Sharkbites Newsletter

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SEPTEMBER 3, 2022


Hello, everyone!

Philanthropist and businesswoman Grace Mercado-Ouano received the Order of St. George the Great, becoming the first Filipina American to receive a knighthood.

Ouano was awarded for her “personal service to the Holy See and to the Roman Catholic Church, through their unusual labors, and their excellent examples set forth in their communities and their countries." She and her husband operate four skilled nursing facilities in northern and southern California, while also running FoodTrient, a website dedicated to listing nutrients in food that prevent diseases in old age.

She also holds other titles and awards from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Vice President of the Philippines, the California State Senate and the U.S. Congress.

Spotlight 

When the British colonized India, they razed forests to gather wood for ships, urbanization and to lay down railway tracks. But, for around 80 years, Tulsi Gowind Gowda has been restoring the environment in southern India.


Gowda dedicates her life to revitalizing barren land in her home state of Karnataka. Despite not knowing her birth year, Gowda’s childhood was filled with a plethora of knowledge. Growing up, her mother was the first to teach her about replanting. Now, she spends her days deep in the local rainforests, taking branches and replanting or grafting them.

Her work has been nationally recognized in earning Padma Shri award, India’s fourth highest civilian honor. Today, she is visited by many students and surrounded by lovely trees at her home in the village of Honnali.

Tulsi Gowind Gowda sits for National Geographic India in the trees.

Image: National Geographic India

Race in America 🌎

Democrats and Republicans are trying to curry votes from the Asian American community, and the GOP thinks their campaigning holds the upper hand this time.


Current GOP strategy revolves around taking a hard stance on public safety and policing (which align perfectly with the concerns of hate crimes), economic concerns, as well as a concentration on school choice following the Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing of the Harvard-UNC affirmative action case.

However, despite the GOP’s advances on a traditionally Democratic community, Taeku Lee, the Bae Family Professor of Government at Harvard University, provides an alternative perspective on public safety and the economy: “If Republican candidates address crime solely with negative attacks on Democrats as the ‘defund the police’ party, they have to keep in mind that a large majority of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters support Black Lives Matter and favor reforms that would hold the police more accountable for incidents of violence.”

“If Republican candidates address the economy solely with negative attacks on the current state of the economy, they have to keep in mind that a large majority of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters support various parts of the infrastructure bill and the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.”

 

...


Illinois was the first state to require public schools to implement Asian American history into their curriculum, but many wondered where they should start. Enter Melissa Raman Molitor, a 10-year resident of Evanston who began searching for the lost history of the Asian American community.

At first, she started at the Evanston History Center and Evanston Public Library, which produced little to no organized results. To mitigate these issues for educators putting together classwork and others who may be interested, Molitor collaborated with staff at the institutions to further develop websites and resources on Asian American history. On Kitchen Table Stories Project, one can now find research material, a Teaching Resource page, and a “cultural mapping” page listing local Asian American history and stories.

In Other Asian News 🗞

In Cambodia, critics like ​​Theary Seng and dozens of opposition politicians were convicted of conspiracy to commit treason against the current administration.


On Tuesday, Seng, a
Cambodian American lawyer and human rights activist, was sentenced to six years in prison. While her lawyer, Choung Chou Ngy, plans to file an appeal against her conviction, Seng’s return to Cambodia and work to build democracy has caused her to be caught up in Prime Minister ​​Hun Sen’s crackdown on competition.

Seng was initially a refugee from Cambodia that escaped the killing fields during Pol Pot’s violent campaigns.

Cambodian critic, Theary Seng, performs in protest.
Image: Al Jazeera

The floods in Pakistan have only been getting worse. According to the European Space Agency, more than a third of the country is now underwater.

These deadly floods cause secondary disasters for residents in badly affected areas including food shortages and disease. Because of the heavy flooding, many have lost their livelihoods and homes. Despite this climate-induced disaster, Pakistan is only responsible for 1% of the world’s greenhouse gases, disproportionately affecting their citizens and environmental degradation.

 

...


On Friday, U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea Elizabeth Salmon emphasized the “disproportionate impact” that current North Korean COVID policies have on women and girls, exacerbating their human rights violations.

While Salmon does not have first-hand information, she interviewed recently-defected North Koreans, government officials and civic groups to determine that
women and children were struggling to meet the quotas of expected labor and material imposed by institutions like schools and women’s groups.

With limited economic growth due to North Korean borders being closed since 2020, many women who depended on market activities for their sources of income were cut off. Despite having no alternative for family income, women were still expected to feed their families and look after sick family members who may have had COVID. Salmon also explained that there may be a possibility of starvation within the country as food prices increased 700% last year, and before that, 40% of the population was still food insecure.

U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Elizabeth Salmon, giving a press briefing on North Korea.

Image: Arirang News

Music and Fashion đŸ“ș

A K-pop and Korean entertainment ETF (exchange traded fund) has now launched on the NYSE Arca Exchange under the ticker KPOP.


Investors in the U.S. and Europe can
invest in a piece of some of the most notable companies in K-pop entertainment, including HYBE, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment.

Jangwon Lee, CEO of CT Investments and Contents Technologies, said, “We are launching this ETF to provide an opportunity for global fans who love K-pop to participate in the potential growth and development of the K-pop industry as well as investors access to Korea-listed companies that are driving the future of global content industry forward.” 

 

...


Fashion designer Penelope Tinitali is reclaiming Aloha shirts by designing her own.

Tinitali is the director of the annual Samoan fashion show at the Asian Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma, Washington and showcased her fashion line at the show this year. Tinitali is one of many features in the piece who are reconnecting with their Polynesian roots and making Aloha shirts their own.  

What else is on our minds? 🧠
 

  • The 2022 Taiwan Michelin guide has expanded to include Tainan and Kaohsiung, and with it, two new one-Michelin star restaurants. 

  • A new King penguin chick was born at Tokyo Sea Life Park in Japan.  

  • Transgender Thai cabaret performers are back performing at one of Thailand’s most notable cabaret shows after three years of closure due to the pandemic. 

  • An explosion at a mosque in Afghanistan has left 18 dead.

  • A new campaign in India is tackling misconceptions and taboos around menstrual health

Would you invest in the K-pop ETF fund?

Daniel would not, he says “it sounds like a terrible idea.” I wouldn’t either. 

Sincerely, Mya Sato and Daniel Anderson


Thanks for reading and we hope you have a wonderful Labor Day!
We will see you again on Tuesday!

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