Los Angeles’ Korean community is one of largest outside of Korea. It is also one of the most linguistically isolated within the broader API population.
And so, when LA County’s Housing Authority failed to send out notifications in Korean regarding its Section 8 housing waitlist, a number of Korean residents suddenly found their vouchers had been revoked.
“Even though they are obligated to provide Korean language services, they are not interested in doing so and completely ignore it,” Dae Joong Yoon, president of the non-profit advocacy organization, Ktown Action, told the Korea Daily.
That’s in violation of federal and state law, and even the authority’s own regulations that require in-language materials and interpretation services be provided. Likely not the last we’ll hear of this case.
National ‘Kimchi Day’
Until then, you can treat yourself to a serving of kimchi, that fermented Korean staple that is riding the K-wave to growing popularity here in the US, with the US House of Representatives set to declare Nov. 22 national “Kimchi Day.” The move is described as a “gesture of gratitude to the Korean American community.
And who knows, maybe a dose or two of probiotics can help get things moving through Congress.
Migrant caravan offers aid after Hurricane Otis
When Hurricane Otis slammed into the Mexican resort town of Acapulco last week it took everyone by surprise. Within just 24 hours what had been a routine tropical storm transformed into a Category 5 hurricane, flattening buildings and killing some two dozen people.
Now, according to Univision, a caravan of some 6,000 migrants are petitioning Mexico’s government to grant them legal entry in exchange for working on cleanup in the aftermath of the storm.
“We’re asking for an opportunity to travel freely,” says caravan organizer Irineo Mújica from the city of Tapachula, just over the border from Guatemala. Mújica says there are thousands of migrants stranded in the city, with few resources to continue the journey north. “Why not allow immigrants… to bring hope to the people of Acapulco,” he notes.
In NY, workers raise alarm over AI’s threats to job security
Meanwhile, in New York, fears are growing among the immigrant community there over the threat that artificial intelligence poses to livelihoods. According to El Diario, Jose Pineda has spent the past 10 years developing a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy mechanic in and around New York, so much so that he rarely gets a day off.
Yet, Pineda tells El Diario, more and more he is seeing mechanic shops where “robots are replacing humans.” Construction workers, janitorial workers, those in the security industry and airport staff, just to name a few, all tell a similar story.
“We have seen attempts to create robots costing tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars that cannot do the work our members have been doing for the past several decades,” says Manny Pastreich, president of SEIU 32BJ – which represents 175,000 workers. “City and state policymakers must ensure that the men and women who care for New York’s residents, buildings and infrastructure have reasonable protections.”
New York’s state assembly recently held a hearing on the impacts that artificial intelligence could have and indeed is already having on employment. “People should be excited about artificial intelligence, [and] they should be afraid of it,” State Representative Alex Bores told the hearing.
Celebrating excellence in Black journalism
Good thing journalists don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to AI. (Kidding!) Speaking of journalists, the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) has named Denise Rolark Barnes as this year’s winner of the WABJ President’s Award, reports the NNPA. Barnes is the publisher, and second-generation owner of The Washington Informer.
“The WABJ Executive Board appreciates Ms. Rolark Barnes’ contributions and her unwavering dedication to journalistic excellence and advocacy for the D.C. Black community,” the organization said in statement.
The Washington Informer was launched in 1964 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark Sr. and, under his daughter’s leadership, continues to remain a vital source of news and information for the African American community in DC.
Massive scam hits Chinese community in NY
And from the World Journal, a reminder that scammers are as busy as ever. A 65-year-old woman in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn was approached recently by an individual promising lucrative returns on Bitcoin investments. After a series of exchanges, the woman transferred over some $1.3 million, none of which has since been recovered. The amount is the largest lost in a single case of this kind, according to the World Journal, which quotes local law enforcement, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
Tackling domestic violence in Indian Country
Finally, in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we have this powerful piece from Indian Country Today, which notes that “85% of Indigenous women experience violence within their lifetime” and that many of these women remain financially dependent on their abusers.
One of these women is Norma Rendon, founder of Where All Women Are Honored, which provides support to women experiencing domestic violence, sexual abuse and other forms of trauma in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Rendon is among a cohort of Indigenous women working to support battered women and their families while at the same time trying to find ways to curb the prevalence of domestic violence within their own communities. The challenges range from economic to legal to cultural, and while complex Rendon says finding solutions will take an all hands-on deck approach.
“We can’t change this violence against women without the men,” Rendon said. “They have got to be an integral part of stopping the violence.”
Image credit: Michael Muraz/CC By 3.0 License
