Search CHINAINSIGHT.info
Production Editor Needed
Congressional Gold Medal for WWII Chinese American Veterans Initiative
Although the Chinese American community has always strived to be good citizens, history has shown that they have not been treated fairly and need to let their Congressional leaders know that their service to our country needs to be recognized. Like many minorities, Chinese Americans overcame discrimination to serve their country bravely and honorably and we need to encourage the Congress to act favorably on this proposal to commemorate the service of these Chinese American veterans.
MN Disaggregation Of Ethnic Data
-
Minnesota SF 2597 bill and disaggregated data collection
In recent years, there are a few bills and laws being introduced throughout the country with the goals to disaggregate the Asian American community. They are together referred as Asian American Disaggregation Bills or Asian American Ancestry Registration Bills. In Minnesota the bill was SF 2597 All Kids Count Act, and it passed through Minnesota Senate in March 2016. Governor Dayton signed the bill into law in May 2017. The pilot implementation of the bill is set to start this fall in several school districts and charter schools, including Minnetonka Public School and St. Paul Public Schools. Read More -
The 75th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act (Immigration Act of 1882) was a U. S. federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. The act followed the Angell Treaty of 1880, a set of revisions to the U.S.-China Burlingame Treaty of 1868 that allowed the U.S. to suspend Chinese immigration. The act was initially intended to last for 10 years, but was renewed in 1892 with the Geary Act and made permanent in 1902. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first and only law implemented to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States. It was repealed by the Magnuson Act on Dec. 17, 1943. Read More
- 1
- 2
“The Greatest Spirit” overseas premiere benefits Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society
- Details
By Greg Hugh
Prior to the curtain raising at Northrup Auditorium, a small group of invited guests gathered at Legendary Spice Chinese Restaurant for a reception with organizers and performers from “The Greatest Spirit,” which would be presenting its overseas premiere. During the reception, representatives from various organizations along with a few political dignitaries, including the Deputy Consul General from the Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Chicago provided some brief remarks followed by refreshments, including spirits.
Then it was onward to Northrup Auditorium to watch the show. Several speakers welcomed the gathering.
True to its advance billing, “The Greatest Spirit” presented poetry, music and dance in mural-like story scenes, telling the tale of the Chinese spirits (liquor) culture, and highlights the grandeur of traditional Chinese operas, the exquisite beauty of the costumes of past Chinese dynasties and the unique styles of Chinese ancient architecture.
While the show visually lived up to its advance billing, the full impact may have been lost on those that could not read Chinese since most of the 11 different performances was accompanied by an explanation in Chinese that was projected onto the stage. It would have been helpful if this were also provided in English, as in the program booklet. Providing the English translation would have enabled the entire audience to understand and appreciate the show much more while viewing an artistic production that demonstrated Chinese traditional rituals and etiquettes of spirits -- spirits and famous individuals, spirits and poetry, and spirits and philosophy in an artistic, poetic and dramatic manner.
The enthusiastic audience gave the performers a standing ovation.
The organizers of this event have pledged to donate all the proceeds to support the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society.
Add a comment
Taiwan to purchase Minnesota soybeans
- Details
[ST. PAUL, MN], Sept. 27. 2018 – Hosted by Governor Mark Dayton today at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence, Taiwanese trade officials and business leaders signed a letter of intent to purchase millions of metric tons of soybeans from farmers in Minnesota and Iowa over the next two years. The Taiwanese Agricultural Trade Goodwill delegation plans to purchase up to $1.56 billion of Midwestern soybeans in 2018 and 2019. Taiwan is Minnesota's sixth-largest export market, and a key trading partner for the state's agricultural products.
"Minnesota's trade relations with countries around the world, including Taiwan, are critical to helping our farmers sell their products in the global marketplace,” said Governor Dayton. “With the USDA predicting the largest U.S. soybean crop ever, these export opportunities are vitally important.”
The Taiwanese delegation, led by Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association Chairman Mr. Yau-Kuen Hung, plans to purchase between 3.2 million and 3.9 million metric tons of soybeans between 2018 and 2019, valued at an estimated pledged maximum of $1.56 billion. Taiwan is a growing consumer of vegetable oils. Soybean oil accounts for more than 50 percent of the overall vegetable oil market.
