Virginia
Virginia to celebrate its first Kimchi Day
- Virginia will celebrate its first Kimchi Day on Nov. 22 in recognition of the state’s thriving Korean American community.
- Proposed by legislator Irene Shin (D, VA-86), the bill for the establishment of Virginia’s Kimchi Day was passed by the Virginia General Assembly on Feb. 10.
- Virginia is now the second U.S. state to have a Kimchi Day after California passed its own bill for the holiday last year.
- Virginia’s selected date, which represents the 11 major ingredients of the dish and its 22 health benefits, coincides with Korea’s own Kimchi Day celebration.
- The holidays in California and Virginia both counter claims by Chinese state media that the dish is Chinese in origin, with the bills specifying that kimchi originates from Korea’s historical Three Kingdoms period.
Virginia is set to celebrate its first Kimchi Day on Nov. 22 in recognition of the thriving Korean American community in the state.
The bill to establish Virginia’s Kimchi Day, proposed by legislator Irene Shin (D, VA-86), was passed by the Virginia General Assembly on Feb. 10. The state is now the second to do so after California established its own Kimchi Day last year.
Asian business owners targeted in string of Virginia burglaries
- Authorities in Henrico County, Virginia, have warned residents of home burglaries that target Asian business owners, with at least two incidents reported in the last month.
- News of the burglaries comes after an Indian restaurant in the same county suffered an anti-Asian vandalism on its 27th anniversary last month.
- My Lan Tran, executive director of the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, organized a public safety meeting on Tuesday to raise awareness of the incidents.
- Henrico police are urging residents to keep an eye on suspicious activity, inspect their homes for security weaknesses, secure valuables such as cash and jewelry and invest in surveillance systems.
Authorities in Henrico County, Virginia, are warning residents about a pattern of home burglaries targeting Asian business owners, with at least two incidents reported in the last month.
In a flier sent to the local Asian community, Henrico police vowed to “investigate, develop suspects and make arrests for these crimes,” which are believed to occur while the homeowners are away.
Hate crime charge dropped for man accused of attacking Virginia sushi restaurant owner after skipping $70 bill
- Jordon Bevan fled from Bonsai Grill in Crystal City, Virginia, without paying for $70 worth of sushi rolls on May 4, 2021.
- While being chased for his payment, Bevan allegedly pushed the restaurant’s owner to the ground and yelled anti-Asian statements, including “You Asians have the coronavirus.”
- Bevan was arrested days after the incident and subsequently charged with a felony hate crime, as well as misdemeanors of resisting arrest, defrauding an innkeeper and petit larceny.
- This week, it was reported that he had been released and ordered to undergo mental health treatment after pleading guilty to a lesser offense of misdemeanor assault and battery.
- Bevan is residing with his mother in Ohio and scheduled to return to court on Oct. 11 for a progress review.
A man charged with a hate crime for allegedly attacking a sushi restaurant owner in Crystal City, Virginia, last year has reportedly been released and ordered to undergo mental health treatment after pleading guilty to a lesser offense.
Jordon Bevan fled Bonsai Grill without paying after consuming $70 worth of sushi rolls on May 4, 2021. The restaurant owner, Henry Kim, and his mother chased after him while also filming the confrontation.
Va. Filipino community leader fatally hit by driver suspected of driving under influence of marijuana
- Rosa Blanco, a 76-year-old Filipino American community leader, was walking on a crosswalk at Virginia Beach Town Center when Nathan Poole, 24, crashed into her and another woman with his pickup truck on Aug. 22.
- Blanco was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim in her 70s suffered from broken ribs and a fractured foot, but she is now in stable condition.
- Poole was arrested for driving under the influence. Additional charges for him are currently pending.
- Blanco served in leadership roles in Filipino organizations in her community. She also taught math in Norfolk and Virginia Beach schools.
- To honor Blanco, peers and community members hope to reopen the Philippine Cultural Center of Virginia, which is an institution that Blanco helped build.
A Filipino American community leader in Virginia was fatally hit by a pickup truck whose driver has been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).
Rosa Blanco, 76, and another unidentified woman, 79, were walking a crosswalk near Constitution Drive at Virginia Beach Town Center when Nathan Poole, 24, crashed into them with his vehicle at around 4 p.m. on Aug. 22.
Vietnamese refugee who vows to ‘fight the woke agenda’ wins VA GOP nom despite raising less money
- Vietnamese refugee and retired U.S. Navy captain Hung Cao won the GOP primary on Saturday and will go on to battle Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton for Northern Virginia’s 10th District.
- In an impressive roster of 11 candidates, political newcomer Cao came out on top, reportedly gaining over 50 percent of the votes in the ninth round of balloting.
- Cao led the polls throughout the race for the primaries, including over Prince William County Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, who was able to raise more funds than the retired veteran but ultimately lost.
