Olympics

Suni Lee gets hero’s welcome in Minnesota

Olympic gymnast Sunisa “Suni” Lee returned to a hero's welcome at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sunday following her triumphant performance at the Paris Games. Lee, who earned three medals — including a gold in the team event and two individual bronze medals — was greeted by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minnesota State Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, along with a cheering crowd.

Cheers and selfies: The 21-year-old St. Paul native was met with flowers, hugs and cheers from numerous supporters, including young gymnasts from her former training gym, Midwest Gymnastics. She graciously posed for selfies, signed autographs and expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support.

Remarkable journey: The six-time Olympic medalist later took to TikTok to reflect on the journey she has taken over the past year, which included overcoming a rare kidney disease that temporarily interrupted her career. Lee shared images of her hospitalization in March 2023, as well as photos of her podium finishes in Paris and the medals she won. "Crazy what a year can do," she captioned the post.

Olympics

Suni Lee stands by teammate Jordan Chiles amid medal controversy

Suni Lee defended teammate Jordan Chiles amid a controversy surrounding the latter’s bronze medal in the women's floor gymnastics final at the Paris Olympics. The medal was revoked after a ruling that the U.S. challenge to Chiles' score was filed too late, effectively revoking her medal and awarding it to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu. Lee criticized the judging process on Instagram, stating, “All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?? Completely unacceptable." USA Gymnastics has submitted new video evidence, hoping to overturn the decision and have Chiles' bronze medal reinstated.

Olympics

Paris Olympics poster excludes Asian athletes

A celebratory poster released after the 2024 Paris Olympics is being accused of racism for seemingly excluding East Asian athletes. The poster, shared on X by Eurosport on Aug. 11, featured few, if any, representatives from China, Japan and South Korea, despite these countries securing top-10 finishes in the medal count.

Tom Cruise has a spot: Netizens expressed outrage at the purported exclusion, fueling accusations of racism and Eurocentrism, with some pointing out the inclusion of non-athletes like Snoop Dogg and Tom Cruise. One X user wrote, “A symbolic picture that visualizes the subconscious of Europeans. They cannot see Asians.” Another user asked, “The Olympics should be fair for everyone. What do you hope to gain by excluding Asians?”

Olympic powerhouses: Asian athletes made significant achievements in the Paris 2024 games. China, which tied the U.S. for most gold medals at Paris 2024, achieved historic breakthroughs in events like the men's 100m freestyle, women's tennis singles, rhythmic gymnastics and more. Japan showcased its strength in disciplines such as judo and skateboarding, while South Korea excelled in archery and taekwondo.

News

NJ pushes to relocate 76ers arena amid Philadelphia Chinatown opposition

New Jersey officials are actively working to persuade the Philadelphia 76ers to relocate to Camden and build a new arena there as the team faces challenges with its proposed site in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. The team is optimistic about finalizing the deal this summer, aiming to open the new arena for the 2031-32 season when its lease at the Wells Fargo Center expires.

Ongoing discussions: Discussions have intensified due to obstacles in Philadelphia and the potential benefits of moving, such as proximity to the team’s existing offices and practice facility in Camden and possible tax incentives. Although 76ers owner David Adelman has expressed a strong desire to remain in Philadelphia, they are considering the New Jersey option amid difficulties with their current plans. The New Jersey proposal includes potential support from state officials and local economic benefits, but the timeline and feasibility remain uncertain.

About the proposed arena: In July 2022, development company 76 Devcorp, which is headed by Adelman, proposed a plan to build the new 76ers arena at 10th and Market Streets near Philadelphia’s Chinatown. The proposal was immediately met with fierce criticism from community members, who worry that it would worsen limited parking, traffic congestion, gentrification, displacement and the loss of Chinese culture in the area. When Adelman proposed a community-benefits agreement with business opportunities, critics dismissed these efforts as mere propaganda and have called for impact studies, expressing skepticism about the credibility of previous and future evaluations by the city’s economic development agency.

Crime

Vancouver scammers steal nearly $6M from Chinese Canadian community

Vancouver authorities report that scammers targeted the city’s Chinese Canadian community members, stealing nearly $6 million since the beginning of the year. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is currently investigating 26 cases but believes there are more unreported victims. 

About the scams: The VPD reports three scams targeting the community, with the first one impersonating Chinese police, falsely claiming that victims' identities were used in crimes and tricking them into sending money to Hong Kong banks to resolve the issue. The second involves exploiting spiritual beliefs through "blessing scams," especially the elderly, by convincing them that sending cash or jewelry will prevent bad luck or illness, often in exchange for a worthless gift. The last scam involves luring victims with fake job offers that lead to romance or investment fraud. 

Police investigation: Queenie Choo, CEO of immigrant services agency S.U.C.C.E.S.S., highlighted that seniors and newcomers are especially vulnerable to the scams due to cultural and language barriers. She urged victims to report incidents despite potential fears or uncertainties, emphasizing the importance of police involvement in catching scammers. In a press release, Const. Tania Visintin noted, "We're asking everyone, especially those in the Chinese community, to spread the word about these scams with elderly family and friends.”

