Race in America 🌎

Inflation has proven to be an issue for many communities worldwide and in the U.S. For businesses in Chinatown, this problem is forcing them to reassess their previous business models. 

Today, businesses in Chinatown are forced to raise prices nearly double what they initially charged for their products. Many business owners who were previously able to sell their products and services at low prices to make a profit are now being pushed to ban discounts and negotiations due to these rising costs, taking away their competitive edge. 

Due to the pandemic, complications within the supply chain continue to bog down businesses even as demand has started to return. Lockdowns in China have made it even harder for products to ship on a timely schedule. While business owners are cognizant of the need for residents to have affordable prices, it becomes harder and harder to accommodate. 

In Other Asian News 🗞

Lebanon is facing one of its worst economic crises in recent years, and with the elections coming up, a few candidates are pushing for change. 

Within the past two years, the Lebanese pound has lost 90% of its value, inflation has skyrocketed, and residents continue to express the hardships they face to survive. One resident said that the crisis has “slaughtered” them. As a result, new candidates, who hope for change, often can’t pay for TV advertisements or other marketing materials for their campaigns. 

Similarly, voters cannot afford gas or tickets to get to their voting locations. But, people are coming together to travel using buses, cars and even gas coupons. 

For the upcoming assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. urges the inclusion of Taiwan.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State argued that excluding Taiwan at China’s behest was “unwarranted and a concern for global health.” Previously, from 2009 to 2016, Taiwan was able to attend as an observer when Taiwanese-Chinese relations were on good terms; however, ever since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing regards as a separatist, China has blocked Taiwanese inclusion.

While Taiwan’s foreign minister expects that an invitation will be very hard to get, the WHO has announced that a decision for Taiwan to come as an observer will be made next week, as it has received a proposal from 13 member states in favor of Taiwan’s inclusion.

Entertainment 📺

Girls’ Generation (SNSD) has confirmed a full group comeback for their 15th anniversary. This will be the K-pop group’s first comeback in 5 years.

In promotion of their upcoming seventh album, the group plans to greet their fans through various TV and reality show appearances. 

What else is on our minds? 🧠

Looking for Asian American beauty brands to support?
This list by Complex includes national and international beauty brands to support during AAPI Heritage Month. Featuring lip care, vitamins, eyeshadow palettes, liquid highlighter and more!

What is the significance of Asian hair salons?
Since the shooting at a Korean hair salon in Dallas, many Asian women, who regarded these places as a space for community, now feel disrupted and unsafe. Hair salons in the Asian community “​​often serve as a reprieve from the discrimination that immigrant women may encounter in society, as well as from the intense loneliness that’s often embedded in the immigrant experience.” But now, that peace is destabilized even as many community members continue their routines. 

Public schools are losing resources and students rapidly?
Plunging enrollment before and during the pandemic has caused funds and resources to deplete across school districts in the U.S. The whole education system, backed by student enrollment, faces enormous challenges. Educators across the country are “confronting a potentially harsh future of lasting setbacks in learning, hardened inequities in education and smaller budgets accompanying smaller student populations.”