Young Leaders Symposium engages future Asian Americans leaders
The sixth Young Leaders Symposium (YLS) took place at Vietnamese American Community Center in Dorchester on Sept. 23. The event was co-hosted by the Massachusetts Asian American Commission (AAC) and Vietnamese American Initiative For Development (VietAID).
Six Quincy City Council candidates attend forum as November election looms
Six candidates for Quincy City Council’s three at-large seats participated in a multilingual forum at North Quincy High School on Oct. 11, answering questions regarding education, public safety, transportation and tax ahead of the city council election in November. The forum was translated into Cantonese and Mandarin.
Customer service graduates celebrate career possibilities
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) and Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) held a graduation ceremony for students who participated in the English for Customer Service Job Training Program that helps low-income Boston residents find a job in retail and customer service industry on July 28. Most of the seven graduates already received job offers from employers, including Uniqlo, Bon Me and Roche Bros.
Asian American Day Festival comes back to Boston Common
The annual Asian American Day marked its second year of being a statewide official holiday to commemorate Asian American heritage on Sept. 9. In 2016, the Boston City Council declared every second Saturday of September as Asian American Day, which makes it the first proclamation in a major U.S. city.
East Meets West brings together kites, cultures and laughter
The 15th annual East Meets West Kite and Cultural Festival kicked off at Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester on August 26. The two-day community event met with delightful weather conditions that were perfect for kites to fly: sunny blue sky in the lower 80s with moderately strong wind.
Chinatown Main Street Summer Festival marks 14th anniversary
The 14th annual Chinatown Main Street Festival took place July 8 at the Chinatown Park on the Greenway. Aiming to promote a healthy environment and attract tourism, the cultural event featured food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and live performances.
MBTA meeting on Wollaston Station reveals updated plan during closure
Quincy’s Wollaston Station on the Red Line will be closed for renovation from fall 2017 to summer 2019, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) officials said at a community meeting on June 21. At least 70 residents signed up to speak at the meeting, voicing concern on the impact of closing Wollaston Station for nearly two years.
Asian Women for Health looks forward to another year of raising health awareness
The fifth Asian Women for Health (AWFH)’s annual meeting took place on June 12 at Impact Hub, Boston. It is a peer-led and community-based non-profit organization dedicated to raising health awareness among Asian American women population through education, advocacy and support.
Two friends from Venezuela finally achieve dream of running Boston Marathon
Jesús Enrique Perera Cabrera, an attorney from Caracas, Venezuela, has been running marathons for more than seven years. On Monday he finally realized his dream of running the Boston Marathon.
Cabrera said when said he first started running, “I couldn’t run more than 300 meters.” Now, he said, gets up at 5 a.m. to run 10 miles every morning.
Panera Cares Community Cafe feeds all with donation-based model
Steven Preston walks into Panera Cares Community Café at Government Center every Tuesday at 1 p.m. to volunteer for an hour in return for freshly baked bread.
His job includes busing and cleaning tables in the dining area.
This weekly routine keeps Preston, a veteran, from going hungry when he runs low on money.
Residents celebrate Dragon Dance Parade during winter months
While spring in Boston is still a few weeks away, the Chinese Spring Festival Dragon Dance Parade on Feb. 9 brought warmth and happiness to The Hub.
Rebecca Fluhr, who was attending her first parade in the Chinatown neighborhood, said: “It reminds me of the carnival in my home country, Germany, where people all dress up in their costumes and march down the streets to party with their friends and family....
