Feature Article Archives

Women of Color Make Gains In Business World

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Minority women in executive and managerial positions are receiving promotions and building a foundation of networks that could help secure their future progress up the corporate ladder, a new study has found.

The study "Women of Color in Corporate Management: Three Years Later" is based on follow-up surveys with 368 of the 1,735 women who participated in a 1999 report with the same title.

Local Asian-American TV Stations Set To Go National

TJ DeGroat

NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and Univision? Believe it or not, the Spanish-language broadcaster in 1999 overcame mainstream networks like WB and UPN to become the fifth-largest network in the United States. Now, Asian-American TV stations are poised to pool their resources to create a national network for the country's second fastest-growing ethnic group.

The Bay area's KTSF and Southern California's KSCI are two of the major players in the race to bring Asian-American programming to a national audience.

NYC Newspapers Reflect Diverse Community

Chan Cho

The number of ethnic newspapers and magazines published in New York City is growing at a steady clip, with 270 publications currently targeting the city's diverse population. Nearly half of the publications in the survey use a language other than English and 14 percent use more than one language.

Spotlight On Keiko Harvey

Chan Cho

Keiko Harvey has been named one of the 'Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business,' by the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC).

Harvey was born in Japan and came to the United States when she was 17 years old. A graduate of Rutgers College of Engineering, today Harvey is Verizon's senior vice president of Advanced Services.

Islamic Groups Praise Justice Dept.'s Response To Hate Crimes

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From assaults to acts of vandalism, the Justice Department has investigated 350 reports of crimes against people of Middle Eastern or South Asian origin since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Prosecutors believe most of the crimes were in retaliation for the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. State and local authorities have begun prosecuting about 70 crimes, the Justice Department said. Federal charges have been brought in 10 cases.

Chinese Basketball Phenom Scores First Pick in NBA Draft

TJ DeGroat

China's most popular basketball player made history last night, becoming the first foreign-born No. 1 NBA draft pick.

The 7-foot-5 Yao Ming, who has piqued the interest of almost every basketball team in the country since competing in the 2000 Summer Olympics, will leave Shanghai for Houston, where he could start next season.

N.J. Farmers Trade in Corn for Bok Choy

TJ DeGroat

The rich farmland of Southern New Jersey produces award-winning corn and tomatoes, but an increasing number of the garden state's farmers are trading their tomato patches for Asian staples such as bok choy and mustard greens.

As the country's beleaguered farmers battle for survival, many are realizing that the relatively untapped ethnic market could lead to financial success.

Asian Fast Food: Variation On An Old American Theme

Chan Cho

In the hamburgers and french fries-dominated world of fast foods, Taco Bell has proven financially that change really is good. Now one of the world's largest restaurant companies is set to introduce another variation on an American tradition: Asian fast food.

"America loves Asian food. We're excited to test this new restaurant concept with Martin Yan, who is to Asian food what Colonel Sanders is to Kentucky Fried Chicken," said David Novak, chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands.

Breast Cancer on Rise Among Asian-American Women

Chan Cho

Rates of breast cancer among Japanese-American and other Asian ethnic women are on the rise, researchers report, and a significant factor may be unhealthy eating and living habits adopted with time in the United States.

The analysis of breast cancer cases reported in Los Angeles County found a 6 percent annual increase in the incidence of the disease between 1993 and 1997 among Asian-American women.

One Third of Chinese Men in U.S. Smoke, Study Finds

Yuske Honda

Chinese-American men are more likely to smoke cigarettes if they are poorly educated, have little access to Western healthcare and have no knowledge of cancer warning signs, a new study shows.

Those who have less than an elementary school education were more than twice as likely as those with more education to be a current smoker, according to the study.

Intel's Asian Indians Find Second Home in Employee Groups

TJ DeGroat

A company can't become a leader in its field without supporting its employees' needs. Intel, the world's largest chip maker, believes that its 12 employee networks are business tools that ensure that its employees are comfortable and successful.

The Intel India (IINDIA) employee group, which has more than 2,000 members nationwide and nearly 600 in the Oregon chapter alone, functions as a transitional guide for new Indian employees, a community-service organization and a teacher of Indian culture. Intel considers the group a competitive advantage and its members regard it as a necessity.

Why Did This Man Lose All His Hair? Ask Foxwoods

Sandra Lee

Zan Ng's wavy locks used to hang down to his chin, giving the founder of Admerasia the look of a weathered rock star. Then at an Asian advertising conference last year, Ng swore he'd shave his head if a company from an industry not currently involved in the Asian advertising arena dove into the market.

The proposition was made at the 3AF conference in New York City last year.

Federal Judge Awards Class-Action Status to Boeing Engineers

TJ DeGroat

A U.S. District Court judge last week granted class action status to a lawsuit alleging that the Chicago-based Boeing Co. discriminated against employees of Asian and Middle Eastern descent.

The suit, originally filed by nine employees in 1999, now covers about 1,500 engineers working in the Seattle area whose ethnic background is from Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

They're Here, They're Queer . . . and They're Asian

TJ DeGroat

From Olympic gold medallist Greg Louganis to award-winning journalist Helen Zia to self-described pansexual comedienne Margaret Cho, gay Asian Americans are here, they're queer and they're hoping America gets used to them.

Chinese Americans Lead Whites, Other Asian Groups In Homeownership

TJ DeGroat

Despite their recent immigrant status, Chinese Americans are leading whites and other Asian groups in homeownership in the three major gateway cities for immigrants: New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The findings are the result of a study by the University of Southern California's (USC) Lusk Center for Real Estate. The study showed that Chinese immigrants are more likely than other immigrant groups to curtail spending so they can own a home.

Primetime TV Tunes Out Minorities

TJ DeGroat

Minorities are seeing more reflections of themselves on network television, but the progress is minimal, according to a new study from the research group Children Now.

After examining the first two episodes of each prime-time series on the major networks, the group found that whites make up an overwhelming 74 percent of all characters.

China Doll - This One's an Ambassador to the West

Sandra Lee

When Yue Sai Kan visited China several years ago, she made a promise to bring back a Chinese doll for a friend's daughter. But after an exhaustive search, Kan realized that, even throughout Asia, fashion dolls have sandy blond hair and Caucasian features.

"When I found out there was no Asian doll, I was stunned," Kan says.

People Mag Appoints Jeannie Park as Executive Editor

Chan Cho

In 1983, when Jeannie Park graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a degree in biochemistry, her life seemed pretty set and secure. That was when she shifted gears dramatically, in a move that still haunts her parents' nightmares - she decided to act on her love of magazines, and enter the journalistic field.

Today, Park is the executive editor at Time Inc.'s flagship publication, People Magazine - an appointment that was announced just last month.

'Giant Robot' Editor's Day Job As An NHL Groupie

Martin Wong

I like hockey. A lot. So when the National Hockey League (NHL) held its 62nd All Star Game in Los Angeles, Calif., signing up to volunteer was a no-brainer. At the orientation, we were promised that volunteering would be one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. It turns out my assignment was to strap equipment on fourth graders so they could play simulated goaltending.

I might have felt differently about the situation if I wasn't helping to start Giant Robot at the time.

Kang & Lee Tops Ad Age's Multicultural Agency List

TJ DeGroat

Kang & Lee Advertising has been ranked as the top multicultural agency specializing in the Asian American market by Advertising Age in its 58th annual agency report.

Led by President and CEO Eliot Kang, Kang & Lee Advertising has been a giant in the Asian-American advertising, marketing and communications industry for more than 16 years. The company's boasts annual billings of more than $70 million, and has a roster of clients including AT&T, Bank of America and Kia Motors.