OCTOBER 8, 2022

Hello, everyone!

Beginning in June, 14 Indian Hindu women became the victims of serial robbery after they were targeted for their gold jewelry.

At times, the perpetrator would break their wrists and brutalize their husbands to steal their bracelets.

The robberies took place in San Jose, Milpitas, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, usually around Hindu sites or temples where women would wear their traditional attire. Gold is a significant part of Indian culture, and the thief used this fact to target the community.

Spotlight 

Recently, five Indian American teenagers were awarded The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heros, an award that recognizes their hard work in making a significantly positive impact on their communities in North America.

The prize awards the top 15 winners $10,000 to support their educational pursuits or their leadership efforts and projects.

The winners this year are Karina Samuel, 17; Karun Kaushik, 17; Sahana Mantha, 15; Sri Nihal Tammana, 13; and Laalitya Acharaya, 18. Here is a brief breakdown of their projects and accomplishments.

Race in America 🌎

Wing on Won, the oldest-running business in Manhattan’s Chinatown, is getting a revamp from its fifth-generation owner, Mei Lum.

Initially, her grandmother had planned to sell the shop and the building, but Lum took over the store to preserve its cultural value. In addition, Lum plans to create a community hub by transforming the family business into a shop that also acts as a clubhouse for activists and artists to address issues of gentrification and displacement.

For Lum, it’s not just about revitalizing the space, but also going back to its roots: In the 19th century, the shop functioned as a gathering space, credit union and informal post office for other low-income Chinese workers during the Chinese Exclusion Act.

At 32, Lum hopes to “blur the lines of what the storefront could be.” For her, “a business doesn’t have to be so economically driven. There can still be genuine connections, and that’s what sustains a community.”

...

At the Yin Ranch in Vacaville, California, plans for a new Asian Heritage Center dubbed the Pavilions are underway. The structure replaces its original 10,000-square-foot community center that burned down during raging wildfires in 2020.

Ranch owners CC and Regina Yin are donating the new structures to the state “as a gift to California, to America as an Asian Heritage Center.” The Yins also founded the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, a nonprofit organization that plans to use the Pavilions to educate visitors on the contributions of Asian Americans in the state and the nation.

In Other Asian News 🗞

Protests erupting across Iran are bringing attention to the death of Mahsa Amini, but among those demonstrations, other wrongful deaths are being brought to public attention.

Nika Shahkarami, 16, disappeared on her way home from a protest in Tehran on September 20. Her mother, Nasrin Shahkarami, is accusing the authorities of murdering her daughter and applying pressure on her and the family to assert that Nika’s death was a suicide.

In a recent video, Nasrin explained that she was under pressure to give a false statement regarding the death of her daughter.

...

Across South Korea, organizations and newsgroups are calling out President Yoon Suk-yeol’s decision to move forward with his plans to scrap the Gender Equality Ministry.

When the announcement was made, Yoon attempted to dismiss concerns that dismantling the ministry would set back women’s rights in the nation, claiming that, “Abolishing the gender ministry is about strengthening the protection of women, families, children and the socially weak.”

Music and TV 📺

South Korean rock band The Rose made their long-awaited return after a three-year hiatus.

Their newest ten-track album “Heal” features two music videos for the track “Childhood” and “Sour.” As expected with the group, all of the members contributed to the album’s lyrics and composition. The release coincides with their 40-city world tour starting this month.

Mindy Kaling will be voicing the titular character of the new HBO Max adult animated series “Velma.”

The series will follow the Scooby Doo gang, but also explore Velma’s LGBTQ identity. Constance Wu joins the cast to voice Daphne.

Kailing said of the character to the crowd at New York City Comic Con, “I think the characters in this are iconic but in no way…are they defined by their whiteness. Most Indian American [women], when they see skeptical, hardworking under-appreciated characters, they can identify with her. The vast majority are ready for it. This show is for them.”

What else is on our minds? 🧠
 

• A pink diamond is expected to sell for more than $20 million at an auction in Hong Kong. 

• A forest fire on Easter Island has permanently damaged the carved stone moai figures. 

• Yang Yung-wei has become the first Taiwanese man to win a medal (bronze) at the World Judo Championships. 

• A deep dive into how Netflix’s “Mo” avoids the representation pitfalls of an immigrant story.  

• South Korean officials have weighed in once again regarding BTS’ looming mandatory military enlistment, with some saying it would be “desirable” and that an official decision will be made in December.