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Hello, everyone!

At a medical university in Japan, 13 women were compensated for
undue discrimination based on their gender in their entrance exams.


Juntendo University was found to have set stricter requirements for women during entrance exam interviews because “women had better communication skills than men and had an advantage in interviews,” and university administrators thought that “women would leave the medical profession, or work fewer hours, after getting married and having children.”

A local judge has ruled this requirement to be discriminatory, becoming the first of its kind to exist in Japanese law. The university has admitted to dozens of unfair rejections in its application process and must pay 8 million yen (62.6k USD) to 13 applicants from the 2011 to 2018 cycles. 

Race in America 🌎


In Dallas, the suspect in the Korean salon shooting faces four additional charges.

After officially labeling the attack as a hate crime on Tuesday, the shooter has been charged with four additional aggravated assault counts. Should a jury conclude that the attack is a hate crime, the punishment for those charges will most likely increase. 


 

For some South Asian Americans, the influence of caste-based prejudice and discrimination has followed them into the U.S.

In California, accusations of caste-based prejudice and discrimination in workplaces and on college campuses have increased. While many left their countries due to brutal treatment based on their castes, they found that immigrants have also been rebuilding those same systems and attitudes in the U.S. 

Subtleties in an individual’s upbringing, family name and background can reveal a person’s caste, leading many families to change their surnames and hide aspects of their histories. But, increasingly, people are resisting this practice. Across universities, students banded together to make caste identities a protected category.

While the fight continues, today, California State University and a few other colleges have added the identity to the list of protected categories. 


 


In Other Asian News 🗞

 

In Nepal, a recent alcohol ban in a nearby Indian state has led to an influx of consumers into their borders. 

In Bihar state, local women have banded together to advocate for a ban on alcohol to tackle issues of alcoholism, squandered earnings, and domestic violence. As a result of this demand and the open border policy, bars and restaurants sprung up near the Nepal-India border, supplying alcohol for those wanting a drink after work. 

While the state’s chief minister, Nitish Kumar, states that prohibition has helped reduce violence and crime, the ease of crossing into Nepal has lessened the law’s efficacy. It has also produced problems of its own. 

Bihar is losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to alcohol taxes, the judiciary is clogged with alcohol cases, and liquor is smuggled in and sold at double and even triple its original price. 

 


Entertainment 📺


HYBE’s first and recently debuted girl group, LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Garam, a minor, faces serious bullying accusations.

The alleged victim uses the pseudonym Yoo Eunseo and came forward with her legal team to disclose details about the bullying incident. Eunseo has been attacked online for coming forward, with many individuals claiming she did it for clout and attention while also making comments about her appearance. While the truth is still unknown, Eunseo and her legal counsel revealed that they are not looking for any compensation. But, if HYBE does not change its stance on Garam’s innocence, the legal team will release further details about Garam’s alleged bullying.


HYBE responded recently that these accusations are false, and they have already moved forward with legal action, mainly because Garam herself remains a minor. As those procedures go through, HYBE plans to release more information.
 


What else is on our minds? 🧠


Rajasthan is waiting for water?
For more than three weeks, a special train comes to the scorching desert state to bring water. While the state has always endured uncomfortable heat, climate change rapidly exacerbates the environmental and human consequences. The past few weeks have proved that this 40-wagon train, carrying approximately “2 million litres (528,344 gallons) – has been the only source of water for thousands of people in the district.” 


A cooperative moon landing?
Next Thursday, when President Biden is scheduled to visit Japan, the nation plans to release more information about a shared dream of sending a Japanese astronaut to the moon. As part of the Artemis Project, this Japan-US collaboration will continue the international effort created by the U.S. to further lunar exploration and research. 


Ketchup is Asian? 
Ketchup is a popular American condiment, but theories suggest its roots lie elsewhere. One theory traces Ketchup’s roots back to Imperial China, where the first version of the condiment existed along the coasts and rivers of modern-day Southern China in the form of fish sauce. In fact, Stanford University professor Dan Jurasfsky says that “ketchup” is derived from the Hokkien (a language from the Fujian province in China) word for fish sauce.

 
As always, thank you for reading, and stay safe. 

Sincerely, Mya 
Newsletter Editor
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