Pearl Harbor and the Enduring Legacy of War
By Duke Omara Seventy-five years ago, on Dec. 7, 1941, a Japanese strike force consisting of six aircraft carriers descended on the territory of Hawaii and unleashed a ferocious aerial raid on the American naval base of Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island. Less than two hours after the first Japanese aircraft appeared over the horizon, […]
Hiding in plain sight: Chicago neighborhoods fight modern day slavery
By Duke Omara In the grand scheme of things, it was a small victory but for impoverished neighborhoods like Chicago’s Englewood, it was a triumph. After a protracted and sometimes acrimonious City Council battle in March, a bill to allow city strip clubs to sell liquor on their premises was shelved after its sponsor admitted […]
Hmong Community Struggles to Face Future Without Losing Sight of Past
By Duke Omara WASAU, Wis. – Fifteen-year old Dylan Yang had stabbed and killed 13-year-old Isaiah Powell after the two became involved in a Facebook feud. But what seemed like a teenage gang killing last February struck some as being symbolic of something much more malignant. Dylan belongs to the Hmong, a community of war […]
Explainer: How Hillary won the popular vote but lost the election
By Duke Omara In almost any other democracy, Hillary Clinton would be president today. She won the popular vote but still lost the election. So what happened? The Electoral College happened.
Kirk makes hard push for finish line in Chicago
By Duke Omara In his final night of campaigning, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) met with a group of Chicago area Asian-American leaders Monday and asked them to return him to Washington so he can continue championing the causes that propelled him to victory six years ago. “With just 24 hours to go, we can say […]
U.S. role on global stage bigger and stronger than ever, Kerry says in Chicago
By Duke Omara Secretary of State John Kerry, in what will likely be one of his last major speeches as the nation’s chief diplomat, has dismissed criticism that America’s global role is diminishing, and that the country was disengaging from the rest of the world. “The United States today is more deeply engaged, in more […]
New citizens welcomed in spooktacular ceremony
By Duke Omara Asonme Fozong bubbled with anticipation for the day she has long looked forward to. The 15-year-old, who was born in Cameroon, was about to become a U.S. citizen, although she has always felt like one since moving to the U.S. a decade ago. “It makes me feel real free and it gives […]
Female vets protest differences in care
By Fariba Pajooh and Duke Omara Synolve Netterville was idealistic, motivated and ready to serve her country. Joining the military at 24-years-old fulfilled a carefully thought-out plan. She had imagined retiring from the US Air Force and looking back proudly at years of service. All that changed the night she was raped.
