Last Week in Review: July 18th
Every Monday, Overachiever will recap important Asian and Asian American News. Continue reading to see this week’s roundup!
Adoptees who publicly support Roe targeted by anti-abortion activists: 'What if you were aborted?'
Activist Annie Wu, a Chinese adoptee, said she’s repeatedly heard the question, “What if you were aborted?” It’s an all-too-common hypothetical that anti-abortion proponents have lobbed at adoptees who publicly defend reproductive rights, particularly amid the recent fall of Roe v. Wade.
Many adoptee activists who support abortion rights say they are uniquely positioned in the crosshairs of the debate: Their very existences are often “manipulated” to advance anti-abortion views — with adoption framed as the moral alternative to abortion. They find themselves vulnerable to harassment, their experiences questioned or made light of, and their agency too often removed in the fight, they say.
Nail technicians demand safer working conditions and steadier pay as Covid aggravates risks
Nail salon workers in New York are pushing for industrywide health and labor standards over fears that working conditions have become more dire amid the Covid pandemic.
In a first for the industry, nail technicians, aided by labor organizers, are advocating for the creation of a new council that would involve people on multiple levels — from government officials to workers to salon owners — in an effort to set healthier wage and labor standards. They are pushing for standards such as set hours, compliance with the minimum wage requirement, health insurance, ventilation and language access for immigrant workers across New York. While the council would work at the state level, advocates hope the effort will lead to improved industry standards nationwide.
Working conditions in nail salons have long been a topic of concern for many, and the pandemic and waning economy have exacerbated existing challenges. Nail technicians say work hours have become more inconsistent, and that they’ve grown increasingly worried about the safety of the products they use.
Constance Wu said she attempted suicide 3 years ago after Twitter backlash
“Crazy Rich Asians” star Constance Wu said the backlash she received from a series of tweets in 2019 led her to a suicide attempt. “I was afraid of coming back on social media because I almost lost my life from it: 3 years ago, when I made careless tweets about the renewal of my TV show, it ignited outrage and internet shaming that got pretty severe,” she wrote. “I felt awful about what I’d said, and when a few DMs from a fellow Asian actress told me I’d become a blight on the Asian American community, I started feeling like I didn’t even deserve to live anymore.” Wu shared that the messages drove her to attempt suicide, and a friend found her and rushed her to the hospital. She said since then she’s spent time away from her career and social media to focus on recovering.
'Squid Game' makes history as the first non-English series nominated for outstanding drama Emmy
“Squid Game,” Netflix’s hit South Korean series, made history once again after becoming the first non-English series nominated for the Emmys’ outstanding drama series category Tuesday. The series was also nominated in 13 other categories, including outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Lee Jung-jae; outstanding directing for a drama series for “Red Light, Green Light,” the first episode; outstanding original main title music for composer Jung Jae-il; outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for Park Hae-soo and Oh Yeong-su respectively; outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for Jung Ho-yeon; outstanding guest actress in a drama series for Lee You-mi; and outstanding writing for a drama series for the creator, writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk.
'Ms. Marvel' co-creator on how 'woke' and 'cringe' show became franchise's highest-rated
A month after "Ms. Marvel" was released and after a flood of negativereviews, the show is now the highest-rated Marvel project on Rotten Tomatoes — higher than "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Endgame."Sana Amanat, the co-creator and executive producer of the Marvel Disney+ series and comics, said she wasn’t surprised by the initial backlash, which she also saw when the comics were first released in 2013. “I think it comes from a place of anger and a sense that their identities are being threatened. If they can’t connect with it, then that’s OK. I just wish they wouldn’t try to put it down,” Amanat told NBC Asian America. A wave of negative reviews was posted when the series was first released, criticizing it for its diversity and calling it too “woke” and “cringe.” Ms. Marvel was initially the lowest-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe series, with thousands giving the show one-star reviews — many of the reviewers were men over the age of 30. Amanat said everyone at the studio knew there would be negative reactions to the show, but she was more focused on the positive responses, which have been evident across social media and in reviews since the first episode streamed on June 8.
What a Korean restaurant worker union win says about future of labor movements
Korean and Latino workers at a Korean restaurant in Los Angeles ratified their first union contract, marking a breakthrough for workers, advocates say.
The win last month makes Genwa, an upscale Korean barbecue chain that’s been cited for multiple labor law violations, the first privately owned Korean restaurant to be unionized nationwide.
