Ming-Na Wen receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Democrats in Congress reintroduce bill to break down mental health stigmas among Asian Americans

“Asian Americans recorded the fastest population growth rate among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, study finds.”

While this statistic may seem optimistic, there’s more to the story. The growth of the Asian American population in the U.S. has occurred in tandem with increased reports of discrimination and violence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

As our community grows, we are getting louder, we are telling our authentic stories…and we are making news headlines.

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📰 The Headlines

Ming-Na Wen receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame — “It's a really special way to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by ending it with something as tremendous as this”

• Actress Ming-Na Wen received her long-awaited star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week, just days before this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month draws to a close.

• Wen, 59, received the 2,757th star at the ceremony held at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles.

• Joining Wen at the event were her “The Joy Luck Club” co-stars Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom and Rosalind Chao.

Democrats in Congress reintroduce bill to break down mental health stigmas among Asian Americans — Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have faced "a growing mental health crisis in recent years," including youth suicides, said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.

• Democratic lawmakers reintroduced a bill on Wednesday aimed at breaking down the persistent stigmas associated with mental health in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.  

• The legislation, first shared with NBC News, coincides with the final day of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Called the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act, it would instruct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to partner with local advocacy and behavioral health organizations to provide outreach and education strategies.

• Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, known collectively as AANHPI, have faced "a growing mental health crisis in recent years, including increasing deaths by suicide of AANHPI youth,” said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif, who introduced the bill in 2016 and is among several lawmakers re-introducing it.

• The bill — which is being re-introduced in the House by Chu and Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., and in the Senate by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii — would additionally instruct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to conduct research and collect disaggregated data on mental health among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youths and behavioral health providers. So far, it’s received support from dozens of groups, including the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and Empowering Pacific Islander Communities.

12-year-old California boy graduates college with 5 degrees — Clovis Hung, who started college at 9, is now the youngest person in Fullerton College’s history of 108 years to receive not one, but five associate degrees.

• Clovis Hung, who started college at 9, is now the youngest person in Fullerton College’s history of 108 years to receive not one, but five associate degrees.

• Clovis followed a conventional academic path until the age of 7, when he got bored of second grade. His mother, Song Choi, who has worked as a tutor for more than 20 years, decided to homeschool him.

• “My husband and two daughters said I was crazy,” Choi told the Los Angeles Times. “But I trust my instinct. I know he is a very unique child because he’s very curious and intelligent.”

• After a year of homeschooling, Clovis entered Fullerton College. His decision to enroll was inspired by another Fullerton alum, Jack Rico, who previously set the record by graduating with four degrees at the age of 13 in 2020.

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📓 Educating on the latest education news

• Affirmative Action — A new poll found that 63% of Americans don’t think the Supreme Court should ban affirmative action in college admissions.

• Language courses — Harvard University is set to offer a new course in Tagalog, a Filipino language that is the fourth most frequently spoken language in the U.S. behind English, Spanish and Chinese.

🩺 Health check

• Abortion — The majority of Asian American and Pacific Islander women don't know where to access medication abortion. A new study says cultural taboos and insufficient culturally relevant care and information have contributed to continued limited knowledge about medication abortion.

• Therapy — Talk therapy falls short for many Asian Americans. They’ve turned to centuries-old alternatives.  

🥢 Now Serving

• Filipino cuisine — It recently got a nod in one of the U.S.’s highest culinary honors. Three Filipino restaurants have been nominated for James Beard Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of the culinary world.

• Taco Bell — Here’s why South Asian Americans stan Taco Bell. For those growing up in the suburbs without many vegetarian options, Taco Bell was a place multigenerational families with different diets could come together and eat.

📽️ What We’re Watching

✍️, Lea @ Crushing the Myth