"The U.S remains one of Taiwan
's largest trade partners for agricultural products,” said Chairman Hung. “The Goodwill Mission plays an important role in strengthening the trade relations between our countries and ensuring Taiwan is able to purchase high quality soybeans grown in Minnesota.”
“We have worked hard to establish relationships with the people of Taiwan,” said Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson. “Those relationships are paying off in the form of market opportunities for Minnesota’s farmers which are critically important given our current ag economy.”
This afternoon’s visit is the result of a recent trade mission by Minnesota agriculture officials to Taiwan last month, and meetings with Chairman Mr. Yau-Kuen Hung.
Taiwan and Minnesota have a strong history of agricultural trade agreements. In January 2013, Commissioner Frederickson led a mission to Taiwan to personally extend an invitation to the 2013 Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission to visit Minnesota and sign letters of intent to purchase soybeans. Goodwill Missions have been organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1998.
Chinese language corner (漢語角落)
- Details
By Pat Welsh, contributor
This language corner is a new series designed for people who are interested in learning Mandarin. In China it is called “Putonghua” (The “common language”) of China. Before the 1950s, the terms “Kuoyü” and “Guanhua” were used to identify this national language.
Since the early 19th century Chinese has been classified as one of the many Sino-Tibetan languages. My own experience tells me that that this is really a catch-all grouping. Tibetan, Burmese and related minority languages are nothing at all like any Chinese dialect. Not only are there vast vocabulary differences, there are also significant differences in sentence structure and grammar.
Before I delve further into the language itself, perhaps a little introduction to China’s overall language situation is in order. In 1970 I began to earn a Master’s degree in Oriental Languages and Literatures at the University of Kansas. My first class was Readings in Chinese Political Writings. I arrived early to the classroom and greeted my professor Chichou Huang, who was unknown to me. I greeted him with the word “Zao” thinking that it meant “Good Morning.” He winced and invited me to take a seat. I was a little perplexed. What I did not realize was that in Beijing Mandarin, my version of the word “zao” sounded much like the Beijing version of the F-word. The tones between the Beijing and Chngqing subdialects were very different.
Paul Kwok’s exhibit
- Details
Those who attended Paul Kwok’s exhibit “In and Out of Tradition” on opening night got a bonus: a reception that was not lacking for food and beverages. Kwok’s approach to his landscape watercolors combine the eastern aesthetic with that of the west. As noted by Robert Jacobsen, chair, Asian Art, curator of Chinese Art, emeritus, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, “Paul Kwok produces extraordinary abstract landscapes that encompass not only quest for artistic identity but also display a synthesis of eastern and western pictorial values, namely traditional Chinese ink painting and authentic self-expression." Over forty paintings are on display.
In addition to enjoying the great company of all in attendance, great refreshments and food, the group included members of the Chinese Heritage Foundation Friends who also celebrated a milestone birthday for Kwok’s partner, Pat Hui. The exhibit continues until Sept. 28 at his gallery, Traffic Zone Center for Visual Arts, Studio 120, 250 Third Avenue North, Minneapolis, and is free and open to the public.
Groundbreaking ceremony for St. Paul–Changsha China Friendship Garden at Dragon Festival
- Details
By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
While the seeds for a Chinese garden were planted back in the year 2000 by the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association -MN Chapter, resulting in the formation of The Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society (MCFGS), much cultivating has taken place over the years. The actual groundbreaking ceremony took place during the annual Dragon Festival at Saint Paul’s Lake Phalen Park in July. For a more complete chronology of the garden’s evolution, visit www.mnchinagarden.org.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, the official name of the Garden, The St. Paul-Changsha China Friendship Garden of Whispering Willows and Flowing Waters, was announced. Built on a 1.2-acre site at Phalen Park, this sister-city collaboration was initiated by MCFGS with the City of St. Paul and its Parks & Rec Department, St. Paul’s District 5 Planning Council, the City of Changsha, Hunan Province, the Changsha People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the Changsha Yanghu Wetland Park (Phalen Park’s sister park) in China. Changsha has been the sister-city to the City of St. Paul since 1988.
