu Bing on inspiration, creativity and the future of art
By Jenny G. Zhang What is the source of inspiration? According to acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Bing, the answer is all around us. “Our creations will always be a response to the new energy and questions or problems that occur from our social reality,” said Xu, who spoke before a full auditorium at the Art […]
Gay Chinese Americans are caught in a tug-of-war
By Jenny Lee and Ya Zhou Disoriented by the constant tug-of-war in China over homosexuality, gay Chinese Americans are looking for support in the United States, where same-sex marriage is legal. What they are facing is the conflict between their gender identity and the traditional values their parents hold, but with family lying at at […]
Japanese Americans commemorate the 74th anniversary of World War II internment
By Jenny G. Zhang Jean Mishima was 6 years old when she and her family were forced to leave their home in California and relocate to an internment camp 600 miles away in Gila River, Arizona. “My parents, they lost everything,” Mishima recalled. Their five acres of farmland, their livelihoods, their dignity – all of […]
Chinatown celebrates the Year of the Monkey with spectacular Chinese New Year parade (PHOTO GALLERY)
By Jenny G. Zhang Hundreds of Chicagoans braved the cold and the snow to ring in the Year of the Monkey at the annual Chinese New Year parade in the heart of Chinatown on February 14. Beginning at 1 p.m., 53 parade units – including eight marching bands and 18 colorful floats – followed the […]
Comedy troupe “Stir Friday Night” delivers laughs, with a side of Asian-American humor
By Jenny G. Zhang “Don’t fall asleep with the fan on!” a mother tells her son as she bids him good night, citing a Korean wives’ tale that sleeping with the fan on will result in death. Scoffing, the son ignores the warning and nods off. In the darkness, the fan swivels to a halt […]
Divvy expansion to bring 75 new stations and nearly 1,000 bikes to 10 more locations
By Jenny G. Zhang In the next major expansion of Divvy, Chicago’s popular bike sharing program will extend to the south and west sides, as well as two suburbs, with the addition of 75 new bike stations and nearly 1,000 bikes in summer 2016, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced recently. Plans include 40 stations in the […]
