Asian Americans
First Asian American women elected to the NC legislature
Voters elected Asian American women to the North Carolina legislature for the first time. Maria Cervania won House District 41 with nearly 64% of the vote. The district includes parts of Cary and Apex. She is in her first term as a Wake County commissioner and is the first Asian American/Pacific Islander elected to that […]
U.S. House members from NC disgrace themselves with votes against measures targeting anti-AAPI hate
They may have gotten lost somewhat in the torrent of big news stories this week, but for those who may have missed them, be sure to take a close look at the votes that took place in the U.S. House of Representatives this week on S. 937 (the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act) and HR 275 […]
Violence against AAPI community highlights five hard truths about racism and how we should respond
These are especially difficult times in the United States when it comes to matters of race and ethnicity. Thanks in part to former President Trump’s disgraceful and cynical tolerance and encouragement of white supremacists, race-based hate crimes have spiked in recent years. Attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific islanders in particular – like the horrific murders that rocked Atlanta last week – are up dramatically.
Asian-American communities are experiencing unique challenges in pandemic vaccination
The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations has increased rapidly in North Carolina this month with the growth in vaccine supplies, the addition of new vaccination sites, and expanded eligibility. But the push to vaccinate millions of people continues to face challenges -- especially in historically underserved communities where strained relationships with the government and health care providers make some people resistant to accepting the shot.
Asian American and Pacific Islander groups file amicus brief in support of UNC’s race-conscious admissions policies
North Carolina Asian Americans Together and a coalition of other groups are taking a stand in support of UNC’s position to continue their race-conscious admission policies. Here’s more from the good folks at NCAAT: North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) has joined with Asian Americans Advancing Justice (an affiliation of five civil rights organizations) alongside […]
Language barriers at the polls a concern for Asian-American voters
It’s been all about voter registration up to this point, but experts are beginning to express concern about language barriers on Election Day for one of North Carolina’s fastest growing populations: Asian-Americans. “Too often these challenges stand in the way of Asian-Americans achieving full political and voting power,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director […]
Asians and Latinos: Growing demographics and a history of solidarity
Asian Americans and Latinos are the fastest growing minority groups in the country. Particularly in North Carolina, Asian American population has grown more than 80% from 2000 to 2010 (see Advancing Justice’s recent report on the Asian American demographic in the South here), while Hispanic/Latino populations has grown more than 110%, according to the US […]
Voters have a right to language assistance
As ballots are cast all over the state today, it is important to remind voters and poll workers about Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act which allows voters to get language assistance at the polls. The relevant North Carolina statute states that any registered voter who has trouble reading is allowed to be assisted […]
Lunch Links: Bill Nye, CVS, Sochi, iWatch, Coke, dumplings and Captain America…
For your Wednesday lunch today- Science: Bill Nye, my childhood science mentor via PBS, debated Ken Ham last night on the science of evolution vs. creationism. Ham is the president of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, where the debate took place and was livestreamed. Um, yeah. Mashable has a recap here. You can also […]
Lunch Links Thursday: A brief Asian American perspective in NC
On August 15, 1945, 68 year ago today, Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, signaling the end of World War II. For attitudes domestically in the U.S., WWII brought out the best and the worst in us. From the same president who brought us the Social Security Act and other saving elements of the New […]
Asian American DREAMers and Allies in Charlotte to Advocate for Immigration Reform
A group of Asian American “DREAM Riders” from California, Illinois and Virginia will be traveling across the country in the next 2 weeks in a “national effort to build a unified Asian American voice for comprehensive immigration reform.” They will be stopping tonight at 630pm in Charlotte at The Asian Library for a community forum […]
New release spells out key facts about immigrants in NC
The good folks at the Immigration Policy Center and the American immigration Council have released newly updated state-by-state fact sheets with accompanying infographics that highlight the demographic and economic impact of New Americans, Asians and Latinos in each state. This is from the introduction to the North Carolina page: “Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians account for growing shares of […]