Add a commentPopular Chinese street foods
- Details
By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
June 2018 was definitely not a good month. Three titans of their respective fields passed away: Kate Spade (fashion designer), Anthony Bourdain (chef and food travelogue host), and Charles Krauthammer (political analyst).
Bourdain’s unexpected death was a complete shock to his many fans. TV channels attempted to numb the pain by running marathons of Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” and “No Reservations.” What these Bourdain reruns confirmed was that the New York chef was an intrepid consumer and unabashed champion of street foods. There is nothing more vital to a city and a city’s health than good street food and more of it,” he said. “Street food makes traveling interesting.”
In fact, he had spent the past two-plus years working on Bourdain Market, a major food market on the Hudson River. The market was based on Asian night markets where he had spent many occasions eating and drinking amidst the locals. His ambitious food project was to include approximately 100 retail and wholesale local and overseas food vendors, butchers, bakers, cheesemakers, fishmongers and food stalls. He was hoping to bring the experiences from his shows to the market’s visitors, connecting them with authentic delicious foods and rich culture. Sadly, the project was canceled in December 2017 because of the many challenges, including obtaining visas for international food artisans and vendors.
One of Bourdain’s “must-try” street food in China is bao luo fen (抱羅粉).
A Hainanese specialty, this rice noodle dish is both sweet and savory. Soft and translucent, the rice noodles are tossed in a fragrant beef broth and corn gravy, and topped with sliced, lean pork, beef jerky, and roasted peanuts. The dish is named after Baoluo, a town in northeast Hainan Province.
Other popular Chinese street foods include:
Community groups demand justice for Sherry Chen
- Details
By Elaine Dunn
Sherry Chen, the award-winning hydrologist who was falsely accused of espionage in 2014, and whose charges were all dropped prior to trial in 2015, has the solid support of the Committee of 100 (C100), the United Chinese Americans (UCA), the Ohio Chinese American Association (OCAA) and nine additional community groups in her quest to get her job at the National Weather Service back.
The April 2018 Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) ruled that the Department of Commerce (DOC), which oversees the National Weather Service, did not have cause to fire Chen back in 2016. Chen, it said, was “a victim of gross injustice.” Chen’s attorney noted, “In their appeal brief, the Department of Commerce has re- cycled arguments that Judge Schroeder rejected and, worse yet, ignored once again exculpatory evidence presented at the hearing that the agency buried during the criminal and disciplinary investigations preceding Sherry’s ar- rest and termination.”
Community groups feel that the DOC’s decision to appeal rather than comply with the MSPB’s further de- lays justice for Chen,.
“The Commerce Department is clearly embarrassed by the publicity of its scandalous activities,” noted
Jeremy Wu, trustee of the Sherry Chen Legal Defense Fund. “By appealing the MSPB decision, the Department further shows its blindness to the truth and innocence of Sherry Chen and risks additional scrutiny of its prohibited practices and loss of pub- lic trust.” Wu added, “Supporters for Sherry Chen, including her colleagues in the National Weather Service, will redouble their commitment and have faith that justice and fairness for Sherry Chen shall prevail and those who abuse and misuse authority shall eventually be held accountable.”
On May 23, 2018, C100, UCA and the OCAA along with members of the
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), including Chair Rep. Judy Chu, Ted Lieu, Grace Meng and Raja Krishnamoorthi organized a press conference on Capitol Hill a to draw attention to Chen’s wrongful termination case and to issue a letter signed by 31 members of Congress requesting the Commerce Inspector General conduct an independent inves- tigation into the mishandling of Chen’s case. More than 130 Asian American community organizations supported the press conference.
(For details about Sheery Chen’s case, see p. 5 of June 2018 issue of China Insight, www.chinainsight.info.) ♦
Terms Of Use
Terms of Use All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, contact the publisher, Terms of Use All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, contact [email protected] with subject line “Permission request.”
About
CHINAINSIGHT (CI) is published monthly ((except July/August and November/December are combined) by China Insight, Inc., an independent, privately owned company started in 2001 and headquartered in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
CHINAINSIGHT is the only English-language American newspaper to focus exclusively on connections between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Our goal is to develop a mutual understanding of each other’s cultures and business environments and to foster U.S.-China cultural and business harmony.