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Thanks to the pandemic, Asian, Latino, and Black homeownership skyrocketed to levels comparable to the Great Recession. 
 

New data from The Washington Post shows the impact of pandemic-era stimulus programs in 2021. Fewer people of every race and age rented for the first time since the Great Recession, which correlated to growth for people of color households being more pronounced than for White households.
 

While trends have waned post pandemic, housing experts see 2021 as a substantial one for people of color homeownership, helping reverse gaps in racially rooted barriers.

• Iconic Asian American jazz band Hiroshima has announced a hiatus. The music act known for their Japanese instruments has a wide discography spanning decades with 20 albums and millions of records sold.

• Filipinos shine in California: A new exhibit called “California is in the Heart” from the California Museum highlights stories and contributions from the Filipino American community such as prominent Filipino women and Filipinos’ impact on labor movements and nurses unions.  

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• Tufts makes history with Southeast Asian history: Tufts University is offering their first Southeast Asian history course in two decades, titled “HIST80: Introduction to the History of Southeast Asia” taught by professor Mesrob Vartavarian.

• China’s Covid control: China announced more lockdowns in Wuhan and other cities, trapping a population of 232 million total. While trying to implement their zero-Covid policy, the country also announced their highest tally of Covid cases in two weeks last Thursday. 

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• Iranian chef’s death stirs outrage: Chef Mehrshad Shahidi garnered a following of around 25k for his home cooking videos and was noted as a young talent. A day before his 20th birthday, he was allegedly beaten to death by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.    

• Sandra Oh wants a witness: Sandra Oh is on board for the sci-fi thriller “Can I Get a Witness.” The film depicts a near future where “death is everyone’s job” and 50-year-olds take the task, while teenage artists document it.     

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• Disney animation to anime: “Raya and The Last Dragon” director Carlos López Estrada has been tapped to rewrite and direct the live action remake of the beloved 2016 anime “Your Name.”

• A group of Uyghurs have been locked up in Thailand for nearly a decade. 
   
• K-pop singer and actor Lee Ji-han, best known for his participation in the idol reality singing show “Produce 101,” was among the more than 150 people who died in the stampede in Itaewon. He was 24 and was filming an upcoming drama.  
   
• Japanese jazz pianist Tadataka Unno isn’t letting a vicious hate crime incident stop him from releasing new music. 
   
• More and more Japanese teens are looking for plastic surgery.
   
• Japan created bedsheets meant to emulate petting a cat.