CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta is in Mexico City, the epicenter of the swine flu outbreak. Get the latest information about Swine Flu by following Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Twitter here. (He was in the running for U.S. Surgeon General until he pulled out.) Also check the Center for Disease Control website here to learn more about swine flu.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta covers Swine Flu in Mexico City
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Because of its subject, Dark Matter has had a rough time theatrically and now on DVD. The Virginia Tech shooting happened around the time of the original theatrical release date. Now with the DVD release, the Binghamton, New York shooting occurred just a few weeks ago.
Dark Matter delves into the world of Liu Xing, a Chinese science student pursuing a Ph.D. in the United States in the early 1990s. Driven by ambition, yet unable to navigate academic politics, Liu Xing is inexorably pushed to the margins of American life, until he loses his way. The film also stars Meryl Streep and Aidan Quinn.
The Dark Matter website also has a great section to help facilitate discussions about Asian cultural assimilation, campus violence, and science education. You can buy the Dark Matter DVD on Amazon.com.
Dark Matter – Liu Xing meets Reiserscene
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On March 17, 2009, the International Women’s Media Foundation and Reporters Without Borders jointly launched a petition for the immediate and unconditional release of Current TV reporters Laura Ling (sister of Lisa Ling) and Euna Lee, who have now been held in North Korea for over a week. The two organizations stated that, “Laura Ling and Euna Lee were taken into custody on the Chinese-North Korean border while reporting on the fate of North Korean refugees, and, more specifically, on the practice of trafficking in women. Pyongyang authorities have no reason to hold them or to accuse them of illegal activities. They should be freed at once.” You can sign the petition online here and here
If not released soon, the two reporters will be indicted and tried on charges of perpetrating “hostile acts” against the Communist state of North Korea, a crime punishable by years in a labor camp. To make matters worse, North Korea launched rockets over the weekend. The pair of reporters could be embroiled in the delicate international politics surrounding the North Korea’s rocket launch.
Here’s more coverage of Laura Ling and Euna Lee by the New York Times here.
Rachel Maddow talks about North Korea’s detention of Laura Ling and Euna Lee
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By now you must have heard about the tragedy in Binghamton, New York. Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Voong (aka Jiverly Wong) killed 13 people at the American Civic Association, which provided English classes and other services to newcomers. Apparently, several factors may have pushed Jiverly Wong to mass murder including feeling degraded by his inability to speak English (people made fun of his English) and recently getting laid off.
Our prayers go out to the victims:
Jiang Ling, 22, China
Li Guo, 47, China
Hong Xiu Mao, 35, China
Hai Hong Zhong, 54, China
Lan Ho, 39, Vietnam
Dolores Yigal, 53, Philippines
Parveen Nln Ali, 26, Pakistan
Marc Henry Bernard, 44, Haiti
Maria Sonia Bernard, 46, Haiti
Maria Zobniw, 60, U.S.
Roberta Bobby King, 72, U.S.
Almir O. Alves, 43, Brazil
Layla Khalil, 57, Iraq
Every time we hear about a shooting involving an immigrant, we are reminded of the film Dark Matter. The site has some great information about cultural assimilation and campus violence.
Binghamton, New York shooting
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Binghamton mourns the victims of the shooting
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Deftones bassist Chi Cheng has been in a coma following a car crash November 2008 in Santa Clara, California. Cheng’s insurance has reportedly refused to continue coverage for his ongoing treatment as of mid-January. With roughly $750,000 in unpaid medical bills, the family of Chi Cheng started a web site to get donations to help pay for his medical bills. According to the oneloveforchi.com website:
“This website was created to help raise funds for Chi and his medical expenses. Any amount that you can donate is very much appreciated by the Cheng family! All funds raised are sent directly to Chi’s mother, Jeanne Cheng, via PayPal.com.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our supporters! Together we can make a difference! This is our opportunity to give back to someone who has given us so much joy over the years through music.”
The site is looking to initially raise $20k, but that’s only a fraction of the medical bills. Learn more about what you can do here.
you can learn more about Chi Cheng in this interview. we learned a lot about Chi Cheng from his interview
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FOX Reporter Ti-Hua Chang explores Asian Americans and poverty in New York City. This report boggles our minds. When you think Asian Americans you tend to think model minority rather than poverty. A couple points that are quite shocking:
Recently, a New York City study found the poverty rate among Asian Americans are quite high. Here’s a quote from the study:
“Asian American poverty in New York City is a serious, growing issue although it is largely unknown to the general public. The New York metropolitan area has the highest Asian poverty rate among the 10 metro areas with the most Asian residents, according to 2006 census information. The number of poor Asian New Yorkers also is increasing, as Asians are the fastest-growing major race or ethnic group in the city.”
You can see the report from the Asian American Federation Census Information Center here. Great piece of reporting by Ti-Hua Chang.
Asian Americans and Poverty in NYC
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