Hello, Everyone!

New York State legislators have introduced a bill that would require public schools to teach Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history as a response to anti-Asian violence.

The bill, known as S5963, mandates the integration of AANHPI history into the curricula of public elementary and high schools to combat hate crimes and dispel stereotypes. Advocates argue that teaching AANHPI history will promote understanding, counter discrimination, and empower students by accurately reflecting their experiences.

It has received support from legislators, community-based organizations, and the Representing and Empowering AANHPI Community History (REACH) Coalition.

• Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee is the first Asian American to hold the position. With over 20 years of service in the Maryland General Assembly, Lee advocates for issues such as protecting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, improving consumer privacy, ending gun violence and hate crimes, and pushing for election reform to ensure transparent and accessible voting.

• A recent survey conducted by hospice provider VITAS Healthcare reveals that Asian Americans have been contemplating death and end-of-life care more than any other ethnic group. However, the data shows that Asians tend to avoid discussing or documenting their plans, preferring to involve the family and keep illnesses private. The survey also highlights the need for culturally-sensitive conversations about hospice and palliative care as many Asian Americans are unfamiliar with these concepts and face challenges in accessing information.

• China has surpassed the United States as the leading contributor to nature-science journals, indicating its growing influence in academic research. The Nature Index reveals that Chinese-affiliated authors outpace their American counterparts in physical sciences, chemistry, and Earth and environmental sciences, with the U.S. maintaining its lead only in life sciences. This shift is consistent with other organizations' findings, including a report from Japan's National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, which showed China's increasing share of highly cited papers. However, concerns remain regarding the pressure for quantity over quality and instances of fraudulent or low-quality research emerging from China.

• Iron chef Masaharu Morimoto, renowned for his appearances on cooking competition TV shows, has now taken a seat as a judge on his own new series, "Morimoto's Sushi Master." This Roku Channel show marks the first cooking competition solely dedicated to sushi, featuring eight chefs from around the country competing in challenges that test their sushi-making skills. Contestants aim for the $25,000 cash prize as they undergo tasks like creating innovative flavor profiles inspired by Japanese cuisine and serving conveyor-belt-style sushi, all under the evaluation of Morimoto and fellow judges Kenji Lopez-Alt and Dakota Weiss, with Lyrica Okano as the host.

• A woman is facing backlash for uploading a TikTok video of her undocumented Filipino nanny returning to the Philippines after 30 years of working for her family.
   
• A restaurant in Taiwan is serving a ramen dish topped with a giant isopod. 
   
• A TikToker has gone viral for eating ice cream from McDonald’s with Chinese herbal cough syrup.
   
• An Indonesian bride recently made headlines for receiving Coldplay tickets as her dowry.
   
• A student in the Philippines recently made headlines after claiming on social media that he had been accepted into 30 different universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.