Crime

Man fatally shot at San Jose Vietnamese bar

A shooting inside a bar in San Jose, California, on early Sunday morning left one man dead, with the suspect still at large. Authorities continue their investigation into the city’s 20th homicide of the year.

What happened: The shooting took place at the Co La Quan bar at around 3:20 a.m., roughly three hours after the business’ listed closing time. Multiple 911 calls led officers to the scene on the 900 block of McLaughlin Avenue, where they found a male victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Despite emergency medical care, the victim died later at a nearby hospital. The suspect, on the other hand, managed to flee before the police arrived.

Investigation continues: Sean Nguyen, owner of the nearby Angela Q Vietnamese Food and Deli, was preparing for the next business day when officers banged on his door. “As soon as I opened the door, there was [sic] two police pointing guns at me,” Nguyen told KGO. “I was scared, and I said ‘What's going on?’” Nguyen said he did not hear the gunshots but noted that the area — especially the bar — can get rowdy, with people sometimes staying “really late.” Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact investigators at 408-277-5283 or via email at [email protected] or [email protected].

News

Jet Li goes on Buddhist pilgrimage with daughters

Martial arts film legend Jet Li and his two daughters, 24-year-old Jane and 21-year-old Jada, recently went on a Buddhist pilgrimage to Lhasa in Tibet, China. In an Instagram post on Aug. 5, the 61-year-old actor and his children are seen visiting the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former residence of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959.

Religion at home: Li and his wife, retired Hong Kong actress Nina Li Chi, introduced Buddhism to their daughters at a young age. In a December 2023 interview, Li shared how a three-month study of Tibetan Buddhism helped Jada improve her depression, which she had battled since she was 7 years old.

Jet Li and Buddhism: Li became a Buddhist disciple after converting in 1998 while visiting Taiwan to promote “Lethal Weapon 4.” His conversion almost ended his career when he expressed a desire to quit acting and pursue becoming a Buddhist monk. “I wanted to retire in 1997, but I met a Thai Buddhism master who told me to continue to do it, to take some responsibility,” he said in a past interview. “I have spent more time learning Buddhism than English. I just discovered a lot of personal stuff.”

Final Bites

Asian American students in NYC public schools rises for 1st time in 9 years: New York City's public school enrollment from prekindergarten to 12th-grade programs saw a slight increase this year, with over 912,000 students, ending an eight-year decline. Notably, the composition of the student body is changing, with the number of English language learners (16.3%) rising significantly due to an influx of migrant students. Asian American student enrollment (18.7%) is now nearly equal to that of Black students (19.5%), reflecting broader demographic shifts. The city has increased efforts to teach Asian American history, but Asian teachers remain underrepresented. The poverty rate among students has slightly increased, and the number of students identifying as nonbinary has also risen. Despite short-term optimism, long-term projections suggest a significant decline in enrollment due to declining birth rates and migration patterns.

More Asian students are choosing Asian countries to study English: A new study from the British Council published on Aug. 13 found that Asian students are increasingly choosing to study English in closer countries like China rather than moving to traditional English-speaking destinations such as the U.K. The study noted that the number of students from Southeast Asia enrolling in U.K. institutions began to decline between 2015 and 2019, while the number of North Asian enrollees has "plateaued" since 2015. Researchers also observed that the mobility of students traveling within East Asia for education grew more rapidly than those going to English-speaking countries between 2013 and 2020. This shift is partly attributed to new education policies in many East Asian countries that focus on developing higher education centers, internationalizing universities and offering scholarships, the researchers noted.

Canadian truck driver accused of smuggling 10 Vietnamese into U.S.: Canadian truck driver Husain Al Kawwaz, 34, appeared in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Michigan on Friday to face a criminal complaint of alien smuggling for commercial advantage and private financial gain after he was caught allegedly smuggling 10 Vietnamese citizens in his commercial trailer across the Detroit border. Surveillance footage during an inspection revealed that the truck driver had removed the seal on his trailer, allowing the group to exit. In a recorded interview, Al Kawwaz admitted being offered $5,000 to smuggle the individuals from Windsor, Canada, a week prior. The Iraq native, who was also accused of acting in “reckless disregard,” was temporarily detained, with a detention hearing set for Tuesday. The status of the Vietnamese nationals has not been disclosed.

New Spotify playlist highlights Filipino street hip-hop culture: A new Spotify playlist, titled “KALYE Mixtape” (with "kalye" meaning "street" in English), introduces listeners to Filipino street hip-hop culture. The playlist is part of Spotify’s year-long program, KALYE X, which aims to promote Pinoy hip-hop through collaborations with artists, fans, and the community. Describing the Pinoy hip-hop community as “deeply passionate” about their craft, Chesca Tan, lead editor at Spotify Philippines, told Adobo Magazine that they want to ensure the community is “well represented across our playlist ecosystem and that their art is recognized and respected.” Some of the Filipino artists featured in the playlist include Flow G, Skusta Clee and Gloc 9.