This Week in Asian Pacific Islander American News
This week, Anthony Veasna So’s book Afterparties was posthumously released. From the Los Angeles Times, “Though his life was brief, So left behind both a boldly creative work and a monument to his milieu. The author, also a visual artist who frequently employed collages, crafted his stories directly from life, immortalizing a family, a city and a community underrepresented in fiction.” We love you and celebrate you.
Check out urbanitymag.com for current news by, for and about APIAs.
Politics
VOA: Multiple US States Tightening Voting Regulations Amid Weakened VRA (August 3) “It’s impossible to overestimate how harmful this [election reform] bill is,” Texas State Representative Nicole Collier told VOA, “Republicans in this state and across the country are chipping away at our freedom to vote.”
The Columbus Dispatch: With rise in anti-Asian harassment, efforts renewed to establish Ohio AAPI Commission (July 22) The idea still faces high hurdles as legislative leaders shot it down in state budget discussions.
Gotham Gazette: De Blasio Racial Justice Commission Launches Public Hearings Leading to Ballot Proposals (July 29) Mayor Bill de Blasio’s racial justice commission, which he officially created in March to confront and eliminate structural and institutional racism in the city and doubles as a New York City Charter revision commission, will release proposals for the 2022 general election ballot at the end of this year, just as the mayor ends his second term and leaves office.
Social Justice
KOSU: New Illinois Law To Require Asian-American History In Public Schools (July 24)The Asian American community is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. today, but very little about its history is taught in public schools across the country.
WDET: Rising Voices Amplify Centers the Stories of Metro Detroit’s Asian American Communities (August 3) With the approach of the Aug. 3 primary election, nonprofit Rising Voices seeks to empower metro Detroit’s Asian American community through voter outreach and education.
Art, Culture, and Media
WSAW: Wausau Hmong Festival kicks off first day Saturday Morning (July 31) Wausau’s Hmong Festival started last Saturday morning at the Marathon Co. Sports Complex. It’s the largest Hmong Festival in the region.
GQ: Anthony Veasna So’s Stories of a Generation Will Live Long After His Death (August 3) The 28-year old, who died before the release of his first collection, Afterparties, was “the Cambodian literary Selena” and “immortalized Cambodian California.”
Washington Post: Art exhibition shines a light on the tangled cultural history of the Asian diaspora in the Americas (August 3) “No Ocean Between Us: Art of Asian Diasporas in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1945-Present” charts the evolution of artists of Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian heritage in 10 Caribbean and Latin American countries.
Olympics
KSTP: For Hmong Americans, Suni Lee’s golden Olympic run is representation on the world stage (July 31) Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee captured the heart of the country, inspiring Americans to learn more about Hmong refugees and their families.
OutSports: Out swimmer Erica Sullivan wins silver, proudly calls herself the ‘epitome of an American person’ (July 28) In a surprise finish, beloved queer Asian American star Sullivan won the silver medal Wednesday in the inaugural women’s 1,500-meter freestyle, finishing just four seconds behind teammate Katie Ledecky.
Reuters: Weightlifting-Diaz wins first ever Olympic gold for Philippines (July 26) Philippines’ Hidilyn Diaz became her country’s first ever Olympic gold medalist on Monday, winning the women’s 55 kg category for weightlifting in Tokyo.
Check out more scraped news and curated content at urbanitymag.com. Contributed by Jaimee-Ian Rodriguez.
