FRANCESCO FIMIANI WRITES — On November 4, 2021 I had the pleasure of interviewing Bugra Arkin, owner and founder of Dolan’s Uyghur Cuisine located in Alhambra, in East Los Angeles.. Prior to our interview, I sat down and had lunch at his restaurant. In the entrance you find a large…
Full Article INTERVIEW WITH A UIGHUR: YES, HE SAYS, IT IS GENOCIDE
ALYSSA MONTALVO WRITES — The iconic and dearly loved children’s television show, ‘Sesame Street,’ will add its first Asian American muppet, named Ji-young, on Thanksgiving Day with its ‘See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special.’ According to Channel News Asia (CNA), “At only seven years old, Ji-young is making…
Full Article SESAME STREET: THE NEW ASIAN MUPPET THAT IS NO PUPPET
ELLA KELLEHER WRITES — Is it possible that some relationships teeter on the edge of societal acceptance while others are too tame? Ranging from cosplay sex with an older, married woman to a couple that rarely touch each other, Misumi Kubo’s new novel explores five deeply intimate and intertwined stories…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: SO WE LOOK TO THE SKY BY MISUMI KUBO (2021)
TOM PLATE WRITES — If fine oratory is a valuable art form, it is nonetheless becoming a lost one. Beware the mere glitter of charisma alone. In a politician, it is often no more than wrapping paper around a thin gift box of costume jewellery, but true orators can move…
Full Article US-CHINA RELATIONS: HOW BARACK OBAMA CAN HELP AND HEAL THE RELATIONS
GABY RUSLI WRITES — Beggars roam the busiest streets of Indonesia’s capital cities, some with the intent to gather funds for a cause no one really knows much about, while others simply out of a desperate desire to survive. Imagine you’re a typical driver running errands on a Wednesday. You’ve…
Full Article INDONESIA: A GENERATION’S FUTURE COMES OUT TO BEG
AHMAD ALSADHAN WRITES — The World Expo, held every five years for a duration of six months, is an event that gathers nations into one venue as a way of presenting solutions to current global challenges. Expo 2020, which was postponed by the pandemic, is currently being hosted by Dubai,…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: WILL THIS BE THE HOST COUNTRY FOR EXPO 2030?
CRISTINA PEDLER WRITES — Malala Yousafzai, human rights activist and champion of women’s education, announced her marriage to the world via social media on November 9, 2021. The happy couple tied the knot during a Nikah ceremony – a legal agreement between bride and groom in her home of Birmingham,…
Full Article MALALA GETS HITCHED: A LOOK AT THE ISLAMIC NIKAH MARRIAGE CEREMONY
JARED SIVILA WRITES — After such a long break from large crowds, the record label 88rising and its many talented artists took to the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA from November 6-7 for the annual Head in the Clouds festival. Having had to move online last year by streaming…
Full Article LOS ANGELES: “HEAD IN THE CLOUDS” FESTIVAL FELT LIKE HEAVEN ON EARTH
ANDREA PLATE WRITES — American women know well the indignity of being defined, and best-known, by the men they marry. But Huma Abedin, author of the utterly readable, just published memoir And/Both: A Life in Many Worlds (Scribner), is no ordinary woman; nor did she marry a nice ordinary man,…
Full Article AND/OR: A MEMOIR AB0UT SEX(T), LIES AND VIDEO POLITICS
MILES WHITTINGHAM WRITES — In October 2021, the majority of the well-known English Premier League club Newcastle United was purchased by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The move has been met with widespread skepticism by fans and executives alike. This isn’t the first time that something like this…
Full Article ANOTHER SAUDI TAKEOVER IN ENGLISH SOCCER: IS THERE A REASON FOR CONCERN?
NATALIA FALCHI WRITES — Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai recently shared a personal #MeToo experience on Weibo, accusing former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. But her post was removed within minutes. Zhang Gaoli of course served on the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee from 2012 to 2017. Ms.…
Full Article CHINA: A TENNIS STAR LOBS AN ASSAULT ALLEGATION AGAINST A FORMER POLITICAL PLAYER
EVENT – Former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet A. Napolitano presented a special lecture on women leadership at the 5th annual William J. Perry Lecture Series. The event was held at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea on Thursday, November 4, 2021, 4:00PM KST. *This event is sponsored by…
Full Article VIDEO: 5TH ANNUAL WILLIAM J. PERRY LECTURE SERIES BY SEC. JANET NAPOLITANO
ISABELLA LEE WRITES –The 2022 mid-term elections are fast approaching, as political polarization is at an all-time high and the Democrats’ narrow majority in the House and Senate are hanging on by what seems like a singular thread. Candidates and party leaders are looking toward an emerging voter group that…
Full Article UNITED STATES: WILL ASIAN AMERICANS DETERMINE 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS? IN SHORT — YES
CLAIRE GUTE WRITES — The ongoing opioid crisis continues to plague much of America. Many have been affected by the opioid crisis in some form, whether knowing someone who has become addicted, overdosed, or lost her or his livelihood. What’s new is that it may be getting worse due to…
Full Article THE CHINA-MEXICO CONNECTION: FENTANYL TRAFFICKING IS DEVASTATING
ALYSSA MONTALVO WRITES — It’s scarcely big news that the political culture of Thailand is heavily influenced by the monarchy. And because of this – and the alliance between the extensive Thai military and Crown, one of the world’s longest running monarchies – issues of basic human rights and equity…
Full Article THAILAND: THOSE ‘ANNOYING’ COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL PROTESTERS
BRIEYA MOORBERG WRITES —The deer in Japan’s famed tourist destination, Nara Park, located in Nara Prefecture, have been dying. This year alone, 1,000 deer died after consuming plastic bags left behind by tourists. Now, to the rescue: A local Japanese entrepreneur, Hidetoshi Matsukawa, a souvenir wholesale agent who has invented…
Full Article JAPAN: TOO MANY DEER HAVE BEEN EATING THEMSELVES TO DEATH