The Week in Review: March 1 - 9

International Women’s Day rallies seek equal rights, focus on Iran, Afghanistan | South China Morning Post
Millions across the world spent International Women's Day, held on March 8th every year, as a protest for women’s rights and against oppressive governments and societal expectations. Several issues focused within rallies include, but not limited to, reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, fight for better working conditions, and oppressive systems and laws in place. Rallies focused on a number of events affecting local, national, and international rights. In addition to rallies, government officials in different countries have voiced the need for change. Several leaders recognized that their own governments must do better to provide gender equity and justice in law. Though, there are other leaders who have mocked International Women’s Day protestors fight towards change. From the overthrow of Roe v. Wade —which reversed the constitutional rights to an abortion in the United States—to the tragic death of 23-year-old Iranian Mahsa Amini under the custody of morality police, these events sparked passion and discussion towards accessibility towards women’s rights.

Windmills feared to threaten Minidoka National Historic Site – AsAmNews
Maple Valley Energy (MVE) has proposed to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to increase the production of windmills across several counties in Idaho through the Lava Ridge Wind Project. Minidoka county is one of these counties of the proposed project, threatening the historical site of the Minidoka Relocation Center, where thousands of Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens were once held in internment camps during World War II.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has included the Minidoka Relocation Center as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Places in 2022 due to the likelihood of these windmills to be placed within the historical site.  Activists, descendants, and survivors alike have attended an open house hosted by BLM to discuss and tell stories of what the camp’s historical site means to the Japanese and Asian community, as well as American history. Within this open house, alternative action plans were developed by BLM and opened a discussion on what others believed to be the best to follow moving forward with the Lava Ridge Wind Project, or if it should be at all.

One of the Minidoka Relocation Camp survivors, Janice Matsunaga Okamoto, states: “The Lava Ridge Wind Project, with its proximity, would ruin the landscape. It would rob us of our history. We need to speak for the issei and Nisei. Please do not rob our dignity.”

Students protest against 76er arena in Chinatown, Philadelphia – AsAmNews

The growing issue of gentrification around and inside Chinatowns across the United States aren’t unfamiliar to the Asian communities. Last Friday on March 3, 2023, students from Penn State University attempted to attend a meeting to speak against the potential arena to be built on the edge of Philadelphia’s Chinatown. According to Inquirer, these students were, at first, barred from attending but eventually made their way in to discuss the negative long term effects the arena would put in place for those in the community. Led by founders and members of Penn student’s organization Students for the Preservation of Chinatown (SPOC), these protests since the announcement of The Sixers plan are inspired by the gentrification Penn has influenced within the Chinatown community, other POC communities, and financially disadvantaged communities. If The 76 Place proposal goes through, the arena would be placed on Market Street between 10th and 11th street. 

Man Charged With Hate Crimes After 7 Asian Women Are Attacked in 2 Hours - The New York Times 

On February 27th, 2023, seven Asian women were victims of race-targeted harassment and assault. The New York Police Department posted a tweet on March 1st, 2023  asking users if anyone was able to identify the unknown man and soon was identified as Steven Zajonc. According to NYPD, Zajonc went on a 2-hour rampage targeting random Asian women on New York City’s streets whom he had no interaction or relations with prior to the physical assaults. The seven women the attacker targeted are not identified, but it is known that two were brought to a local hospital. Anti-Asian hate crimes have continuously surged in numbers, especially against Asian women who have fallen victim to the hands of their perpetrators. In 2023 alone, there have been four individual deaths in New York City classified as anti-Asian hate crimes in addition to other anti-Asian-centered racist assaults.

Kamala Harris vows to lift up Asian small businesses – AsAmNews 

Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris, along with San Francisco small business and city leaders, participated in a round table discussion at the Chinatown Him Mark Lai Library. With an exclusive interview with AsAmNews following the round table, Vice President Harris spoke with Randall Yip, AsAmNews’ Executive Editor, and conversed about the need of community support into Asian-owned small businesses not only in Chinatown, San Francisco, but community as a nation. Vice President Harris also voiced the need for her and President Joe Biden to speak up about anti-Asian crimes when they happen. Other leaders attending recognized the impact of Vice President Harris actively choosing Chinatown as the location for the round table. Alongside the talk about culture in the community, Vice President Harris focused the round table on ways to support small businesses of all sorts throughout the city and the nation for economic growth and job growth locally.