Historic publication AsianWeek, which closed in 2009, resurfaces with free online archive
By Ryan General
September 21, 2023
A historic Asian American newspaper that had ceased publication over a decade ago, has been reborn as a free online source for the community.
Legacy of Asian American reporting: Founded by John Fang in San Francisco in 1979, AsianWeek held the distinction of being the first major English-language outlet dedicated to publishing content on Asian American topics. Stories ranged from national politics to immigration and college admissions issues.
An economic recession ended the publication’s three-decade-long operation in 2009, amid similar closures of numerous media outlets across the nation.
A digital rebirth: The Fang family, who also owned the San Francisco Examiner, spent years of dedicated work on the digitalization of three decades’ worth of content. On Tuesday, they unveiled AsianWeek’s extensive online repository organized by article keywords, bylines, issue dates and even images.
Launch event: The launch event witnessed the reunion of many former AsianWeek staff writers, columnists and regular readers. Emil Guillermo, a longtime AsianWeek columnist and media personality, emphasized the historical significance of the publication.
“This is the historical record,” Guillermo was quoted saying. “You go back and see, ‘What happened to Asians?’”
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, an avid AsianWeek reader, commended the newspaper for amplifying the voice of the Asian American community. He described it as a beacon of San Francisco’s cultural diversity that “drew me to the city.”
Preserving Asian American voices: The rebirth of AsianWeek as a free online source marks a significant step in preserving and celebrating the history of the Asian American community. The Fang family, however, stated that they don’t have any current plans to restart the paper.
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