Advocates say the historic victory, which came after a half-decade of cross-racial organizing, can provide a blueprint for other immigrant restaurant workers hoping to fight for their rights in an industry rife with exploitation and wage theft.
“Restaurants become a revolving door for servers and bartenders and cooks because there’s no job security,” José Roberto Hernández, president of the union and director of organizing for Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, told NBC Asian America. “We hope the unity between migrant communities, between Asians and Latinos, can bring us to a better future for the workers who are sustaining this industry.”
Following criticism of Asian mail-order bride ad, newsweekly halts sponsored posts
The Austin Chronicle, a popular alternative weekly newspaper in Texas, has issued a moratorium on all sponsored content amid a slew of criticism over a since-removed ad promoting Asian mail-order brides. The ad, posted to the Chronicle’s website June 24 as sponsored content, included links to several websites claiming to connect customers to tens of thousands of Asian women. It also ranked five countries for having the “best” Asian brides and included racist and misogynistic statements describing Asian women’s appearances and gender roles.
Parents are pushing back after a committee whose members sit on a Wisconsin school board did not move forward with approving a book about Japanese American incarceration during World War II for a sophomore English literature class. Muskego-Norway School Board members said including the book would require “balance” with perspective from the U.S. government, according to two parents in the district. They also said that minutes of a heated meeting with board members about the topic were not posted and that a video of another board meeting was reportedly edited.
Filipina civil rights leader honored with memorial highway – AsAmNews
New highway signs in California’s Bay Area will honor Filipina civil rights leader “Tita” Alice Bulos. The signs were unveiled at a brief ceremony Saturday afternoon.
Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) introduced a resolution in 2020 called ACR 165, which would name a portion of State Route 35 in Daly City as the Alice Peña Bulos Memorial Highway. The California legislature promptly approved the resolution. According to a press release from Assemblymember Ting’s office, Bulos was born in the Philippines on March 31, 1930. She graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and worked as a professor of sociology. She moved to California in 1972. After moving to California, Bulos began encouraging generations of young Filpino Americans to become politically active. She served on the Filipino American Caucus for the California Democratic Party, the National Filipino Women’s Network, and the National Asian Pacific Democratic Council. President Bill Clinton also appointed her to the National Council on Aging in the 1990s, making her the first Fil-Am selected by a sitting president to serve on a federal post.
Cafe Maddy Cab provides safe rides for marginalized communities – AsAmNews
Can acts of love be found in instances of hate?
From the murder of George Floyd to the 339% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the past year to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, the Ad Council’s “Love Has No Labels” campaign seeks to explore the love that is born out of these horrific acts. The “Love Has No Labels” campaign has been committed for the past eight years to addressing bias and discrimination. Arthur explains that the campaign emphasizes the power of the individual — how a simple act of love can go a long way. For Maddy Park, the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes spurred concerns about riding public transportation. Realizing that many members in the AAPI community had similar fears, Maddy’s act of love started with Cafe Maddy Cab. The charity has provided 7,800 essential rides in New York City and received $250,000 in donations. These rides were offered to Asian women, LGBT, and the elderly, marginalized communities who are often subject to harassment on public transit. Park explains that transit is especially important in New York City as many people walk and do not own cars. Day to day, low-income populations are reliant on public transit to make essential trips like going to work, school or medical appointments.
OpEd: Asian woman has never felt so unsafe – AsAmNews
Violence against Asian Americans, and Asian American women especially, has spiked. Friends now gift me pepper spray. We gather at self-defense trainings. Our group chats are filled with suggestions about how to stay safe in the face of threats, harassment, and violence. The coalition Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate reported that there were nearly 11,000 hate incidents between March 2020 and December 2021. Over 61 percent were against women. Recently three women of Korean descent were shot at a Dallas hair salon. Other brutal attacks include the New York City murders of Christina Yuna Lee, who was followed into her apartment before being stabbed to death, and Michelle Go, who was violently pushed onto subway tracks. There have been unprovoked attacks against our elders, including the 70-year-old woman in Boston’s Chinatown who was punched in the face. And we can’t forget the Atlanta Spa shootings, where six women of Asian descent were murdered. The racism that emerged in response to COVID-19 has indeed played a part in this recent spike in violence. Former President Trump’s racial slurs, describing the pandemic as the “Chinese virus” or “kung flu” has no doubt empowered people to carry out the type of public attacks that are on the rise. But sadly, this is not an entirely new phenomenon.