news from around the community

S.F. Asians fret over insult to Olympic torch: Chinese American community leaders in San Francisco became vocal last week after city supervisors passed a resolution critical of China's human rights record, encouraging the city to accept the Olympic torch (during its only North American stop) with "alarm and protest."

Chinese Americans discuss fate of unearthed remains: Los Angeles' Chinese American community is still grappling with what to do with the remains of early Chinese Americans unearthed by the MTA during construction. The question is whether to study the century-old bones and artifacts, or re-bury them immediately.

No Justice, No Mani-Pedi!: Last October, nail salon worker Susan Kim won a much-publicized labor lawsuit over her former employer. Since then, her victory has sparked a rebellion of sorts within New York's nail salon industry, with many more manicurists coming forward to speak out against unfair working conditions.

Burmese resettle in the East Bay, adjust to urban living: Burmese are the fastest growing refugee population in the United States. In 2007, the United States accepted about 15,000 Burmese refugees, more than any other refugee group. And a large wave of these refugees has settled in the Bay Area.

Post-war prejudice gave rise to The People's Airline: We recently got news that Aloha Airlines was shutting down. Here's an interesting story on the origins of Aloha, founded in 1946 by Ruddy Tongg as an answer to Hawaiian Airlines, which reportedly excluded Asian pilots, flight attendants and staff in favor of Caucasians.

A Fabric of Life Loses a Thread That Binds: After nearly 25 years in business as the neighborhood dry cleaners, Kyung Dong and Kyung Ja Oh closed the doors of their Cobble Hill shop for good. The couple, both in their 60s, were priced out of their storefront rental, forcing them into an early retirement.

A year later, parents of dead Chinese students still want answers: On March 8, 2007, three Chinese students at Urbana University in Ohio were killed in a tragic chain-reaction crash started by a car driving 98 mph. Over a year later, the parents of Jin "Jack" Bian still want for answers about the crash... and justice for their son.

Little Saigon activists tell USC to take down Vietnam flag: The University of Southern California has recently come under fire from Vietnamese American activists for displaying the communist flag of Vietnam. University officials, however, say the current flag conforms to state and U.N. standards.

Young, Asian American, and Christian: As many college kids know, involvement in faith-based organizations can be a significant part of the Asian American college experience. This article takes a look at the large (and growing) number of Asian American students in Christian fellowships at UC Berkeley.