Hello, everyone!

Honolulu City Council has revived the Historic Preservation Commission to protect cultural heritage sites.
 

In a unanimous vote, the city council activated the dormant 30-year-old Historic Preservation Commission. Some of the responsibilities of the organization will include maintaining a public registry of historic sites and advising on how to mitigate destructive impact of development projects that may harm the historic sites. Experts in anthropology, ethnography, sociology, Hawaiian culture, architecture and archaeology will be a part of the team.
 

Malia Kawaihoa-Marquez, a resident testifying in favor of the bill, said, “Bill 44 should have been activated long, long ago. Mahalo ... for reviving this bill that has been ignored and not activated in regards to aina, sacred places, our kupuna that should be taken care of because Hawaii will no longer be Hawaii without kanaka.”

• Atlanta’s historic Japanese restaurant: Nakato Japanese Restaurant is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The restaurant has been operated by three generations of Nakato women.

• Greek life goes Asian: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Multicultural Center has established an Asian-centered sorority.

...

• A cultural festival inside a mall: The Korean Culture Festival returned to the Mall of America in Minnesota on Sunday. It showcased traditional Korean dances, K-pop and Taekwondo demonstrations among other festivities.

• The real cost of the World Cup: Behind the glitz and grandeur of a World Cup in Qatar, Southeast Asians bear the brunt of making it all happen. Amnesty International has cited around 15,000 non-Qataris that have died between 2010 to 2019. Qatar has an estimated 400,000 Nepalese working there and in India and other Asian countries, many of whom are victims of labor exploitation.

...

• Fight the military by watching weapon-making YouTube videos: Anti-coup resistance fighters in Myanmar have turned to instructional YouTube videos for making weapons. It’s a trial and error system that has cost some their lives.

K-town on NBC: NBC is developing a soap called “K-Town” that will follow the intertwined and influential lives of three families in L.A.’s Koreatown. It includes soap elements like murder and plenty of family drama.

...  

KPOP but make it Broadway: The team behind “KPOP” the musical discuss the challenges of developing the show and how it has been shaped by the rise of K-pop. 

• Dr. Vicki Sung-yeon Kwon has been appointed as the first ever Curator of Korean Art & Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum.
   
• Michelin-starred dim sum eatery Tim Ho Wan has opened in Katy, Texas.  
   
• Build-A-Bear has brought back a giant Snorlax plush.
   
• Uniqlo is branching out in business by selling flowers.
   
• A study has revealed that YouTube is the platform of choice for viewers, creators and marketers in the Philippines.