- With a district population that is 15.5 percent Asian, Cao strategically targeted the region’s immigrant communities.
- It is predicted to be a tight race between the former Navy captain of over 25 years and Rep. Wexton, who has held the position since 2019.
Vietnamese refugee and retired U.S. Navy captain Hung Cao, 50, won the GOP primary on Saturday and will go on to battle Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton for Northern Virginia’s 10th District.
In an impressive roster of 11 candidates, political newcomer Cao came out on top, reportedly gaining over 50 percent of the votes in the ninth round of balloting.
10th grader invents low-cost prosthetic arm that can be controlled by the mind
- Virginia senior Benjamin Choi, 17, has invented an affordable, mind-controlled prosthetic arm that costs only $300 to create.
- Choi first designed the prosthetic as a 10th-grader in the summer of 2020, when COVID-19 barred him from leaving home.
- After over 75 iterations, the robotic arm is now made with engineering-grade materials and run by artificial intelligence that interprets brain waves with 95% accuracy.
- The invention has brought Choi multiple awards, funding and two provisional patents before he enters college.
- Choi is also his school’s student body president, a nationally-ranked squash player and a competitive violinist.
A 17-year-old in Virginia is making headlines for creating an affordable prosthetic arm that can be controlled by the mind.
Benjamin Choi, now a senior at Potomac High School, developed the first version of the robotic arm in 2020 using his sister’s $75 3D printer and some fishing line.
Supreme Court declines to block top high school’s admissions policy despite claims it is ‘anti-Asian’
- The Supreme Court declined to block a new admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) that seeks to improve diversity of its student body by eliminating standardized testing and considering applicant backgrounds.
- Prior to the implementation of the new policy, Asian Americans composed at least 65% of TJHSST’s new admissions.
- Coalition for TJ, a group that includes parents of Asian American students, slammed the new system as discriminatory and sued Fairfax County Public Schools, which oversees TJHSST.
- A federal judge ruled in favor of the coalition in February, but an appeals court stayed the decision, which allowed TJHSST to continue enforcing its new admissions process for another year.
- The coalition then filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court, maintaining that the new system harms the interests of Asian American applicants.
- The Supreme Court’s decision precedes similar cases it will hear later this year involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to block an elite Virginia high school’s new admissions policy aimed at improving student diversity.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), one of the nation’s top high schools, eliminated standardized testing and began considering “experience factors” as part of its new admissions criteria in 2020.
Body of missing Virginia woman found, $40,000 reward offered for ‘most wanted’ ex-boyfriend
- Hannah Choi, 35, who has been missing since March 6, was found dead in Charles County, Maryland, last Thursday.
- Choi was last seen with her ex-boyfriend, Joel Mosso Merino, on the evening of March 5 in their shared home in Alexandria, Virginia.
- Police believe the pair got into an argument that led to Choi sustaining a “significant injury.”
- Merino, who was last seen in the Atlanta area, has been charged with second-degree murder and felony disposal of a body.
- Police announced a $40,000 reward for information that will lead to Merino’s arrest.
Hannah Choi of Fairfax County, Virginia, first reported missing on March 6, was found dead in nearby Charles County, Maryland, last Thursday, authorities confirmed at a press conference on Monday.
A passerby found Choi’s remains in a wooded area on the 1100 block of Overlook Drive in Accokeek, an area within Piscataway Park. They then called 911.
19-year-old charged with murder in the death of his 78-year-old father
A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder after authorities found the body of his father, who went missing earlier in the week, buried behind their home in Fairfax County, Virginia.
The discovery: Truman Nguyen was reported missing on Monday by a family member who last saw the 78-year-old man on Sunday, WUSA9 reported.
Man hurls anti-Asian, anti-gay slurs at couple over parking space in Virginia
A home security camera captured a gay couple subjected to homophobic and xenophobic verbal insults on Saturday evening over a parking space dispute in Virginia.
Not so neighborly: Jim and Mary Wood allegedly spewed anti-gay and anti-Asian slurs at Kyle and Leo Liu Metz, their next-door neighbors in Old Town, Alexandria, reported WUSA9.
Virginia Detectives Suspect Foul Play in 72-Year-Old Woman’s Disappearance From Home
Fairfax County Police Department detectives suspect foul play may have been involved in the disappearance of 72-year-old Emily Lu.
What happened: Authorities arrived at Lu’s home in Davis Lane, Lorton, on June 4 to conduct a welfare check at the request of the woman’s employer when she failed to show up for work, according to the police department.
Man Arrested for Skipping $70 Bill, Using Slurs and Assaulting Sushi Restaurant Owner in Virginia
A man accused of assaulting an Asian restaurant owner in Arlington, Virginia after dining and dashing has been arrested on Tuesday.
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