news from around the community

Where English teachers have to look the part: According to this story, Asian Americans often have trouble finding jobs teaching English in China. Not that they're underqualified. And it's not the lack of work either—being an English instructor is one of the hottest jobs in the country. The fact of the matter is, white English teachers are in high demand, some regardless of qualifications.

Ruth Chinn, 1914-2007: Community volunteer always ready to help: Seattle resident Ruth Chinn, who co-founded the nation's first Asian American-owned bank in 1960, died last week at the age 92. She was an active member of Seattle's Asian community, helping to launch the Asian Resource Center in 1994.

Portrait of Dalip Singh to be unveiled in US: A portrait of Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian American Congressman, will be unveiled in the US Congress at an official ceremony honoring him next week. The first Asian American in Congress, Saund won a seat in the House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1956, serving the 29th district of California.

Investing in Asian American Women Through Education: For promoting education among Asian American women and other accomplishments, Wendy Cai recently became the youngest recipient of the United Nations Population Fund Award for the Health and Dignity of Women.

In Their Own Words: Mother Jones has a feature with Korean adoptees talking about finding their birthparents. Since the end of World War II, over 100,000 Korean infants and children—approximately one out of twelve Korean Americans—have been adopted into American families.

L.A.'s Little Tokyo clings to its heritage, but welcomes new cultures: Los Angeles' Little Tokyo is currently undergoing a major demogrphic shift fueled by a new wave of multicultural investors, residents and visitors—a cause for concern for some who want to preserve the community's culture and history.

Affluent Asians Set Up House In Downtown L.A.: Reuters has an article on the recent trend of affluent Asian Americans who are buying property to live and work in downtown Los Angeles. According to the story, almost 25 percent of downtown's residents are Asian.