SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Hello, everyone!

Alexandra “Alex” Eala, one of the rising talents within the tennis world, became the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title on Saturday.

Eala, 17, emerged victorious from the U.S. Open girls’ singles championship and joins only one other Filipino player that shares a Grand Slam championship victory – Francis Casey Alcantara in 2009. After her victory, she expressed her joy in her native language, stating, “I wholeheartedly fought for this not only for myself but also to help with the future of Philippine tennis. So, this is not just my victory, but the victory of all of us.”

Eala continues to set records following her accomplishment last month as the highest-ranked Filipino on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour at World No. 280, overtaking her athletic predecessor, Maricris Fernandez-Gentz, who became No. 284 in 1999.

Currently, Eala is ranked No. 297 in the world.

Spotlight 💡

Eating bugs may not be seen as the savory alternative towards mitigating food crises, but Chef Joseph Yoon remains unfazed by negative reactions.

Yoon, who has regularly seen clients and children cry after realizing his creation was made with bugs, is not discouraged easily; in fact, he feels reaffirmed with his work in destigmatizing entomophagy with his organization, Brooklyn Bugs. His mission is to reeducate the public about the benefits of eating insects through various programs. He does so by giving presentations at public elementary schools, universities like Harvard, and partnering with institutions like the Smithsonian and NASA on sustainable food initiatives to share that eating bugs are good for the planet - and it’s tasty.

Even the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization recognizes the vital role that bugs play in addressing food insecurity and sustainability for the planet. (Did you know that crickets provide the same amount of protein as cows but only accounts for 0.1% of the emissions?)

Additionally, the cultural practice of eating bugs has existed in various communities across the globe for centuries with 2 billion people in 80% of the world’s nations already eating bugs, which only confirms that consuming insects is not as horrible as we think it is. We just need to get over the yuck factor.

Race in America 🌎

At the inaugural Southeast Asian Conference on Asian American Studies conference co-hosted by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, speakers from across the nation discussed the challenges in creating an Asian American Studies program.

On Saturday, speakers highlighted the importance of student activism and participated with attendees in roundtable and forum discussions on the future of Asian American studies.
 

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The Asian American Day Festival returned to the Boston Commons for its 12th year on Saturday following a hiatus from the pandemic.

The park was full of performers, cultural arts and displays, and attendees were excited to see a return of the celebrations. The Asian American Association of Boston explained that the event continues to “strive to integrate diverse cultural dynamism, break the boundaries between races and culture, and bring people closer to each other. While inheriting transition, we embrace changes and innovations.”

In Other Asian News 🗞

On Monday in Thailand, a political activist was sentenced to two years in jail for mocking the royal family after dressing up as Thai Queen Suthida at a street protest.

The country has strict “Lèse-majesté” laws against defaming or insulting members of the royal family, listing punishments that can go up to 15 years in jail. ​​Jatuporn "New" Saeoueng, 25, was found guilty of the crime due to her supposed portrayal of the queen in 2020 and is just one of the many accused and charged for their actions at protests.

According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, over the past two years, 210 activists were charged for the same crime while protesting against the monarchy.

In the Philippines, Congressman Bienvenido Abante submitted a bill that seeks to disband the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).

The commission is tasked with recovering billions of dollars stolen by former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. during his administration. Since 1986, the commission has retrieved around $5 billion from the Marcos family, but approximately $2.4 billion is caught up in litigation. Abante claims that the commission has “outlived its usefulness,” arguing that “if after that long period of time, they failed to establish whether the sequestered assets are ill-gotten or not and who are the owners of these assets, they will not be able to do so even if we would give it another hundred years.” 

The Marcos family has maintained during election campaigns that the money was legally obtained and that the commission is an “anti-Marcos agency.” 

Music and Film 📺

A sequel film to Pixar’s “Inside Out” was announced this past weekend at the D23 Expo.

However, actor Mindy Kaling is reportedly not set to return to voice her character of Disgust after only being offered $100,000 with no bonuses. Comparatively, the film’s main star, Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, was offered $5 million and “additional fees and bonuses.”

After successful events for KCON in South Korea, Japan, Chicago and Los Angeles, the K-pop festival will be heading to Saudi Arabia for the very first time.

KCON 2022 Saudi Arabia will take place at Boulevard Riyadh City on September 30 and October 1. The lineup includes acts from Sunmi, Rain, P1Harmony, PENTAGON, ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, STAYC, Hyolyn, and New Jeans, to name a few.

What else is on our minds? 🧠
 

• A recently discovered artifact from the Jomon period (10,000 to 200 B.C.) may offer new insights on just how old winemaking techniques are in Japan. 

• Food and wine businesses are trying their best to sell their products despite possible safety concerns following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. 

• Rare artwork from artists in Asia such as Miwa Komatsu and Etsu Egami were featured at The Armory Show in New York. 

• Sri Lankan athlete Yupun Abeykoon is making his mark on track fields by becoming one of Southeast Asia’s fastest men. 

• Two new Asian Australian plays will premiere at the Sydney Fringe Festival from September 20-24 and the plays will highlight contributions from 40 Asian Australian creatives.